Where tuning is concerned, the ‘best’ car will depend on what you want to achieve. Whether it’s something that’ll give a Ferrari a surprise at the traffic lights, a rally car contender or a racetrack demon, you’ll want to study your choices before you pick your basic model.

Another factor might well be the ease with which you can modify. Some cars have a massive history and therefore an easy subculture to plug into. This will also mean that your mod dreams can be achieved at a fraction of the cost of something that requires everything to be custom built. Again, if your desire is to create the mods yourself, then choose whatever marque you like. 

But these are a few of the real heroes that truly lend themselves to improvement.

Corvette 

A massive engine can already provide 800bhp in the bog standard production car, so it’s perhaps no surprise that a quite stupendous 1200bhp becomes possible with the right attention to detail.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

Or the ‘Evo’ for short. No list would be complete with this true and evergreen legend of the mod world; perfectly possible to get 500bhp from the 2litre lump. 

Audi TT

At the more expensive end of the market is the Audi TT. It has a real racing pedigree though and a state of the art lightweight construction, that enthusiasts have exploited to the point where they can claim two thirds the weight and two thirds the power of a Bugatti Veyron. That’s hot sauce.

Acura RSX 

Called the Acura RSX (Rally Sportscar eXperimental), this is in fact the Honda Integra DC5, a compact sports coupe renamed for the American market. In 2006, it took down both the Manufacturer’s Championship of the SCCA World Challenge Touring class and the British Touring Car Championship. 

Nissan Silvia 

A front engine, rear wheel drive reliable Japanese car makes the ideal base for the start of something special.

Honda Civic

With VTEC, this is quite a proposition on its own, but as a light car with a roomy enough engine bay to absorb much larger Honda engines than the factory standard, it’s a modder’s dreamboat.

Ford Mustang

Over 1000bhp is possible from this American muscle. This, above the Camaro has been the more ‘modded’ car over the years: A true classic.

Subaru WRX/STI

The Rally car waiting to be finished, the Turbo-charged Impreza with its shark-mouth bonnet mounted air-intake cuts a mean figure in anyone’s rear-view mirror. It’s torn up both road and rally circuits alike.

Mazda RX-7

As with so many marques here listed, no longer made, but much sought-after, this is the only one sporting a Rotary engine - capable of 800+bhp with the right assistance.

Nissan Sentra SE-R

An unpromising starting point, you may be forgiven for thinking, but the Sentra is a real pocket rocket waiting to be revealed. A deep loyal following in Japan has ensured its place in the canon.

Nissan 300ZX

Almost regarded as the mod industry Standard. There’s almost nothing this chap can’t be persuaded to do; a heavyweight blank canvas that absorbs the worst excesses of a fevered mind.

Nissan 240SX

As a starter-car specifically for drifting, consider this - or the even more unlikely Rover 440. Yeah, I know.

Mitsubishi 3000GT

You can do whatever you like to the engine and the rest of it will need very little upgrading. It’s a proper beast.

Beetle

Kind of in a league of its own in terms of versatility, almost anything that can be imagined has been played out on this German byword. From drag racing, to beach-buggy, to out and out sports car.

Toyota AE86

Virtually designed for racing, there’s little out there that competes with this in terms of readily available aftermarket bits and pieces and a ready and willing recipient.

Mazda Miata

This oft-overlooked low-slung stick-shift is actually responsible for training more racing drivers than any other car. It’s not surprising then that it also lends itself to comprehensive upgrading.

Honda S2000

Not much needs doing to this to make what is already a piece of work into a full-on racer.

VW Golf

This car seems to have been around forever and is a true classic, with an army of fans. Unsurprisingly, it’s also had pretty much everything possible done to it by someone or other. The good news about this is that there’s a strong market in place for anything your heart desires in terms of mods, whether you have the 8V, the 16V, or the VR6.

Volkswagen R32

Understated VR6 with 600bhp once worked on, capable of outstripping most exotics at the lights. 

Scion tC

The new generation Toyota Celica and a very sporty coupe, but the 2.5l DOHC 16V is a humdinger, just waiting for you to slap on an armful of aftermarket mods.

Toyota Supra

Aftermarket support for this baby is second to none. It’s been 12 years since the last one was made, but with a huge sub-culture of tuners, there’s no shortage of either expertise or parts.

Nissan Skyline GT-R

Again an unpromising factory standard that proved to be a true monster once the boys got hold of it.

Unsurprisingly, there’s a dominant Japanese presence in this list, with Germany running a poor but nevertheless important second. 

The real message here though is that all the hard work has been done for you, and all you need to do is consider your budget and look at how comprehensive the aftermarket service is for the vehicle you have in mind.