#st

Which subcompact performance hatchback would YOU rather park in your garage, the MINI Cooper S Hardtop or Ford Fiesta ST?

Mirroring its One Ford corporate strategy the blue oval has brought all of its global racing and motorsports divisions under one roof. The company’s SVT, Team RS and Ford Racing subsidiaries now operate under the unified banner of Ford Performance.

Car companies are pretty clever. A lot of time, research and money gets spent before a new product is created.

If you’re shopping for a sports car under $30,000 – AutoGuide.com has you covered.

Yesterday we eliminated five cars from the 2014 AutoGuide Under $30,000 Performance Car Shootout.

That leaves the final three, which are all completely different takes on affordable fun. Weren’t we surprised when the numbers were tabulated and the top cars included not just all-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive and front-wheel drive rivals, but a hatchback, a sedan and a coupe.

The Scion FR-S is a low-slung, rear-wheel drive sports coupe built without compromises. The Ford Fiesta ST is a sub-compact hatchback jacked on steroids. And finally we have the sensible, all-wheel drive Subaru sedan, that also just so happens to deliver awesome amounts of turbocharged thrust.

This is it, time to crown a victor. Who is your money on?

Yesterday we took eight fun-to-drive performance vehicles under $30,000 and put them through their paces on the street.

After much deliberation, we chose the 2014 Ford Fiesta ST as the king of the street. Despite a somewhat harsh ride, nothing else matches the raw, hilariously fun driving experience behind the wheel.

Sporty cars are not dead. Rumors of their demise are premature. Thrill-packed machinery litters the automotive landscape, available to suit nearly every budget.

When it comes to motoring fun, one of the most intriguing segments is the under $30,000 price bracket, where several enticing choices can be found in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Ford will reveal an updated version of its Focus ST hot hatch on Friday at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

It has been another busy year at the AutoGuide office. Once again we have driven and evaluated hundreds of cars this year ranging from the Mitsubishi Mirage to the Dodge Ram to the Rolls Royce Ghost.

Ford isn’t making such a big deal out of its booth at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to be excited about. Quite the opposite, actually.

For long one of the most beloved hot hatches in Europe, the Ford Fiesta ST Concept will be unveiled at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show. Recently at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Ford revealed a three-door ST concept, a sign that perhaps the hot-hatch sub-compact would not be offered in North America. This new five-door concept changes all that.

Ford presented a concept model showing what a future Fiesta ST might look like when it joins the Focus ST in the company’s high-performance small car offerings.

Ford has reportedly given the green light to a hot-hatch version of the new Fiesta sub-compact, which will be called the ST. According to a report by AutoExpress, the Fiesta ST will get a version of the 1.6-liter EcoBoost 4-cylinder used in the C-Max MPV. It is expected to make around 180-hp and deliver a 0-60 mph time in the six to seven second range. The car will remain front-drive and will come with Ford’s six-speed PowerShift dual-clutch automatic transmission. Other highlights are likely to include a stiffer suspension, aerodynamic upgrades and larger wheels and tires.