Best performance cars

Carsguide picks the best new and used performance cars for your money right now. 

As this month draws to a close, the new-car focus is on bargain buying but there are other segments with a quite healthy sales pulse, showing that Australians still like -- no, love -- cars that go.

When Volvo decided to get serious about a Polestar performance push it chose Australia as the launching pad. Its Polestar S60 is already winning in V8 Supercar racing and the road-going version, after an early update and a recent price cut for Australia, is about to be rolled out around the world.

The local brands are also doing great business, as Holden keeps cranking its SS Commodores, HSV does the top- end thing with the best Holden of all time, and Ford has a sellout success with its final GT 351 Falcon. Holden says its go-faster cars — the SS, SS-V and Redline — currently draw 23 per cent of buyers and a whacking 37 per cent of VF Commodore buyers want a V8 under the bonnet.

But European companies such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and even Renault are converting this need for speed, as much as you can in 2014, into driving enjoyment and hot rod hero cars for Australian drivers.

There is a waiting list at BMW dealerships for the impressive new M3 and M4 we have just tested in Europe, and Audi has never had more S and RS models, but the showroom support for Renault Sport RS and Mercedes-AMG has made them much more than just spin-off divisions.

In fact, RS and AMG cars are more likely to get buyers excited than any of the regular Renault or Benz machines. "Motorsport is at the heart of Renault's DNA and the Renault Sport brand enables us to transfer this racing pedigree to our passenger vehicles." 

In 2013, Australia was the second highest selling country in the world for the Megane RS 265," says Renault Australia spokeswoman Emilie Fadeyev. "The Renault Sport brand was first seen in Australia with the second-generation Clio RS introduced in 2001," she says. "Today, with the expansion of the Renault Sport range and the growing popularity within the Australian market, Renault Sport represents approximately 14 per cent of our total sales." 

The story is similar at Mercedes-Benz, where AMG is a sales winner for Australia. "We are consistently in the top five worldwide for penetration and, 2013, Australia-New Zealand was No. 1 worldwide," says Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy. "So far this year, AMG models account for about 9 per cent of sales locally, which is a new high. Total demand continues to outstrip supply." 

HOLDEN COMMODORE SS - From $42,490 
Rating: 4/5 
Engine: 6.0-litre V8, 270kW/530Nm 
Transmission: 6-speed man/auto; RWD 
Thirst: 12.3L/100km 
The V8-powered Holden hero is a long-term favourite in Australia and has never been better for quality, comfort or driving enjoyment. It's also a relative bargain and taps everything from links to V8 Supercar racing to Holden's history as the country's favourite brand.
 
MERCEDES-BENZ A45 AMG - From $74,900 
Rating: 4/5 
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo, 265kW/450Nm 
Transmission: 7-speed auto; AWD
Thirst: 6.9L/100km 
The only thing against the A45 is the price. It's a genuine pocket rocket that was developed by AMG, one of the world's most sophisticated and experience hot-shops. It runs against the grain with all-wheel drive and turbo engine but is a rorty little funster.
 
RENAULT CLIO RS 200 - From $29,290 
Rating: 4/5 
Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo, 147kW/240Nm 
Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch man; FWD 
Thirst: 6.3L/100km 
When people think of Renault Sport they usually think of the Megane, but it's the Clio that sets the new standard for fun. It's a car that's sharply focused, tweaked with the right sort of go-faster gear and is affordable for anyone who craves a car that's more than just an econobox.

SECOND HAND: BMW M3 
It's not gone yet, but the arrival of a new twin-turbo, six-cylinder M3 means the outgoing V8-powered car is going to become a classic. The new car is set to be an M3 landmark — the same goes for the M4 coupe — but there is still something special about a luxury compact with a thumping V8 in the nose.

There are already people snapping up the last of the superseded M5 sedans with a V10, not the new-age turbo V8, and we're expecting the same thing for the M3 V8. It's a car that has incredible charisma and packs the one thing that every homegrown Aussie muscle car since the 1980s has been built around: a V8 with a rumbling exhaust note and a smile-making combination of power and torque.