The 20 Best Cars For Tuning In Last 30 years PHOTO

You can go out and buy a fast car if you want. But some people want to be more involved than that. They want to go out, buy a car, and then make it fast. If you want to take something good and make it great, we suggest you start with one of these rides.

20. Audi TT
Years Of Production: 1998-Present
Potential: Demi-Veyron
Complex Says: A common goal for TT tuners is making two thirds of the power of a Bugatti Veyron at two thirds of the weight. These cars can be FAST.

19. Acura RSX
Years Of Production: 2001-2006
Potential: Pretty Good
Complex Says: Think of it as an upmarket Civic with just a hair more performance potential.

18. Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
Years Of Production: 1992-Present
Potential: Mega-boosted
Complex Says: We've heard of people getting more than 500hp out of the EVO's 2.0L engine. Granted, they need oil changes every 250 miles, but it's still awesome.

17. Chevy Corvette
Years Of Production: 1953-Present
Potential: Amazing
Complex Says: The Corvette seems capable of handling any amount of power. There was an 800hp production Vette, and we've seen one-offs make as much as 1,200hp.

16. Nissan Silvia
Years Of Production: 1964-2002
Potential: Plenty
Complex Says: There's no better car for tuning than a simple, front-engined, rear-driven, reliable Japanese coupe. The Silvia is exactly that.

15. Subaru WRX/STI
Years Of Production: 1992-Present
Potential: Dirty
Complex Says: The WRX and STI are only a few small steps away from being full-blown rally cars. They just beg to be "completed."

14. Eagle Talon
Years Of Production: 1990-1994
Potential: Boost-tastic
Complex Says: Mitsubishi plus Chrysler doesn't sound like a very good idea, but it turned out to be a great, capable, and underrated one. Out of all of Chrysler's weird collaborations, this is one of the few good ones.

13. Ford Mustang
Years Of Production: 1964-Present
Potential: Shocking
Complex Says: People have tuned Mustangs to make more than 1,000hp. That is all.

12. Mazda RX-7
Years Of Production: 1978-2002
Potential: Rotary--not the club
Complex Says: The RX-7 is a Wankle-engined masterpiece that we really miss. We've seen everything from mild performance mods to quad-rotor 800hp examples.

11. Nissan Sentra SE-R
Years Of Production: 1991-1994
Potential: Super Sleeper
Complex Says: Let's face it. This car looks like crap. That's why the fact that it set subcompact speed records upon release--and many more once people started tuning it--such a surprise. It looks like something that should take forever to do 0-60 and cost $185 on Craigslist.

10. Nissan 300ZX
Years Of Production: 1983-2000
Potential: Killer
Complex Says: The Fairlady Z is a beloved performance car because of its predictable, fun dynamics. Building upon those dynamics has become a hobby for many a gear-head.

9. Mitsubishi 3000GT
Years Of Production: 1990-2001
Potential: Very Good
Complex Says: The 3000GT was everything Mitsubishi is good at (i.e. turbocharging and AWD), without worrying about building a nice car. People have squeezed tons of power out of these things, and the car can handle it with minimal modification.

8. Classic Volkswagen Beetle
Years Of Production: 1938-2003
Potential: Hilarious
Complex Says: Beetles have been turned into dune-racing Baja Bugs, tire-shredding drag racers, sports cars, and who the heck knows what else. What do you plan to do with yours?

7. Toyota AE86
Years Of Production: 1983-1987
Potential: Sideways
Complex Says: With the proper prep, the AE86 is one of the most competitive cars that exists.

6. Mazda Miata
Years Of Production: 1989-Present
Potential: Awesome
Complex Says: The Miata is a capable platform that has trained more professional race drivers than any other car. Don't disrespect the MX-5.

5. Honda S2000
Years Of Production: 1999-2009
Potential: Race-spec
Complex Says: There's not much to tune on the brilliant Honda S2000. Just put in a few upgrades to make it race-worthy, and you have a really cool car.

4. Volkswagen R32
Years Of Production: 2004, 2008
Potential: Terrifying
Complex Says: It's not hard to find someone promising to wring 600hp out of a VR6 engine. This isn't BS either. A few updates to the transmission, preferably by HPA, and some AWD updates, and you have a five-door Lambo killer.

3. Acura Integra
Years Of Production: 1986-2001
Potential: Great
Complex Says: If you're the kind of guy who likes huge wings and loud exhaust notes, you'll fit right in with the Integra crowd. Unlike the Civic, these things can go fast.

2. Toyota Supra
Years Of Production: 1992-2002
Potential: Huge
Complex Says: The Supra has incredible aftermarket support, which is always a good thing for a tuner. It's no fun to have to get every single thing custom made. The reason this support exists for a car that hasn't been made for 10 years is quite simple. The Supra has tons of potential for performance.

1. Nissan Skyline GT-R
Years Of Production: 1989-2002
Potential: Legendary
Complex Says: The Skyline GT-R is a legend. This car wasn't too impressive directly from the factory, but a simple tuning turned it into total monster.