Many would argue the first Ford performance car outside of the USA was 1963's Lotus Cortina. Some stellar non-Lotus-fettled models followed, not least rally-proven Escort derivatives, and the '80s and '90s brought some classic collabs with Cosworth.
These days the phrase 'fast Ford' is synonymous with hot hatches, and a stream of ST and RS-badged hatchbacks have graced evo's pages in recent years. But it's worth acknowledging Ford has real supercar pedigree too, with the Ferrari-beating GT40 supercar of the '60s and its two reimagined GT successors.
We could fill every page in this issue with Ford's finest, then, but here we've singled out four top used picks that represent the brand's modern-era performance offerings at their very best.
FORD FOCUS RS500
The ultimate incarnation of a hyperhatch trailblazer
ALL THREE GENERATIONS OF THE FOCUS RS HAVE THEIR own unique character, but the Mk2 was arguably the most impressive of them all. When launched in 2009 it was one of the very first hyperhatches, with a power figure to rival those of some much more costly sports cars and an exterior design that wore its fast Ford credentials on its wing tips.
The standard Mk2 RS took the then Focus ST's 2.5-litre fivecylinder and added entirely new pistons, conrods and camshafts, an uprated BorgWarner K16 turbocharger, a larger intercooler, a less restrictive air intake and an ECU remap to bring peak outputs to 300bhp and 324lb ft of torque. But Ford hadn't finished yet...
In mid-2010 the Focus RS500 was launched as a limited-run special with a satin black exterior (courtesy of a 3M wrap) and black wheels. But the big news was under the bonnet, where further upgrades to the intercooler, air filter, fuel pump, downpipe and ECU saw outputs rise to 345bhp and 339lb ft - figures that wouldn't look out of place on a new hot hatch today.
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BEST BUYS BMW M CARS
THE PERFORMANCE CAR LANDSCAPE WOULD HAVE looked very different over the last five decades without BMW. Its M division, founded in 1972, has produced some of the best driver’s cars ever to hit the road, and in the process has provided a stream of benchmark models for its rivals to chase. In recent years, stricter emissions regulations, downsizing and electrification have seen some of those rival cars falter, yet by and large BMW’s M machines have remained strong. In fact, some rank among the greatest the department has made think of the eCoty-winning M2 CS and M5 CS while others are the only options worth recommending in their respective segments. Price tags have risen with performance, however, putting those latest offerings out of reach for many, but the marque’s popularity means there are numerous earlier M models available on the second-hand market for far more attainable figures. Here are four of our favourites.
TYRE 2024 TEST
Want to fit the very best tyres to your performance car? The annual evo Tyre Test identifies the cream of the current crop
HONDA ACCORD TYPE R
A liberal sprinkling of Honda Type R fairy dust on the late-'90s Accord produced an unlikely evo icon and a genuine performance bargain
TOY STORY
Where best to store some of Toyota’s most prized and valuable racing superstars? Under the wind tunnel at its Cologne HO, of course...
POWER PLAY
It develops 819bhp. It has no turbochargers, no hybrid assistance. Ferrari describes it as the most complete GT it's ever made. And it’s so proud of its mighty V12 engine it’s named the whole car after it. This is the 12 Cilindri
THE FIRST SAMURAIS
Japan has been responsible for many of our favourite driver's cars of recent decades, but their ancestors are often much less well known. We take a look at where the big manufacturers began their performance car journeys
DEFINITELY. NO MAYBE
Three Japanese performance icons - Lexus LFA, Subaru Impreza 22B and Nissan GT-R. Over three days on some of our favourite roads we explore what makes each uniquely thrilling, but also the car culture that unites them
1V3.0
F1, P1... and now W1. The next chapter in McLaren's Ultimate Series is the British firm's challenger to the forthcoming new Ferrari hypercar and a £2million, 1257bhp, hybrid-powered, technical tour de force
Thornley Kelham European RS
One man’s dream to build the perfect Porsche 911 has resulted inthis aaticMously restored and enhanced classic. We delve into the details and take it for a drive
Bentley Continental GT Speed
The new Continental GT is the most powerful Bentley ever, and the beginning of anew plug-in hybrid era for Crewe. But is it still a benchmark grand tourer?
