The Volkswagen Golf R is for the hot hatch fan who believes the iconic Golf GTI just isn't hot enough. Using the excellent Golf as a base, the R adds all-wheel drive and a highly boosted turbo four to become one of the ultimate fast small cars on the market today, while retaining all of the practicality you'd expect from VW's compact hatchback.

If you feel comfortable paying almost $40,000 for a car with modest roots, it's a premium-feeling machine that can tackle corners just as easily as your everyday commute.