Here are 10 used hot hatches with over 200bhp for under £5k

This Evo IX is running at least 237bhp and has several mods thrown on that make us question just how high the number goes. Those include a boost pill upgrade to unlock more turbo pressure, a bigger intercooler and a stainless steel exhaust to increase the average number of pops and bangs per minute. Throw in a 1,200-watt subwoofer and it’s a good showing for £4.6k. 

It’s only right to follow the Evo up with its perpetual rival: the Scooby. Here’s one that looks the part, what with its massive bonnet scoop, stretched rear wing and spiked diffuser. The healthy 227bhp from its rebuilt 2.5-litre twin-cam flat-four gets Subaru’s trusty 4WD system to pin it down, which should keep it hot on the heels of the ‘Bishi. 

This 2015 Corsa VXR scrapes into this list with 202bhp, but don’t let that distract you from its 6.5-second 0-62 time and 143mph top speed. Unmodified, we should add. Shoe boxes are rarely this quick. 

Throwing it way back with this 23-year-old Cupra R, which benefits from a stage two remap to shunt its 1.8-litre four-pot to over 280bhp. It’s even got colour-matching brake calipers to go with the hot red paint, a phat exhaust to tell people you’re coming, and a cluster of air vents up front to suction most of yer town’s oxygen reserves. 

It’s a high-miler, sure, but you can forgive this Mk6 Golf GTI simply for its British Racing Green finish. It’s not short on tech either, which includes a touchscreen display, reverse camera and Bluetooth. Factor in the 210-ish bhp turbo-four, and it makes for a wonderful package. 

Here’s a rare ‘Cloverleaf’ edition Alfa Giulietta, which has but 91,000 miles to its name and a sub-£5k price tag. There’s bits of red accenting to play off the menacing black paint, and it’s good for 150mph on a proper Autobahn stretch thanks to a 235bhp four-cylinder. By every definition, this is rorty. 

Once marketed as having a similar rear-end to a human, now widely regarded as one of the great hot hatches of the Noughties. The limited-edition R26 Megane ‘Team F1’ is becoming increasingly sought-after, which means prices are only heading in one direction. Grab this one for just £4,990 and you’re unlikely to regret it. 

This R55 Clubman JCW looks fabulous with those extra fog lamps and the Y-spoke alloys, and it’ll be a hoot to drive thanks to a combination of 208bhp and a six-speed manual. Plus, the longer dimensions and extra doors compared to the usual Cooper hatch means it’ll be far more adept as a daily. 

Here sits a slammed Focus ST that was very nearly our wildcard pick, but you’ll see why it isn’t in a second. Still, this one's been remapped to an almighty 300bhp, and given a new induction kit, intercooler and exhaust. We’re not sure about the black/silver colour scheme though.

Quite simply a first-gen Audi S3 with 360bhp. The rear seats are gone, the front gets buckets with racing harnesses, plus many gauges on the dashboard to tell you… many informations. We daren’t speculate the 0-62 time either, since it ditches all creature comforts and has a massive new turbo for company. Mega, considering it’s up for just four grand.