The best hot hatches of all time: six used classic cars we found this week
You know the one. Though not that one – the version we found this week for the frankly bargain sum of £16k is the 1.6-litre GTI, not the more sought-after 1.9. It matters not. What you're getting is a crisp, beautifully proportioned car that weighs under a tonne and will lift-off oversteer to your heart's content.
Here's one we found earlier
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The Fiesta ST lives! Sort of! Ford stopped making one of the best small hot hatches of all time a couple of years ago, but the classifieds are full of the little 1.6-litre tykes. Like this one, for just 5,568 of yer finest English pounds. Five-and-a-half grand! Just remember to lift off once in a while. Not mid-corner, mind.
Here's one we found earlier You might like
During this car's lifetime, Williams F1 was busy sweeping up all before it in Formula One, and eventually all that glitter and (literal) gold found its way into this Nineties gem. A 2.0-litre nat-asp engine, sub-tonne kerbweight and trick chassis helped cement its place in history, as did that gorgeous blue and gold livery. And would you look at that – here's one we found for just £15k! Possibly!
Here's one we found earlier
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No, 120-odd horses from a 1.4-litre engine hasn't travelled well through the years. Yes, 120-odd supremely turbocharged horses carrying a metric tonne of turbo lag has travelled well through the years! This one's a rare Dimma-kitted 5 Turbo (anyone old enough to remember Dimma?), and… ok yes, it's very expensive. Still, you would.
Here's one we found earlier
You'd buy it for the stance alone. Ford doesn't tend to get its fast cars wrong, and this Mk1 RS is just so, so right. 2.0-litre turbo four, 212bhp, front-drive, proper diff, proper wheels and a proper lairy drive. Here's one for £16k.
Here's one we found earlier
Yes, what you really want is the FL5 Type R, but that's a new car, and this is a list about old cars. So here's an old Civic Type R that looks like a tarted-up shoebox able to scream its hearty little VTEC lungs out. Also came with one of the finest manual gearboxes ever fitted to a car, too. And look! Here's an old one for £15k!
Here's one we found earlier See more on Used cars
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Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Hamilton and Verstappen question race delay as others back FIA
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium, July 27 (Reuters) - Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen questioned race control's handling of the rain-delayed Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday as rival drivers commended Formula One's governing body for putting safety first. The race at Spa-Francorchamps was delayed for an hour and 20 minutes as officials waited for rain to stop and conditions to dry out. The safety car then led the field for four laps before a rolling start. "I think we could have started way sooner, that's not ideal," Red Bull's four times world champion Verstappen told reporters, adding that in the end there had been very little racing in the wet. Hamilton, who went from the pit lane to seventh, said he did not think the rolling start was necessary. "I don't really know why they did that one, because it had dried up quite a lot and the spray wasn't that bad," added the Briton. The high-speed Spa circuit is the longest lap on the calendar and weather conditions can be treacherous. It also has a tragic past. French Formula Two driver Anthoine Hubert died in a crash at the 2019 Belgian Grand Prix at the exit of Raidillon, at the top of the famed Eau Rouge, while Dutch teenager Dilano van't Hoff died in a junior series crash in 2023. The list is much longer when the sport's distant past is considered. "I think the past few years, particularly here, we've given the FIA feedback that we would much rather be on the safe side than risk anything," said McLaren's race winner and championship leader Oscar Piastri. "I think that's what we did today. If you were to be picky, maybe we could have done one less formation lap. But in the grand scheme of things, if that's one lap too early, is it worth it? No." Ferrari's third-placed finisher Charles Leclerc, whose family friend Jules Bianchi suffered fatal injuries in a crash at the rain-hit 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, agreed. "On a track like this with what happened historically, I think you cannot forget about it. For that reason, I'd rather be safe than too early," he said. "Maybe it was a little bit on the late side, but I wouldn't have changed anything." Williams' Carlos Sainz, who started near the back and would have suffered in the spray, supported race control. "In a normal track, yes, I think we could have started maybe 5-10 minutes earlier. In Spa-Francorchamps and the history of this track, it's better safe than sorry," said the Spaniard.
Powys County Times
2 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Hamilton agrees with Verstappen that Belgian GP should not have been delayed
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Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Christian Horner reveals 'different horse power' plans ahead of first Formula One race since his Red Bull sacking
Christian Horner offered a glimpse into the 'different horse power' he has been working with ahead of the first Formula One Grand Prix since his sacking by Red Bull. Horner was dismissed as team principal on earlier this month after 20 years at the constructor, having overseen the team's transformation from upstart on the grid to winner of six constructors' championships and eight drivers' championships. While the official reason for Horner's firing remains unstated, it comes almost exactly a year after the former team principal was engulfed in a high-profile investigation. In February last year, the 51-year-old was accused of sexual harassment and coercive and controlling behaviour by a female employee. He was twice cleared, initially after an internal investigation conducted by a lawyer, and then by another lawyer who dismissed the female employee's appeal. The episode cast a long shadow over the team, though, and left Horner's public image severely tarnished. Horner has been replaced by Laurent Mekies at the helm of the team as the F1 season continues at the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend. And keen to show he is making the most of his time away from the sport, Horner posted a tongue-in-cheek story on Instagram revealing his involvement in a more natural form of speed. Jos Verstappen on Christian Horner's Red Bull exit 🗣️ — Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) July 27, 2025 The video posted to the 51-year-old's account showed him riding a horse along a country lane, in addition to an image of him atop his steed in front of a barn. Horner accompanied the images with the caption: 'Different horse power this Sunday.' On Saturday, Max Verstappen won the first race since the sudden sacking of Horner – a first-lap overtake setting up the Red Bull man for victory in the sprint at the Belgian GP. In claiming victory, Verstappen took advantage of a skinny rear wing, which helps achieve superior straight-line speed, as well as a tow along the Kemmel Straight, to make the decisive pass on McLaren's Oscar Piastri, the pole man, at Les Combes. 'Well done, Max,' Mekies told Verstappen over the radio. 'Very, very impressive defence, very well controlled. You didn't leave anything on the table there.' 'Thank you, Laurent,' replied the four-time champion. Ahead of Sunday's race, Jos Verstappen - Max's father and a vocal critic of Horner, was asked if he was happy with the 51-year-old dismissal. 'They decided to change so I'm fine with everything,' Verstappen Sr told Sky Sports. 'As long as it works.' On comments he made last year that Horner 'needed to go', he added: 'It's different. I have nothing to say.'
