Renault Sport Clio

• Date built: 2001-2006

• Price Range: £4,000-£9,000

• Engine: 2.0-litre 16v 170bhp

• 0-60mph: 7.0 seconds

• Top Speed: 138mph

Why: This is a seriously fun little car. It’s got a full-fat 2.0-litre engine squeezed into its petit low-calorie body. The result is madcap speeds, fantastic handling and probably quite a few points on your licence.

Price: Just over £4,000 will get you a 2001 model. In 2003 Renault increased the car’s power by 10bhp to 180bhp. These versions start from around two grand and don’t really feel any quicker.

Check: Many will have been hammered and even crashed. Plus Renaults are about as reliable as a stoner friend, so it’s worth paying for a vehicle inspector to check it out.

Image: Yeah, you will look like a boy racer, but who cares? At least you’ll have a grin on your face... till the cops pull you over.

Practicality: The Clio is a hatchback so you can fold the rear seats down if you want to carry loads of shopping. And because it’s small, finding a supermarket parking space shouldn’t be a problem.

Running costs: It does 35mpg so that’s about £1,250 in fuel a year for the average driver. But cane it and this can easily double. Most owners do, so insurance is usually quite high – the car is in group 17!