Although the Ford Focus RS isn’t due until next year, we’ve already seen plenty of pictures and heard lots of talk of its potential performance. Latest performance tests by Ford show that the 2.5-litre 5-cylinder engine, with a turbocharged 300bhp, will propel the Focus to 60mph in just...

Here’s another tuned Focus, this time in the shape of the 270bhp Loder1899 Ford Focus ST. Having already released a tasty bodykit for the MkII Ford Focus, Loder1899 have turned their attention to the 2008 facelifted version, this time choosing the 2.5-litre ST. Visually there are subtle chang...

Following the release of the MkII version of the BMW MINI, the hottest version to date has been the 210bhp Works Cooper S. Now there’s going to be an even quicker MINI following the announcement of the 218bhp MINI GP. The 2009 MINI GP (2005 model above) is due to be officially unveiled at the...

Volkswagen are said to be looking at a sporty variant for the Mk6 Golf, to be badged GTD, that will be more identifiable as a performance model than the anonymous Mk5 GT TDI. Although yet to be officially confirmed, the GTD is expected to have a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine producing 170PS (168bhp)...

It’s been a few weeks since the Golf Mk6 was unveiled, but we’ve finally got to hear about the most anticipated model of the range, the 2009 Volkswagen Golf GTI. The new pictures, released by Volkswagen, show a ‘GTI Concept’ that will appear at the Paris Motor Show, but its ...

Although not due to be officially unveiled until the Paris Motor show, the Abarth 500 Esseesse is ready for the cameras, as these images prove. Basically the Esseesse version (or SS) is a tuned version of the standard Abarth 500, with a beefier bodykit and extra hardware under the bonnet. The body ...

Having worked their magic on the brilliant Ford Fiesta ST185, Mountune have now produced an upgrade kit for the Ford Focus ST which will be available through the Ford dealer network. For just £1,120 (plus fitting), the Mountune Performance package adds a larger ProAlloy intercooler, a high-flow K&...

The new 300bhp Ford Focus RS is off to a good start with over 1000 orders placed in UK showrooms alone. The car hasn’t even been officially unveiled yet, but it’s due to appear at the Paris Motor Show where more details will be made available. Until then the only known colours are Elect...

Hamann have turned their attention to the latest version of the MINI Cooper S and Cooper D and have produced a series of tempting performance upgrades. Starting off with the Cooper D, the diesel engine is boosted from 110bhp up to 136hp, with torque up to 222lb.ft. That’s a lot of torque in s...

Car Magazine have released a video in which the Mk1 Focus RS is compared with the new Focus RS, with Jost Capito, head of Ford’s Team RS, talking road test editor Chris Chilton through the differences between the two cars. The video is definitely worth a watch, whether you’re a fan of Fo...