Used car buying guide: Vauxhall Corsa VXR Nurburgring

Throughout, the Corsa VXR rolled around on 17in wheels but you could option it with arch-filling 18s. Don’t worry: the ride quality isn’t harmed.

Even in standard trim, the VXR had figure-hugging Recaro seats and a suitably racy, flat-bottomed steering wheel. There was air conditioning, remote central locking, and power windows and mirrors, too.

In 2010, Corsas were facelifted, the most notable tweaks being a refreshed nose and headlights and, on the VXR, upgraded alloys.

Today, prices start at around £2000 for a smoky Joe with all manner of bodgery but raise your sights to about £6500 and tasty post-facelift cars in original condition, and with reasonable mileages, roll into view.

Take care if considering spending more because the cheapest Fiesta STs from 2013 start at around £8000. We were particularly entranced by a 2014/14-reg Fiesta ST-1 with 47,000 miles, one previous owner and full Ford service history for £7995. If the VXR looks too shouty, that would be a great alternative. Thinking about it, I may just take a peep before the crowds descend...

How to get one in your garage: 

An expert’s view, Gary Conway, owner, GCAP performance:

“The Corsa VXR’s biggest problem is failure of piston four. It’s a cooling issue that causes the ringlands, where the piston rings sit, to crack. Basically, the piston casting is poor. If it’s down on power, misfires and smokes at idle, it’s likely to be piston four. Catch it early and have all the pistons modified before it breaks and destroys the engine. Otherwise, the Corsa is a tough little thing. My demo car is a Nürburgring VXR with a forged engine, custom camshafts, a Garrett GTX30 turbo, an uprated swirl pot and large 875cc fuel injectors. It makes about 500bhp. I’ve changed the diff to a Wavetrac to help keep it on the road.”

Buyer beware:

ENGINE - Low power, noisy acceleration, reluctance to maintain high speeds and blue or grey exhaust smoke suggest turbo problems. Check that only the recommended engine oil has been used. Listen for misfires and poor performance, suggesting low compression (see ‘An expert’s view’). Check the timing belt has been changed at 60,000 miles or 10 years.

GEARBOX - The Getrag M32 ’box has its problems, including whining from behind the glovebox area, a twitchy gearstick as you change gears and a disc-like rubbing noise when turning right or left at 30mph.

They’re generally caused by a worn bearing on sixth gear. Second, third and fourth-gear selection issues are common and caused by ham-fisted drivers. The standard open diff can get noisy.

WHEELS, SUSPENSION AND BRAKES - Check for worn rear wheel bearings. Check the condition of the ABS system and for fault codes by pressing down the brake and accelerator and turning on the ignition system. Codes will be displayed in instrument binnacle.

BODY - Jump or bump starts can cause a voltage spike that knocks out the body control module controlling the windows, locking and ignition. Check the alignment of the front bumper with the wheel arches because the securing clips often fall out.

Also worth knowing:

Let the engine warm up before giving the turbo stick. You can view the coolant temperature by pressing the mileage reset button four times and holding for 10sec. Now press five more times. The lower of the two figures in the trip display is the coolant temperature.

How much to spend:

£2000-£3995 - Range of 2007-08 cars, typically with around 90,000 miles.

£4000-£5995 - More 2009 cars and mileages around 50k-70k. Some 2010 and 2011 cars with decent mileages for around £5500.

£6000-£6995 - Low-mileage 2008-10 cars and lots of 2011-12 cars with around 50,000 miles.