Renault Clio 1.2, Citroen Saxo VTR
Bought on sight without even a test drive
"I'd wanted a hot hatch of some description for a while now and had been looking secondhand at Clio 197s and the Focus ST. Finally I found myself in a position to replace my aging Saxo and after poring over classifieds I popped to my local Ford dealer to speak about a secondhand Focus but found nothing that took my fancy. Around a week later they called and told me they had available the first two Fiesta STs in Spain; that same day I headed down there and bought one without ever having seen or driven it."
What I wish I'd known:
"I'd had plenty of time researching this type of car so knew the questions I had to ask and things I had to look for when buying secondhand. All that went out the window when it came to buying this car! I just wanted it, the exclusivity appealed to me and mine was the second registered in Spain. I broke every rule in the book - I didn't haggle on price and Ford didn't even fill the tank for me. I bought with my heart not my head - I know better but for some reason at the time it just didn't matter!"
Nick's ST one of the first delivered to Spain
"I had to wait a few weeks as my car, along with its sister, was in Barcelona then off to Madrid doing launch events for the ST so I read every article available to see what id got myself in for. I was not let down - the car is a dream and the reviews are spot on. After coming from an abused, slightly neglected 12 year-old Saxo it was always going to feel special to me but the smell of a new car and knowing that nobody else had even driven it was the icing on a very big cake for me.
"It's pin-point accurate and devastatingly effective in third and fourth over a proper road; speed accumulates very fast indeed and the half leather Recaros are sublime."
Things I hate:
"It's not a van! I'm a keen mountain biker as well as loving my cars and travel Spain racing. Most of the time I have access to a van or pick-up truck but when I don't squeezing your bike, spares and camping equipment in a Fiesta can be ... well ... it doesn't fit. But for me it's a small price to pay for the smile it puts on my face."
Brake bedding in process got a bit scary
"Apart from the above mentioned lack of haggling on list price I've only owned it for a few months so as of yet it's cost me nothing. I have five years Ford warranty so I'm hoping that should keep me out of trouble. I'm 26 and insurance in Spain is reasonable and it's cost me 600 euros fully comp for the year and anybody with a valid licence is also insured to drive. Not that I'll let them!"
Where I've been:
"Track days here are few, far between and expensive but the back roads are epic and there's plenty to choose from. Only last week I was returning home from a race but had left my bike and camping gear with a friend. I took full advantage, hopped on a back road from Alcoy to Castell de Castells and enjoyed nearly 50km of 'spirited driving' without once coming across another car. I've no plans for any track days as such but would love to plan a road trip to the Nordschleife just to experience what has become a Mecca for car enthusiasts."
Straight to the driver's seat without even haggling
"That very same drive from Alcoy showed the only real flaw I've come across to date - BRAKES! Power is not a problem but they faded after around 30km but with very little warning and had me heading for an escape route just before a tight 90 left across a bridge. Some better pads and some Castrol SRF1 brake fluid should do the trick. Other than that possibly the Mountune power upgrade but I'm not sure how that sits with the warranty here in Spain and I'm still a bit of a boy racer at heart so maybe a noisy exhaust."
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