Anyone shopping for a high-end sports car right now owes a small debt of gratitude to Bentley. The company (owned by the Volkswagen Group since 1998) has been a factor in a recent trend in luxury automobiles: formerly exclusive—and astronomically expensive—European cars now being priced in the merely exorbitant low six figures. “That’s where you can do some volume,” says David Lucas, vice president of Autodata, which tracks sales in the industry.

In 2003, when the Arnage, Bentley’s least-expensive sedan, was priced at about $220,000, the company sold fewer than 400 cars in the U.S. But when Bentley introduced the 2004 Continental GT, the car became a surprise hit, popping up in hip-hop videos and valet lines. Expecting to sell just 800 of them in the U.S. that year, Bentley sold 2,260, thanks in part to its price: $155,000. To mere mortals, that’s still steep, but it’s a relative bargain for a Bentley. The automaker kept costs down by using components from other cars in the VW lineup, including a W-12 engine that’s literally two six-cylinder engines molded together. At that price, says David Reuter, a Bentley spokesman, “there was zero competition at the time.” U.S. sales have continued climbing, to 3,900 last year.

There’s more competition now. This fall, Maserati released its 2008 GranTurismo, an Italian coupe with a Ferrari-bred V-8 engine, a top speed of 177 m.p.h., and a price of about $115,000. The new car is critical to Maserati’s continuing U.S. comeback. After an 11-year hiatus, the company returned to American showrooms in 2002.

Aston Martin also introduced a lower-priced model last year called the Vantage, followed by a convertible version, the Roadster, this spring. Both sell for less than $130,000, whereas a new top-of-the-line Aston DBS sells for $270,000. These models remain out of reach for most drivers, but they make it easier to dream.

Audi R8
This sports coupe shares technology with the Lamborghini Gallardo, including a lightweight aluminum frame, all-wheel drive, and a midengine layout. (Lamborghini and Audi are both owned by the Volkswagen Group.) Yet the R8 starts at $109,000, versus $186,000 for the Gallardo. Though it’s extremely powerful, the Audi works well as a daily ride, with a forgiving suspension and useful luggage space.

Aston Martin V-8 Vantage Roadster
In 1993, Aston sold just 22 cars worldwide, but the brand was reinvigorated under Ford’s ownership, and last year it sold 7,000. The company still makes ultra-high-end models, like the $270,000 DBS that James Bond drives in Casino Royale, but last year it debuted the Vantage, which costs less than half that. The Roadster, new this spring, is a convertible version of the Vantage.

Maserati GranTurismo
Designed by the Pininfarina house, the sculptors of Ferrari, the GranTurismo marks a return to the flowing, classic lines of Maserati’s past. Its performance specs are only average for these cars, but on a roller-coaster road in the Dolomites, statistics go out the window. The GranTurismo is smooth and agile, with a backseat that is surprisingly accommodating, even for six-foot-plus adults.

Mercedes CL63 AMG
Mercedes’ AMG division creates high-performance versions of the company’s standard models, and the CL63 (based on the CL550) may be its flashiest yet—a chrome-laden coupe with an exceedingly powerful, hand-built V-8 engine. But while the Mercedes is faster off the line than the Aston Martin, it’s still a big, heavy car—about 4,600 pounds—that’s less nimble on twisty roads.