Sunday 7: Fastest cars under $70k

This week McLaren released details of its new Senna supercar which can sprint from 0-100km/h in just 2.8 seconds.

That sounds enticing except for a few caveats; the Senna costs $2 million and the 10 examples allocatted to Australian buyers are already sold.

The vast majority of us don't posses stratospheric wealth to purchase such opulent examples of mechanical daring, but that doesn't mean there aren't some cheaper thrills to be had.

For those on an achievable budget there are more than a few options from hot hatch to wagons and family sedans.

So without further ado, here are the quickest cars on sale in Australia that won't break the bank.

BMW M140i 

Beneath the unassuming facade of the German brand's little hatch lies the heart of a monster. 

BMW's sweet 3.0-litre turbocharged inline six-cylinder petrol engine powers the dynamic little pocket rocket. 

The Bavarian blaster also features an old-school rear-wheel drive layout that is fast disappearing in a world of front- and all-wheel drive hatches. Its 250kW and 500Nm are driven to the back wheels via a slick eight-speed automatic transmission. 

Even with its rear-wheel drive layout it leaves its all-wheel drive competitors in its dust for acceleration, with the M140i able to hit 100km/h from a standstill in just 4.6 seconds. 

And with prices starting at $59,990 - for a six-speed manual - the M140i represents some serious value for those looking to get the heart racing. 

Chrysler 300 SRT Core 

Now, for those thinking the M140i had some retro charm thanks to its rear-wheel drive layout, then the Chrysler 300 SRT Core is going to seem positively old school. 

The big, luxury, gangster-styled sedan packs some serous firepower. 

Its arsenal is made up of a 6.4-litre Hemi V8 that pumps out 350kW and 637Nm and is paired to an eight-speed automatic that drives the rear wheels. 

This is good enough to propel the 300 to 100km/h in 4.6 seconds, which is even more impressive considering its size. 

With a price tag of $65,000 before on-road costs the SRT Core just slips under our cut-off. 

Ford Focus RS

The hot hatch market is one of the most competitive in Australia, and the Ford Focus RS is one of the big players. 

Ford struck a winning combination with the pairing of the blue oval's powerful and efficient EcoBoost 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that produces 257kW and 440Nm and an intelligent all-wheel drive system. 

When launched everyone – media included – made a lot of noise about the car's track-focused 'drift mode' but the real impressive fact was its speed, the RS has the ability to dash from 0-100km/h in a blisteringly quick 4.7 seconds. 

This is all the more impressive when you consider its highly competitive price tag of $50,990 before on-road costs far outshines several other rivals. 

However, one area where the RS is let down is its weight, with the hot hatch tipping the scales at more than 1500kg. 

Volkswagen Golf R

The all-wheel drive brother to the vaunted Golf GTI is the Ford Focus RS' main competitor. They both possess a spirited four-cylinder turbocharged engine and a smart all-wheel drive system that helps put the power to the ground and provides ample grip for cornering precision. 

While the RS produces more power from its bigger displacement engine, the VW's 2.0-litre turbocharged four-pot still pumps out a more than handy 213kW and 380Nm. 

This enables the R to scoot to 100km/h in just 4.8 seconds, only one-tenth of a second behind its all-wheel drive running mate. 

The R is a pricier proposition, too, at $53,490 before on-road costs in six-speed manual guise - a seven-speed DSG auto will add $2500.  

However, VW has recently added a stripped out R Grid variant that has the same performance but with less frills than the stock R. The Grid is priced from a more competitive $47,490 for a manual variant. 

Another plus for the R is that it is available in a more practical wagon body if one wants a speedy hauler. Wagon variants add $4500 to both the R and Grid R hatches. 

Audi S3

Now, you might be about to experience a case of déjà vu, and that is because the similarities between the Audi S3 and the VW Golf R run under the skin. 

Built on the same platform as the Golf, Audi's S3 is powered by the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine that produces 213kW and 380Nm. 

It also features an all-wheel drive system -  termed quattro in Audi speak – and magically is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, too. 

With all this in common it's understandable that the 0-100km/h time would be the same, at 4.8 seconds. 

The Audi does turn up the luxury, with a longer list of treats like the German brand's virtual cockpit and wider use of premium products inside. The Audi also has an unassuming look which doesn't differ too far from the regular A3. 

Several body styles are available, with a hatch – called Sportback – priced from $63,900 and a sedan version costing $65,500. A drop-top version is also available, but the Cabriolet is priced above our $70,000 cut off. 

Kia Stinger V6 

The South Korean brand's much-ballyhooed first foray into performance land had everyone excited in 2017. 

While the decline of local manufacturing saw the demise of the Ford Falcon in 2016 and the Holden Commodore in 2017, everyone assumed that the Stinger would slot in to the whole left by the two large cars. 

The Stinger certainly impresses on paper with its 3.3-litre twin-turbocharged V6 petrol unit producing 272kW and 510Nm and is paired to an eight-speed automatic that powers the rear wheels. 

Kia's large performance car certainly packs a punch with its claimed 0-100km/h time rated at a heady 4.9 seconds. 

The Stinger also features sharp pricing, with the three-tier V6-powered range – featuring S, Si and GT variants – kicking off from $48,990 and progressing to $59,990. 

Coupled with Kia's class leading seven-year warranty and capped-price servicing regime that takes the ownership headache out of the equation. 

Subaru WRX STI

Long the standout performance small car the WRX STI has been on the decline for awhile now as more sophisticated rivals come on board and styling tastes of buyers move away from the aggressive nature of the STI. 

However, one thing can not be denied, the STI really moves: its turbocharged four-cylinder boxer engine delivers impressive outputs of 221kW and 407Nm. And in a move sure to appeal to the purists, no automatic option is available, with a six-speed manual transmission being the only choice. 

Like all Subaru's the WRX STI features an all-wheel drive system, which helps it sprint from 0-100km/h in 5.2 seconds. This seems slow compared to some of its rivals like the Focus RS and Golf R, but it still far outperforms front-wheel drive hot hatches like the new Honda Civic Type R. 

Pricing for the three-tiered STI range starts at $50,890 and tops out at $57,690, which puts it right in the meaty range for all-wheel drive hot hatch market. 

• For more information on these models, visit our showroom.