Here are 25 used cars we found for under £10k this week

This is a peppy 'RS 1800' three-door Fiesta with a 130bhp 1.8-litre four-pot and sporty styling that allowed it to succeed the RS Turbo. Finished in ‘Tourmaline Green’ and sitting on 15in five spokes, this would be one heck of a first car for any budding young petrolhead with a bit of cash.

What an engine the B7-generation RS4 had: eight cylinders, 415bhp, 317lb ft of torque, 0-62mph in under five seconds and a redline above 8,000rpm. It was a screamer. And what better way to enjoy that thumping V8 soundtrack and its six-speed manual ‘box than with a fabric, drop-top roof? Here’s a cabrio that looks in decent nick.

Soft, brimming with still usable tech and probably reasonably efficient despite the fact it's packing a 5.0-litre V8. For less than eight grand, this LS600h comes with rear passenger entertainment, lots of polished wood and plush leather, and enough space to host your own Beyblade tournament. The last bit alone makes it a winner.

Anyone for a race-spec MGB GT? The green and yellow livery is a tribute to Irish rally ace Paddy Hopkirk’s example from the late Sixties, and beneath it sits a host of refreshed parts including new engine mounts and shock absorbers. There’s a new stainless steel exhaust too, so it likely sounds much mightier than its 97bhp output would suggest.

Or here’s something completely different: a Volvo V70R with a very large and very fluttery turbo. Its previous owner has made some small modifications, which include a twin exhaust and front bumper lip, but its circa 300bhp five-cylinder engine remains completely untouched. What a hero of a car.

The used car wilderness has no shortage of fifth-gen Quattroportes wandering around, so you’re spoilt for choice. Here’s one with blue paint over cream leather and bits of black and silver chrome trim to stitch it all together. Yours now for a smidge over seven grand.

Brutally simple, but so very likeable. This boggo fifth-generation Civic has covered just under 44,000 miles, and its cabin has been maintained excellently throughout its 31-year life so far. Why spend over three times as much on a modern, entry-level hatchback when a time capsule like this exists?

Two-seat, mid-engined, rear-drive and designed by the great Marcello Gandini, the Fiat X1/9 has major appeal from almost every angle. Most notably from the front though, because pop-up headlights. This one’s brown with beige upholstery; a true Eighties combination.

Some Need For Speed methodology has been applied to this 370Z, with its lower stance, sleek aftermarket body kit and additional air intakes up front. But it’s not been overdone and still wears plain black paint without any loud decals, plus it’s only done 60,000 miles. We like.

No nation does fast saloons better than Germany… but that hasn’t stopped the US of A from trying on occasion. Take the 425bhp Hemi V8-powered 300C for instance: sharp suit, boatloads of power and louder than Billingsgate Market at the crack of dawn. Proper. Oh, and it used plenty of bits of old Mercedes E-Class. If you can't beat them...

It’s a near half-a-century-old British roadster with very little power and even less space. It’s far from the most exciting car on this list, but what the Spitfire lacks in performance it more than makes up for in charm. Just look at it. Plus, you get to tell everyone you own a Spitfire without needing to specify which one.

If you grew up in the Max Power era, this Golf will light up your eyes like a detectorist who’s just unearthed a solid gold coin. From the angel eye headlights and the Remus cat-back exhaust to the badgeless grille, it’s a hark back to much simpler times. You may want to lose the Audi alloys though.

We couldn't not include a WRC-spec yob-mobile, so here’s a hawkeye Subie for under seven grand.

On looks alone, the enhanced S-Type R really stepped up the game from the standard car. The mesh grille was classier, the boot spoiler made it more aggressive, and the sportier bumpers gave it the attitude to scare a few patrons at the local golf club. Here’s one in dark blue with 18in ‘Vulcan’ alloys. Yes and yes.

Just look at the slashed wheel arches and those side skirts; you know immediately that this Fiat Coupe means business. Get in and fire up the fabulous 20-valve four-pot, which now sings through a custom exhaust, and the want to go for a hoon will be strong. 

Even if you don’t drive it regularly, this R129 Mercedes-Benz SL would make for a wonderful driveway ornament with its boxy styling and ‘Tourmaline’ green exterior. It’s a charmer inside too, with electric memory seats clad in ‘Mushroom’ leather.

This is a DC5 Integra Type R for under nine grand, wearing the correct ‘Championship White’ paint and in better condition than you might expect. It may have over 100,000 miles to its name, but these old VTEC four-cylinder engines are usually remarkably reliable, so don’t let that dissuade you.

Anyone fancy a Lamborghini V10 for eight grand? Better still, you get an entire Audi S6 thrown in with bits of carbon fibre in the cabin. But all that fancy stuff pales in comparison to what truly matters: an output of 429bhp and 398lb ft. The perfect cross-continent blaster? Possibly.

A genuine British sports car that’ll still turn heads today. Weighing just 996kg, this M100 Elan channels around 165bhp through to its front wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox. But the pop-up headlights add at least an extra 100bhp, so don’t underestimate its abilities.

You could try and get a tired old 911 for this price, but what’s the point? Just spend your money on an immaculate 986-generation Boxster instead, like this. And yes, it's got the 3.2-litre six-cylinder that's good for 164mph flat out. See, you don’t need a ratty 996 after all.

E46 M3 values are steadily climbing, and have done for a few years now. This is one of the few well-kept sub-£10k examples left now on the market, so it won’t be long before it gets snapped up too. If not for that addictive motor and timeless shape, perhaps purchase it as proof to your future generations that BMWs didn’t always have gopping grilles.

A TVR Chimaera 4.0 with just 55,000 miles on the clock and a £7k price tag. What could possibly go wrong? It’s still quick by today’s standards, and as with all TVRs from this period, it will blow almost everything out of the water for sheer style and engine noise. If ever you need a sign to make a heart-over-head purchase, this is it.

A lot of car for the money. Literally, because the W211 is almost five metres long and over 1.8m wide. And yet, in almost every nook and cranny you’ll find something that makes your life better in a way, be it leather, wood or a 6.2-litre V8 that makes 514bhp. Pinch this one and you'll even have enough left for a week's worth of fuel.

Quite simply one of the prettiest cars of the 21st century - need we say more than that? Good, that’ll be £9,500 for this supercharged example.

There are a few scratches and blemishes, but sort out those niggles and you’ll be left with a car that looks, goes and sounds like it's worth way more than you paid for it. If soul and character are your main two requirements when buying a car, this Granturismo should tick both boxes. Go on, Santa would be proud.