Triple Threat

You’ve got $35k and want to have as much fun as possible. Do you go atmo flat- four rear-drive, or turbo-triple front-drive?

- Louis Cordony

WHEELSPIN! THE TOYOTA 86 GTS demands opposite steering lock as its chassis tweaks a few degrees. Its rear tyres flick loose gravel out behind us as they scrabble for grip. But you mash the throttle, not needing to worry as there’s only 147kW to wrestle with, and feel the track-tuned ESP meter out the exact amount of Newtons needed. As the rear boots bite it begins another ascent to its heady 7400rpm redline, dipping into that infamous torque hole along the way.

Yes, nothing has really changed since this car was last updated in 2016. It’s still rear drive, very un-turbocharged and, as it reminds us every encounter, still the go-to for cheap thrills. Or is it? Ford’s fresh Fiesta ST, finally here after two years, would like to chat outside about that, its five-star first drive rating from a few months ago says otherwise. On top of that, Ford Australia’s fight to import an ST variant when the rest of the new German-built Fiesta range eludes Australia should fill it with more confidence. It’s wanted Down Under.

But one caveat could dull its shine. Priced at $32,290 it asks for an extra six grand compared to the previous 1.6-litre four-cylinder version. There’s a fair bit included with that, not limited to the Performance Pack that’s optional overseas, which we’ll get to later, but even after accounting for five years’ inflation its price has still risen $5K.