The 10 greatest hot hatches of all time
Friday, 29 January 2016
The hot-hatch formula is simple: take an ordinary family five-door (or sometimes three) and give it the surprise-and-delight performance and handling of a sports car.
Carmakers have been creating these giant-killers for 40 years now - but which is the best of all time?
A panel of automotive journalists in the UK (one of the biggest markets for such vehicles) and a global poll of readers have come up with a winner. Steve Cropley, Matt Prior and Dan Trent from Britain's Autocar magazine formed the panel, with contributor Richard Bremner acting as curator. The shortlist then went to a public vote. And the winner is…
PEUGEOT 205 GTi 1.6
The Peugeot 205 GTi 1.6 (1984-94) has been voted the Greatest Hot Hatch of All Time. Curator Richard Bremner said of the winner: 'The 205 GTi was unbeatable for its sheer rev-happy, go-hard verve and subtly perfect styling. Lightning-quick gearshifts, urgent power delivery, blade-sharp steering and deliciously driftable handling made the 205 an overnight hot-hatch king. And it was practical, too. For many, it has never been bettered.'
LANCIA DELTA HF INTEGRALE
Rally heritage makes the 1980s Delta highly desirable. The HF Integrale picked up competition technology and incorporated it into a road car. It featured a powerful 2.0-litre turbo engine, short gearing and a combination of viscous coupling and locking rear differential for tenacious on-road handling.
The first Integrale was an eight-valve model, but a 16-valve version was developed for rallying and a subsequent roadgoing model.
FORD ESCORT RS COSWORTH
As famous for its enormous rear wing as its performance and handling, the Escort Cosworth (1992-96) picked up the powertrain from the previous Sierra Cosworth and repackaged it in a homologation special for Ford's World Rally Championship (WRC) contender.
The car's 162kW output seems tame now, but that wing wasn't just for show: the Cossie was one of the first production cars to produce proper downforce at high speed.
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI MK1
The car that started it all: the Golf was only ever intended to be an economical family hatchback, but a small group of enthusiasts at the company decided to create a 'Sport Golf', using an uprated version of an Audi 1.6-litre engine and giving it firm, sporty suspension.
The Golf GTI went on sale in Europe in 1976 and created a sensation. Not to mention an entire genre of vehicles.
RENAULT CLIO WILLIAMS
The Clio Williams was never sold in New Zealand, but any enthusiast who picked up a British car magazine in the 1990s would have been unable to escape the prose of praise for this pocket rocket.
Renault launched the car in 1993 as strictly limited run of 3800, promising to make no more. But it was really popular so it made some more and called them Williams 2 and 3. The Williams F1 team (which powered Renault's racers at the time) actually had nothing to do with the car's development, which was undertaken by Renault Sport.
RENAULT CLIO RS 182 TROPHY
The Trophy was the final edition of the Clio RS 182, which was launched as a follow-up to the 172 in 2004. The Trophy was based on the Cup model but had substantial suspension revisions, special wheels and unique interior trim, including a numbered plaque.
The next-generation Clio RS got a little larger and less engaging. It happens a lot.
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI MK2
The second-generation Golf put on a few pounds, but it still had the right stuff: it was relatively fast, pleasingly simple and was still showered with praise from critics. The engine lineup grew to include 1.8-litre and 2.0-litre units.
It was the MK3 Golf GTI where things started to go wrong: too much weight and too much focus on comfort. It took VW a while to come back, but that's another story.
RENAULT 5 GT TURBO
A mighty mouse (feral frog?) if ever there was one. The 1980s Renault 5 GT turbo was a tiny, light (kerb weight 830kg) and leery hot-hatch with a 1.4-litre blown engine and five-speed manual gearbox. The car was praised for its strong performance and pin-sharp handling.
Bright colours and plastic body addenda helped the 5 GT turbo stand out. As if it needed help.
FORD FOCUS RS MK1
The follow-up to the Escort RS and based on the new-generation Focus, the RS was a limited-run model produced from 2002-03. Front-drive only but fitted with trick suspension and differential to tame its 158kW, it only came in Imperial Blue and was fitted with a WRC-inspired body kit and monster (for the time) 18-inch wheels.
The interior was standard Focus, but enhanced with Sparco racing seats and blue-black trim to match the exterior.
TALBOT LOTUS SUNBEAM
A forgotten hero? The Sunbeam was a British-built supermini based on the, ahem, Hillman Avenger. It was a Chrysler first, then a Talbot after a takeover by Peugeot-Citroen.
The company flirted with a sporty Sunbeam in 1978 called the Ti. But it also commissioned Lotus to build a rally version of the car, which was unveiled in 1979 and proved highly successful. A roadgoing version appeared in 1980 and was also highly acclaimed.
But it was only a flash of brilliance: the Scottish plant that built the Sunbeam was unprofitable and closed its doors in 1981.
Do you agree with this list? Tell us below what your favourite hot hatch is.