It’s nearly time for the 2010 Paris Motor Show, which starts on October 2nd, and it’s going to be an important event for hot hatch fans as two new performance models are set to be unveiled.The new Vauxhall Astra has been out for almost a year but up until now we’ve only had access to the five-door version. Vauxhall are all set to show us the...

Hot on the heels of the Honda Civic Type R, the Ford Focus ST is the latest hot hatch to be axed thanks to the tough new Euro 5 regulations that will soon be coming into force.While this might seem a shock at first it’s not quite as bad as you might think. Sure, the Foxus ST is a great hot hatch and its 2.5-litre 5-cylinder turbocharged engine has a...

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...

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 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 production of the current Ford Focus RS is about to end, but to celebrate the success of the car in both the showroom and on the WRC circuit Ford have released a set of WRC-style wheels for the RS.For just £500 quid you can have a set of the limited edition 19-inch wheels that are painted in white, inspired by the white wheels you’d normally see on...

Mikko Hirvonen is best known for throwing his Ford Focus WRC down narrow gravel tracks while dueling with Sebastion Loeb on the toughest stages of the World Rally Championship, but in this pair of videos we see Mikko taking a more leisurely ride in a different Focus. It must be tough being a Ford employee, dragged out into the middle of nowhere to drive yet...

The new Ford Fiesta S1600 carries on the tradition of sporty Fiestas and makes an interesting diversion until the latest Fiesta ST turns up.The S1600 is based on the Fiesta Zetec S, sporting a 118bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine or weedy 89bhp 1.6-litre diesel. A new bodykit makes the S1600 stand out from the rest of the range, while the bodywork can be painted in...