Regardless of whether you prefer a performance car that sends its power through the front, rear, or all four wheels, there are heaps of options out there and among the very finest are the Ford Fiesta ST, BMW M2 CS, and Toyota GR Yaris.
Eager to see which of the three are fastest around a technical handling circuit, Carwow’s Mat Watson jumped into the driver’s seat of all of them and while the results may not surprise you, the video is well worth watching.
Obviously, the M2 CS has a significant power advantage over the two hot hatches as its 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six muscles out 444 hp and 406 lb-ft (550 Nm) of torque. It is rear-wheel drive and is obviously much more expensive than the other two. It lapped the circuit in 1:12.2.
Watch Also: Chris Harris Treats The Toyota GR Yaris Like The Rally Car For The Road That It Is
Next up is the GR Yaris, arguably the performance car of the moment. In UK specification, its 1.6-liter turbocharged three-cylinder pumps out 257 hp and 266 lb-ft (360 Nm) of torque sent to all four wheels. While having less power than the BMW, it does weigh less and was able to lap the track in 1:14.1, a very respectable result.
The Fiesta ST came in last. It has a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder with 197 hp and 214 lb-ft (290 Nm) of torque and is front-wheel drive, meaning it is hardly a surprise that it was the slowest.
Towards the end of the video, Watson tests out the acceleration credentials of the trio, measuring both their 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) and quarter-mile times.