Our Top 5 cars this month celebrates the spirit of the boy racer by looking at a few of the best factory-tuned options available.

Toyota 86

Toyotas are known for their build quality and reliability, as opposed to exciting design or thrilling handling. But the Japanese firm aims to snag many a boy racer buyer with their 86 sports coupe, developed with the help of Subaru. The 86 ticks all the right boxes thanks to its low centre of gravity, more aggressive sporty looks and horizontally opposed D4-S boxer engine. This powerplant cranks out 147 kW at 7000 RPM and 205 Nm of torque between 6400 and 6600 RPM.

Unfortunately these figures makes the 86 the least powerful car in this comparison and it shows with its unimpressive 0-100 km/h time of 7.65 seconds and top speed of 226 km/h. The 2.0 litre High manual version of the 86 goes for R334 500.

Opel Astra OPC

Opel is no stranger to delivering hatchbacks whose posters have donned the walls of car fans, thanks to evocative racers such as the Opel Big Boss and Kadett Superboss. The company's latest effort is the Astra OPC (Opel Performance Centre), which is powered by a turbocharged direct injection 2.0 litre engine.

This powerplant offers up 206 kW at 5500 RPM and 400 Nm of torque between 2500 and 4500 RPM, enough go-juice to rocket the car from standstill to 100 km/h in just six seconds flat. Eventually it will reach an electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h, but don't expect the stated 8.1 litres per 100 km (combined cycle) when going that fast. Pricing comes to an exclusive R435 000.

Renault Megane RS Sport

Since selling its Formula 1 stake to Lotus, Renault has taken a backseat as merely an engine supplier within the 2013 Formula 1 season, but that doesn't mean the French company stopped making some of the world's most desirable hot hatches. Like the 86, the Megane RS makes for an excellent value prospect within this vehicle class, thanks to its R359 900 pricetag.

Performance wise, Megane RS Sport buyers get a 2.0 litre, four cylinder turbocharged engine that delivers 195 kW at 5500 RPM and 360 Nm of torque at 3800 RPM, whilst offering 8.2 litres per 100 km on a combined cycle. This enables the Megane RS Sport to blast its sporty derriere to 100 km/h in six seconds flat onto a top end of 250 km/h.

VW Scirocco R

At a recommended retail price of R441 300, VW's Scirocco R is the most expensive car in this comparison. Luckily it offers the biggest brand appeal, eye-catching styling and performance bang for that considerable price bark.

This hot hatch's turbocharged 2.0 litre four cylinder powerplant pushes out 188 kW at 6 000 RPM and 350 Nm of torque between 2500 and 5000 RPM. Bringing up 100 km/h on the speedo takes just six seconds, whilst drivers are able to reach 250 km/h (hopefully on a private road or racetrack only). A firmer, sportier ride is provided thanks to the vehicle's R sports suspension, whilst the transverse differential lock (XDS lock) and electronic stability programme help keep the driver in control of the Scirocco R's power.

Ford Focus ST

Our number one pick for a boy racer conveys sportiness from the outside thanks to bulging side skirts, roof spoiler and figure-eight style central chrome exhaust tailpipe. It also boasts an aggressive grunt, with the 2.0 litre turbocharged EcoBoost engine delivering 184 kW and 360 Nm of torque between 2000 and 4500 RPM. This sees the ST hurry its way to 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds, on to an illegal terminal velocity of nearly 250 km/h. More sensible drivers should see a fuel economy figure of around 7.2 litres per 100 km.

The Focus ST also puts a smile on your face when it comes to the handling thanks to Ford's Sport Steering System plus a comprehensive range of driver assistance features including cornering understeer control and torque vectoring control. The ST3 version is priced at R353 000, which adds keyless entry and Bi-Xenon headlamps that incorporates LED daytime running lights to its standard features list. [HD]