The Gassing Station

Fast estates take centre stage, as this episode runs through the best performance wagons to buy in 2026—from a bargain Ford Focus ST Estate to heavy hitters like the Alpina D3 S Touring and Mercedes-AMG E 63 S Estate.
There’s also a £50k buying challenge to replace a Ford Mustang GT, with contenders including a rare Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Motorsport Edition and a Porsche 911 Turbo.
Finally, attention turns to a long-running forum thread helping owners track down cars they once loved.

🏎️ Sell your car on PistonHeads auctions: https://www.pistonheads.com/sell/auctions🎟️ Get your Annual Service 2026 tickets: https://www.pistonheads.com/events/annual-service

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
3:35 Best used performance estates
34:29 £50k Mustang replacement
51:56 Tracking down old cars

Topics:
Best used performance estates: https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-features/the-best-used-fast-estates-to-buy-in-2026/50935
£50k Mustang replacement: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=255&t=2117644
Tracking down old cars: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=283515&i=680

Cars:
Sam's Mercedes-AMG C 63 S: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19288418
Cam's Porsche 911 (997.1) Turbo: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19288418

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Today's episode of The Gassing Station podcast centres on the £89k Audi RS3 Competition Limited, built to celebrate 50 years of Audi’s five-cylinder with adjustable dampers, a Sport Quattro-inspired look and plenty of carbon. With just 11 UK cars, alternatives from the classifieds quickly come into play.
A £30k V8 buying challenge follows, pitching a low-mile Maserati GranTurismo S against a tempting BMW M6.
Finally, attention turns to brilliant concepts that never made production, from the MG EX-E to the Bentley Hunaudières.
🏎️ Sell your car on PistonHeads auctions: https://www.pistonheads.com/sell/auctions
🎟️ Get your Annual Service 2026 tickets: https://www.pistonheads.com/events/annual-service
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
7:54 Audi RS3 Competition Limited
36:07 £30k V8 goodness
52:25 Best concepts that were never made
Topics:
Audi RS3 Competition Limited: https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-germancars/audi-reveals-new-rs3-competition-limited/50968
£30k V8 goodness: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=255&t=2136966
Best concepts that were never made: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=1008121&i=200
Challenge cars:Sam's Maserati GranTurismo S: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19522808Cam's BMW M6: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19856426Follow us on social media:
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📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pistonheads
X: https://twitter.com/pistonheads

Sustainable fuel is back in the spotlight as Formula 1 prepares for a season running on 100 per cent sustainable fuel, while The Gassing Station co-host Sam Sheehan has filled his Mazda MX-5 with eco-friendly petrol from Coryton’s Sustain project, produced using agricultural and organic waste.
Attention also turns to BMW’s takeover of Alpina, including favourite pre-acquisition models like the Alpina V8 Roadster and rare Alpina B6 S 3.5.
A £40k rally support-car challenge follows, featuring an Aston Martin V8 Vantage and Subaru Impreza WRX STI S206, before a look at motorway fuel prices versus local forecourts.
🏎️ Sell your car on PistonHeads auctions: https://www.pistonheads.com/sell/auctions🎟️ Get your Annual Service 2026 tickets: https://www.pistonheads.com/events/annual-service
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:15 What is sustainable fuel really like?
20:22 Our favourite used Alpinas
37:52 £40k supercar rally support car
54:06 Why fill up at service stations?

Topics:
Sustainable fuels: https://www.pistonheads.com/news/general-pistonheads/whats-it-like-running-a-car-on-sustainable-fuel-/50924
New Alpina badge: https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-germancars/check-out-bmws-redesigned-alpina-emblem/50869
Why fill up at service stations?: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=2115476

Cars:
Sam's Aston Martin V8 Vantage: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19895513
Cam's Subaru S206: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19314876

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Of course the 2026 Audi RS5 is the star of this week's podcast. Yes, it’s heavier and arguably should be called an RS4, but with 639hp from a plug-in hybrid V6 and a much broader stance, it’s a seriously muscular answer to an ageing G80 BMW M3 and the departed Mercedes-AMG C 63.

This week’s buying challenge is a £22k seven-seater, where a smart Mitsubishi Shogun battles a luxo-spec Toyota Alphard. Finally, we explore badge engineering oddities, from the Toyota GT86 trio to the many aliases of the Vauxhall Frontera.

🏎️ Sell your car on PistonHeads auctions: https://www.pistonheads.com/sell/auctions

🎟️ Get your Annual Service 2026 tickets: https://www.pistonheads.com/events/annual-service

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
6:05 Audi RS5 - all the details
36:23 £22k 7 seaters
53:55 How many badges can one car wear?

Topics:
Audi RS5: https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-germancars/audi-replaces-rs4-with-new-plug-in-639hp-rs5/50893
Seven seaters for £22k: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=255&t=2136326
Badge engineering: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=2136225

Cars:
Sam's Mitsubishi Shogun: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19622230
Cam's Toyota Alphard: https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19508809piston

Follow us on social media: 🗣 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pistonheads 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pistonheads 🐦 X: https://twitter.com/pistonheads

This week's episode of The Gassing Station kicks off with Sam’s drive of Volkswagen’s Golf GTI Edition 50, the most powerful production GTI yet, and how it all went down on that Clubsport S-beating lap around the Nurburgring.

The two then take a deep dive into the best used sports cars for 2026, spanning everything from a Lotus Esprit to Vipers, R8s and a 650S. Finally, there’s an £85k weekend car challenge, featuring a 718 Boxster Spyder and a tempting McLaren GT.

🏎️ Sell your car on PistonHeads auctions: https://www.pistonheads.com/sell/auctions🎟️ Get your Annual Service 2026 tickets: https://www.pistonheads.com/events/annual-service

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:57 VW Golf GTI Edition 50
9:58 Best used supercars
47:47 £85k weekend car

Topics:
VW Golf GTI Edition 50 - https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-driven/2026-vw-golf-gti-edition-50--ph-review/50817
Best used supercars - https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-features/the-best-used-supercars-to-buy-in-2026/50842
Weekend car for £85k - https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=255&t=2130723

Sam's Porsche 718 Boxster Spyder - https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19641655
Cam's McLaren GT - https://www.pistonheads.com/buy/listing/19355697

Follow us on social media: 🗣 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pistonheads 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pistonheads 🐦 X: https://twitter.com/pistonheads