WHEN FORD GETS SOMETHING RIGHT the results can be dazzling. Proving mainstream needn't mean mundane has long been the company's mission. Witness the Mondeo, Focus and Ka all defining their respective sectors thanks to their class-leading dynamics.
As Ford's longest-serving nameplate, the Fiesta has had its ups and downs over the decades, but the Mk7 - built between 2008 and 2017 is another example of Ford at its best. A range of affordable cars that drove brilliantly, this was a Fiesta that felt like it had been shaped by engineers, not accountants.
Sportiest of the lot was the excellent ST, with the special-edition ST200 being the best of the bunch. Introduced in 2016 as the seventh-generation Fiesta was entering its twilight years, it was a fitting send-off to one of Ford's most successful performance models. Built in limited numbers and finished exclusively in Storm Grey, it featured carefully considered performance-enhancing tweaks, plus a generous level of standard equipment, including extremely comfortable Charcoal Grey half-leather Recaro seats.
Full disclosure: this is my ST200. First ordered by my father back in 2016, it remained in his possession until 2021, when he very kindly gave it to me to mark, ahem, a significant birthday. Being a total stickler, he'd kept it in mint condition. With it having covered barely 5000 miles I probably should have stuck it in a dehumidified vault, but that would have been a waste of a great car. Now showing 13,000 miles it's still showroom fresh and drives like it did when new. I love it to bits.
This story is from the May 2023 edition of Evo UK.
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This story is from the May 2023 edition of Evo UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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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.
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