WRC

​Years of WRC success made Subaru a default choice for hoons in the early 2000s, but recent WRXs have struggled to match the hype. To try and drum up some love for the latest WRX STI, Subaru slotted Mark Higgins behind the wheel of a specially-prepared car and told him to drive down a bobsled run.

Among the flood of faster World Rally cars being launched, the Ford Fiesta RS WRC stands out as one of the wildest. Prepared by British firm M-Sport, the RS is based on the brand new Fiesta, and takes full advantage of the extra aerodynamic freedom written into the 2017 FIA WRC regulations.

A set of new regulations means World Rally Championship cars will be faster, produce more downforce and look meaner than before. After announcing its return to rallying last year, Toyota has released the car it will be using to take on the WRC in 2017, the Gazoo Racing WRC Yaris. ​​

Not even the loss of Volkswagen can dampen the excitement about WRC 2017, which will see faster cars with more downforce taking on gravel, snow and tarmac stages worldwide. Hyundai has just released the car it will be using in its search for glory in the coming year, the i20 Coupe WRC.

BMW has M. Lexus has F. Fiat-Chrysler has SRT. Mercedes has AMG. Now Hyundai is showing us the power of N. The Korean automaker will put focus on its performance sub-brand at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show, shining the spotlight on three high-performance projects.

Toyota has announced it will rejoin the FIA World Rally Championship after a 17-year hiatus. The Japanese giant is hoping its WRC Yaris, which will make its competitive debut in 2017, can carry on the legacy left by cars like the legendary Celica GT-Four.

Citroën's DS3 Cabrio Racing is a potent combination of value, practicality and performance. Developed from the double world-championship-winning DS3 WRC, it also has Citroën's unique and practical Cabrio roof, offering several sporty cars in one for £29,300 (US$46,600).

After a 254-mph world record, Bugatti is celebrating with a special edition of its Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse roadster.

For three decades, the annual GTI-Treffen held at the Austrian Lake Wörthersee has been one of the highlights of the European calendar for Volkswagen enthusiasts. This year saw four concepts released.

The DS4 Racing concept from Citroen promises much - a light stytlish 256 bhp turbocharged pocket rocket with a decade of WRC domination behind its design.

New 1600cc turbocharged 4WD regulations were introduced to World Rally Championship competition this year and Ford's all-new Fiesta RS made a dream debut in the first round at Rally Sweden on the weekend, taking a 1-2-3 finish .

The world’s longest ever WRC rally jump took place during April’s Rally of Turkey, when Sebastien Loeb's Citroen C4 flew an incredible 85 metres. Citroen has picked its top ten spectacular jumps ahead of Rally Finland, the home of the "big yump."