Crucially, it needs to excite, thrill, and entertain as much today as it did when it was new. However, it also needs to be reasonably affordable. So, rather than simply list some of the 100(!) supercars that have been awarded five stars over the last 25 years, we've selected Best, Bargain, and Brave options from each Knowledge category, all available for between £5000 and £50,000. The Best and Bargain nominees are all solid-gold five-star cars, the Brave options not always so, but still well worth a punt. Now, to the classifieds!
SUPERMINIS/HOT HATCHES
Best: Honda Civic Type R Bargain: Volkswagen Golf GTI (MK5) Brave: Lancia Delta Integrale
THERE ARE 34 FIVE-STAR CARS IN THIS CATEGORY alone. That's 34 examples of some of the best fun you can have on four wheels, with prices starting at less than the sport seats fitted to our Fast Fleet Lamborghini Huracán.
They include no fewer than 11 Renault Sport Clios and Méganes. This made our selection not impossible, but borderline insurmountable. How do you pick between a 182 Trophy (£10,000 gets you going) and a Mégane R26.R (£30,000 is the buy-in price)? Both tick so many boxes you'll run out of ink. Be it 200 Cup, Mégane 275 Cup-S or Trophy, classic 5 GT Turbo or Clio Williams, France's most prolific maker of hot hatches has you covered.
Denne historien er fra April 2023-utgaven av Evo UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra April 2023-utgaven av Evo UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
BMW M135 xDrive
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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
