Every year, automakers push their engineers to produce more powerful and faster cars compared to the competition and last year's models. That race has been driving horsepower up industrywide since the late 1970s. From 1994 to 2004, average horsepower per 100 pounds increased 15 percent, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Because of that improvement, it's never been a better time to be an auto enthusiast on a budget. For 2011, automakers are offering an impressive array of relatively cheap but fast cars that put powerful engines and nimble handling within reach of budget-conscious car buyers. Even better, many speedy models have good fuel economy and plenty of space to get your more mundane driving tasks done as well.