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Friday, 10th of February 2012

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Latest Performance Cars and Hot Hatches road tests

Citroen DS3

Racing 1.6i 16V THP 207 - Developed by the same guys who helped Sébastien Loeb and co-driver Daniel Elena secure six WRC Manufacturer’s titles, the Racing variant of Citroen’s DS3 does a sterling job of sticking you in the rally driver hot seat. [...]

An image of the Citroen DS3 Racing 1.6i 16V THP 207

Audi RS3

Sportback - The RS2 Avant of the early ‘90s was the first ultra high performance RS Audi. Since then there have been a couple of RS4s and RS6s, a TT RS and, most recently, the RS5. Now comes the RS3 – an A3 on double-dose steroids for those who reckon that the 265-horsepower S3 doesn’t quite cut it. [...]

Porsche Cayman

R - Lighter, faster and more powerful than any other Cayman in the range, the R is the iteration of Porsche’s small coupe. With 330bhp and 0-62mph in 4.7 seconds flat, it’s quick, but the real news is the way this Cayman devours corners with the biting power of its namesake. The Porsche 911 should be ve [...]

Ford Focus RS

500 - As swan songs go, the Ford Focus RS500 is a full-on heavy metal stadium concert with the volume turned up to 12. There’s nothing shy or retiring about this run-out model of Ford’s crazy gang hot hatch, even if it tries to kid on with its stealthy matt black paint job. The five-cylinder engine has be [...]

Mercedes-Benz SLS

AMG - Mercedes plunders it heritage for the SLS, but this super coupe is no throw back in terms of performance or handling. Yes, the gullwing doors are its trademark in a bid to make it stand out from the crowd, including the McLaren SLR that also uses a Merc V8 at its heart, but the AMG is much more than [...]

Skoda Fabia

vRS - The hot hatch segment is hugely competitive – which is good news for British drivers, as we tend to be one of the biggest markets in the world for them. And the choice is now even greater with the addition of the hotted-up version of Skoda’s Fabia, the vRS. It might not exactly be the prettiest car [...]

Volkswagen Golf

R 2010 - How do you make the hot even hotter? Easy, if you’re Volkswagen: you take the much-loved and hugely popular Golf GTI, increase the power, add four-wheel drive and – hey presto – you come up with the Golf R. The range-topping model of the sixth-generation Golf hatchback is the spiritual heir to the R [...]

Audi R8

Spyder 2010 - They said it couldn’t be done, but when Audi first launched the R8 in 2007, it took critics and consumers by surprise. Could a volume manufacturer, even one that operates in the premium sector, really build a supercar that could be taken seriously by the petrolhead cognoscenti? Remarkably, the answe [...]

Bentley Continental GTC

Speed 2010 - Until recently the Bentley Continental GTC Speed was the most powerful convertible Bentley had ever produced and only lost the tag when the range-topping “Supersports” Continental was let off the leash in mid-2010. Building on the success of the Continental GT the “Speed” features the famous W12 6.0 [...]

An image of the Bentley Continental GTC Speed 2010

Vauxhall Insignia

VXR - The Vauxhall Insignia VXR is one of those hotly anticipated cars that get some car fans in a bit of a tizzy, especially those Vauxhall fans who love cars that carry VXR badges. Vauxhall’s VXR cars always have a sense of ‘Sturm und Drang’ about them: they tap into the primal urges of petrolheads with [...]

SEAT Ibiza

FR TDI - Ten years ago, the very idea of a diesel hot hatch would have had performance car purists snorting derisively. But a lot has changed in the car industry over the last decade, with the refinement of diesels one area that has changed almost beyond recognition. The latest variant of the Seat Ibiza, the [...]

Mazda 3

MPS - The first Mazda 3 MPS was a pleasant surprise: it was a pretty able hot hatch, just noisy enough to encourage you to rev it just a little more than you knew was strictly necessary. That’s no longer enough, though, since the Ford Focus RS came along and changed the game. So Mazda has launched a new v [...]

Renault Clio

Renaultsport 200 Cup - Renault has always tried to have a little bit of fun with its Clio, first adding a hot hatch model to its line-up in 1992 when it added the Clio Williams. Following in the tradition of the three Williams iterations, the monstrous V6 from 2001 and previous Renaultsport Clios such as the 172 and 197, [...]

An image of the Renault Clio Renaultsport 200 Cup

SEAT Ibiza

Bocanegra - Other than the blacked-out grille, some badging and a few trim changes, it’s hard to see how Seat can justify asking a further £700 for the Bocanegra over the standard Ibiza Cupra model. They both share the same engine, suspensions, gearbox and performance. [...]

SEAT Ibiza

1.6 TDi Sport - Attaching the word Sport to the Seat Ibiza in 1.6-litre turbodiesel form is bound to raise expectations of performance and pace. Group 4 insurance is easy on the wallet for a sporting car, while 65.7mpg combined economy is excellent. The 112g/km carbon dioxide emissions are also commendable as they [...]

An image of the SEAT Ibiza 1.6 TDi Sport

SEAT Leon

FR 2.0 TSI DSG - Sitting just below the range-topping 150+mph Cupra in SEAT’s extensive Leon line-up is the almost-as-sporty FR model. The FR costs a little less, and it isn’t quite as blindingly quick, but this particular hot hatch offers more than enough power and pizzazz for all but the most hard-core of speed fr [...]

An image of the SEAT Leon FR 2.0 TSI DSG

Volkswagen Golf

GTi 2.0 TSI 3-door manual - The Mk 1 Golf GTi first went on sale in the UK in 1976. With 108bhp, 0-60 in 9 seconds and a 113mph top speed, the 1.6-litre 3-door hatch soon became a cult classic and effectively usurped the conventional, affordable sportscar market for years. Sportscars returned, while the GTI, now in Mk 6 guise, [...]

An image of the Volkswagen Golf GTi 2.0 TSI 3-door manual

Porsche 911

Porsche’s enduring supercar offers everything from plain old rapid to downright amazing. Forty five years of honing the 911’s abilities has resulted in a car that is as near to perfection as you can get for a road car. Buying a 911 is about one of the safest car purchases you can make. Yes, it’s qui [...]

Lamborghini Murchielago

LP670-4 SV - If we could award extra points for performance, the Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce would top the lot. From 0-62mph in a mere 3.2 seconds and on to a stonking 212mph (209 if you go for the more angled wing for greater downforce), this hypercar is not shy about going forward. If you want c [...]

An image of the Lamborghini Murchielago LP670-4 SV

Jaguar XF

R-5.0litre supercharged - What do you get when you take the award winning Jaguar XF and then add a 5.0litre supercharged petrol engine? Yes, of course it’s the brand new Jaguar XFR and its gunning for the title of top cat in the niche ‘sports luxury’ segment, looking to give the likes of the BMW M5 and Audi RS6 a run for the [...]

An image of the Jaguar XF R-5.0litre supercharged

Porsche Cayman

2.9-litre - The Cayman fits neatly between the Boxster and the 911 in Porsche’s model range, or it would do if it weren’t for the more powerful and slightly more expensive Boxster S. So where does that leave the hardtop-only Cayman with no ‘S’? Might it be superfluous to the Porsche sportscar line-up? [...]

An image of the Porsche Cayman 2.9-litre

Nissan 370Z

7-speed auto GT Ultimate - Nissan’s line of sporting Z cars dates back to the early ‘70s, but through the ‘80s and ‘90s the Zs accumulated flab and so weren’t quite as sporty as their badges suggested. Then in the early noughties came the 350Z – a properly hot driver’s machine, and now the 370Z – with extra chilli. [...]

An image of the Nissan 370Z 7-speed auto GT Ultimate

Audi R8

5.2 FSI Quattro - How do you improve on a car as good as the R8? Well, if you’re Audi, you replace the 4.2-litre V8 with an even more awesome V10. Yes, Audi has seen fit to up the power on the R8 by fitting a version of the V10 found in the RS6 and Lamborghini Gallardo. The rest of the package is pretty much as you’d [...]

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

GSR FQ300 SST - Japanese maker, Mitsubishi has given us the new Lancer Evolution, now in its tenth generation. The rally-bred road car has been redesigned when comparing it to the ninth variation. Enthusiasts are wary as they claim that this car may not be as hardcore as previous Evos. However the proof is in the t [...]

An image of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution GSR FQ300 SST

Vauxhall Corsa

VXR Arctic White Edition - Frankly you’re not an exciting hot hatch if you don’t have a super-duper special edition in your midst and those engineers at Vauxhall have decided the exciting VXR edition of their supremely popular small car just needed a little extra spice. Getting behind the wheel and hearing the engine snarl is [...]

An image of the Vauxhall Corsa VXR Arctic White Edition

Vauxhall VXR8

The Australian-built VXR8’s combination of power and rear-wheel drive makes it a true muscle car – and a welcome addition to Vauxhall's model range. Of course, it’s not cheap to run, but it is pretty cheap to buy: £35,105 gets you entry into the relatively exclusive (thanks to its limited availabili [...]

Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback

Ralliart - Mitsubishi's Evolution X, a supercar for those without jobs in hedge funds, is quick, powerful and has huge levels of grip. But prices still start at £27K, rising to £38K if you want a fully specced FQ360. The Lancer on which the Evo is based is a lot cheaper – £10,499 to £18,499 – but it's nowhere [...]

An image of the Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart

Peugeot 207

GTi - The Peugeot 205 GTi is an iconic car that petrolheads have been lusting over for a quarter of a century. It’s been a benchmark for hot hatches ever since its introduction in 1984, so the 207 GTi was eagerly anticipated when it was launched in 2007. Could Peugeot conjure up a thrill-maker for the 21s [...]

Audi S4 Saloon

The new Audi S4 has all the hallmarks of being as disappointing as the previous version, with the engine downsized from a 4.2-litre V8 to a new 3.0-litre V6 and 11bhp less power. However - and this is where Audi's engineers have demonstrated their genius once again - this downsizing has captured the [...]

Performance Cars and Hot Hatches consumer car reviews

Mini Cooper S

Average driver rating ( based on 9 reviews )

Audi S3

Average driver rating ( based on 8 reviews )

Bentley Continental GT

Average driver rating ( based on 8 reviews )

Porsche 911

Average driver rating ( based on 6 reviews )

Porsche Cayman

Average driver rating ( based on 6 reviews )

Audi S5

Average driver rating ( based on 5 reviews )

Aston Martin V8 Vantage

Average driver rating ( based on 5 reviews )

Caterham Caterham Super 7

Average driver rating ( based on 5 reviews )

Lamborghini Murchielago

Average driver rating ( based on 5 reviews )

Aston Martin V12 Vanquish S

Average driver rating ( based on 4 reviews )

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