The diesel engines in the Mini are due for an update this September and if you like your hatchbacks to be cheap to run then you’ll appreciate the Mini Cooper D. BMW are ditching the PSA-sourced 1.6-litre diesel and replacing it with one of their own engines. Sourced from the BMW 116D but with a slightly reduced capacity, the new engine gives the Mini One...

With the all new Mk3 Ford Focus just around the corner speculation has been increasing as to what the performance models of the range will be offering. Various rumours are circulating but there are a couple of possibilities that are starting to sound more credible. The first, and most believable, is that the next Focus ST will use one of Ford’s new...

The latest Volkswagen Polo GTI has turned out to be a surprise hit, as its got the character and sparkle that the previous model sorely lacked. As if to make the point that the new Polo can be fun, Volkswagen have released a video of the junior GTI sliding around a snowy landscape. It seems a bit odd seeing all that snow when temperatures outside are nearly...

Here’s an interesting video clip* that shows how the Ford Focus RS500 makes its way from standard RS on the production line to a limited edition RS500. A standard RS rolls off the Saarlouis production line (in Germany). It’s then fitted with the necessary gubbins to give the 5-cylinder engine its extra power, and then gets those smart black alloys....

The hills are alive with the sound of the SEAT Leon Cupra R World Champion Edition. Yes, Switzerland is getting its own limited edition of  SEAT’s fastest ever hot hatch. Now the Swiss are not known for their love of the motor car, with strict enforcement of speed limits and some very tight regulation of noise and emissions, but for some reason they have...

The French division of Ford have created some very special versions of the Ford Focus RS to celebrate their motorsport history at the Le Mans Classic. There are five liveries in total with only one Focus RS featuring each, making these very limited editions indeed (check out the video below). The plan is for the cars to be paraded around the Le Mans circuit...

The new Abarth Punto Evo was revealed at the recent Geneva Motor Show, adopting the new styling changes from the latest Fiat Punto Evo. Now Abarth are ready to talk performance, and their Punto Evo will stick to the same 1.4-litre turbocharged format as before. However, the new engine adopts the latest MultiAir technology from the Fiat group so power is up...

Renault have announced the price for their limited edition Clio Gordini 200, and I don’t think the word ‘bargain’ springs to mind. They’re asking just short of £20k (£19,650 to be exact)  for the Clio Gordini, which is a lot of cash for a small hatch, but on the other hand this is an exclusive and specced-up version of one of the best...