What's your favourite hot hatch?

[Chris71]

As per the title really, what's your favourite hot hatch?

I've got a soft spot for the Peugeot 205 GTi and the Clio 182; the Focus RS is amusingly frenetic and the Clio V6 is just bonkers. Overall though, I think I'm going to be biased and go for this one:



Although it wasn't my first performance car, that particular example was the first (and technically only) proper hot hatch I've owned.

[IanMorewood]

A 205 and my inability to drive it properly nearly resulted in my decapitation so although it was good it wouldn’t go at the top of my list.

I will have this instead;

Edited by IanMorewood on Wednesday 22 December 11:25

[Facefirst]

For me, this is about as good as a hot hatch gets:



I love how far they were willing to go, how pure it is, and how hard-as-nails it looks.

[y282]

gordini turbo.

[Mastodon2]

Impreza Cosworth for me. Hideously expensive and an apparent let down given it's £50,000 price tag, but looks mean as fk and probably drives amazingly. I think much like the latest £120,000 BMW M3, the high price may have overshadowed the cars abilities. That said, the car is apparently under revision between Subaru and Cosworth with an aim to improving the steering feel around the straight-ahead position on the wheel and probably adding more power. The rareness factor makes these even cooler too, I would love to see one in real life!



Now, if only Subaru could sort the current STI out with a big wing, some blue paint and gold wheels...

[TheArchitect]

for me it'd be between the R26r and V6 Clio, both utterly mental cars that pushed the extremes of modern hot hatch

[Sir_Dave]

Mine.

[CampDavid]

I think the 306 was about the point where hot hatches were still sharp, fun machines, while being modern enough to be a practical every day car. The Rallye combined being a great hatchback and being a fun hot hatch without being overweight and fat

[nsmith1180]

That V8 B class from the front page. Utterly bonkers.

[NoelWatson]

Chris71 said:

As per the title really, what's your favourite hot hatch?

I've got a soft spot for the Peugeot 205 GTi and the Clio 182; the Focus RS is amusingly frenetic and the Clio V6 is just bonkers. Overall though, I think I'm going to be biased and go for this one:



Although it wasn't my first performance car, that particular example was the first (and technically only) proper hot hatch I've owned.

My Mum has one of these (now for sale)

[anonymous-user]

I've never driven one, but I bought the 1.4 in dark blue as my first car, so that I could imagine...

[NoelWatson]

Facefirst said:

For me, this is about as good as a hot hatch gets:



I love how far they were willing to go, how pure it is, and how hard-as-nails it looks.

Mum and I share one of these

[NoelWatson]

CampDavid said:

I think the 306 was about the point where hot hatches were still sharp, fun machines, while being modern enough to be a practical every day car. The Rallye combined being a great hatchback and being a fun hot hatch without being overweight and fat

I had one of these

[theturbs]

205 GTi gets my vote.

ETA I've just seen TCF's post above and would have to put in a vote for the Mk2 Golf GTi as well.

Edited by theturbs on Wednesday 22 December 11:25

[Agoogy]

Mastodon2 said:

Impreza Cosworth for me. Hideously expensive and an apparent let down given it's £50,000 price tag, but looks mean as fk and probably drives amazingly. I think much like the latest £120,000 BMW M3, the high price may have overshadowed the cars abilities. That said, the car is apparently under revision between Subaru and Cosworth with an aim to improving the steering feel around the straight-ahead position on the wheel and probably adding more power. The rareness factor makes these even cooler too, I would love to see one in real life!



Now, if only Subaru could sort the current STI out with a big wing, some blue paint and gold wheels...

Sadly the customer car is rubbish too :
http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/Search-Results...

I'll take the R26R too please....

[marcosgt]

Don't want to start a holy war, but somehow I don't see 4x4 hatches like the Integrale, Escort Cosworth and recent Imprezas as 'Hot Hatches'.

For me, my favourite is and will always be the Renault 5GT Turbo, although I fear I'd find it terribly unsophisticated if I drove one now...

M

[LD1Racing]

you are all wrong...

[aka_kerrly]

I clearly have a mk2 golf 16v obsession and rate it as my fave of the 80s hot hatches closely followed by the 205 GTI and fiesta RS1800i as these were the cars of my "yoof" and have a real rawness about them that very few modern cars can replicate!

Not had much of a chance to try the latest generation of hot hatches but of the 90/2000s i really like the EP3 civic Type R, clio 172 cup and the Pug 306 GTI-6 and i am not a french car fan at all but at during the period the mk4 golf, the astra mk4 gsi were dreadful in my opinon.

dave

[sleep envy]

205 1.9

[Chris71]

Nyphur said:

I've never driven one, but I bought the 1.4 in dark blue as my first car, so that I could imagine...

In a similar way, I'd love to try a Saxo VTS or VTR. One of the most entertaining cars I've driven (and later owned) was a base-spec skinny-tyred 1.1 Saxo and I've always wondered what the go-faster variants would be like.

In some respects the humble 1.1 Saxo handled better than my 205 GTi did (and there was a strong family resemblance, not least in the lift off oversteer!) It was indecently fun for such a basic little car and it would be fascinating to see whether a bigger (heavier) engine and more focused suspension setup actually improves the experience it or detracts from it. God I miss that car.