The Best Hot Hatch Ever

[AmDaMan]

Clio Williams
EK9 Type R
Renault 5 Turbo

 

[wassap]

Rover Metro GTi ?

In all seriousness I regard the hot hatches to be small, cheap and faster than the norm. things like the Alfa 147 GTA, Focus ST, Astra VXR I think of as missing the point by being over the top. Where as your Polo GTi, 106 GTi, Clios etc all fit.

For me it would probably be a toss up between the Civic Type R EP3 or the Clio 182 Trophy!

I'd agree there, out of the current range of cars, the smaller stuff like the Twingo,Fiat 500,Citroen DS3 are comparable to the older hatches.

The Focus ST is a great car, lovely engine, but its a lardy SOB tbh

 

[stulid]

Nova sport (the one with the twin carbs)

 

[4T5]

Alfasud 1.5 Ti Cloverleaf.

 

[stulid]

Golf Rally

Golf G60 wolfsburg edition

 

[marcus_667]

i gotta say fez xr2 and rs turbo myself

 

[stulid]

i gotta say fez xr2 and rs turbo myself

No accounting for taste.

 

[TripleT]

GTi6! But I'm biased Other than that the 172 Cup's got to be up there.

I think the ST170 warrants being the best hot hatch ever. It was one of the best handling and most powerful cars in its class of its time. The Focus's mk1 RS and mk2 ST and RSs success is partly owed to the ST170. Early designs of the RevoKnuckle technology that you see today are evident in the ST170. Call them some "prototypes" if you will. Couple that with an excellent chassis, independent rear suspension and a large family cabin and you have a brilliant car.

Most powerful? It only had 3bhp more than the GTi6 which has a good 8 or so years on it! No denying it's a good car but it wasn't a step forward in the hot hatch stakes at all.

 

[adam cool dude]

Blimey, that Almera/Pulsar is awesome. Why is it that I've never heard of/seen it before? It actually looks like a viable alternative to the EK9, and has what, 197BHP from an N/A 1.6.

That's bonkers.

I think the only thing going against it is the fact it still looks like a grandad mobile. Damn good sleeper though!

as with all things jdm we never get the best ones. you could also get it in 4wd too. they even used a similar engine in a jdm special primera which was 2 litre and produced 187 na and in the last model primera produced 204 bhp.

the sr16ve and sr20ve were easily a match for honda v-tec engines. just a shame nissan never really utilised them.

 

[Janesy B]

I think the ST170 warrants being the best hot hatch ever. It was one of the best handling and most powerful cars in its class of its time. The Focus's mk1 RS and mk2 ST and RSs success is partly owed to the ST170. Early designs of the RevoKnuckle technology that you see today are evident in the ST170. Call them some "prototypes" if you will. Couple that with an excellent chassis, independent rear suspension and a large family cabin and you have a brilliant car.

Hmmmmmmmmmm

Civic Type R.

The ST170 is a warm hatch really.

 

[Mr^B]

No mention of the XR3/XR3i anywhere!?

 

[Hades]

Golf Rally

Golf G60 wolfsburg edition

Ah yes, I'd forgotten about these.

 

[stulid]

No mention of the XR3/XR3i anywhere!?

I wonder why?

 

[[TW]Fox]

Most powerful? It only had 3bhp more than the GTi6 which has a good 8 or so years on it! No denying it's a good car but it wasn't a step forward in the hot hatch stakes at all.

I'm suprised to see the 170 even being considered let alone thought as 'the best hot hatch ever'. It was a massive let down when it came out, it was down on performance and wasn't really anything more than warm.

 

[Dave85]

ep3 Type R - voted

 

[mk1_salami]

Bit of a stupid Vote, because loads of those cars are great. Also I've only driven a handful, so on that basis I voted Clio Williams.

 

[Housey]

To imply that a Focus 170 is even close to being the best hot hatch shows that you either have zero experience or are using the wrong metrics to judge it, though I appreciate that it's all subjective but in my book it's not close to being the best, good car though it might be. It's too heavy, to refined, to slow (in its generation) and simply not dynamic enough. Clio Trophy for example is MILES better to the ethos, the previous Clio not the current one. A hot hatch should be light, VERY sharp, quick and noisy. Evo's, Scooby's, Cossie's, Integrale's were NEVER hot hatches, either now or in their day and should not be even classed as such in this debate.

Golf GTi, Renault 5, Clio's, Pugs 205, 306, 309, 106, VTR, small ricers etc are hot hatches. Small, light and sharp as a sharp thing, THAT is what a hot hatch is by most petrol heads rules.

 

[danza]

ep3 Type R - voted

Well, erm.... you would vote EP3!

so did I.

It's the only hot hatch I know, and seeing as half the really decent ones have been missed off, it's not like it's a very good poll anyway. I mean, no EK9?!?

 

[Housey]

Not that I would ever countenance Wikipedia as much more than a list of subjective opinion it did contain some form of summary on the hot hatchback thread that saves time. Though I don't agree with all of them and feel the greatest era (I am biased) was 'the 80's', I thought it might get the views flowing.

1980 to 1990
* Alfa Romeo 33 1.7 16v
* Autobianchi A112 Abarth
* Citroën AX Sport, GT and 4x4 models
* Citroën BX GTi and GTi 16v
* Citroën Visa Crono / GT / GTi / 1000 Pistes
* Citroën CX 2400 GTI
* Daihatsu Charade GTti
* Fiat Uno Turbo i.e.(European) / SR 1.6 (Brazil)
* Fiat Ritmo/Fiat Strada Abarth 125 TC / Abarth 130 TC
* Ford Fiesta XR2/XR2i/RS
* Ford Escort XR3 / XR3i / RS Turbo
* Honda Civic / CR-X Si
* Lancia Y10 1.0 Turbo/ 1.3 GT i.e.
* Lancia Delta HF Turbo/Integrale
* Mazda 323 GTX 4WD Turbo
* MG Metro 1300/Turbo
* MG Maestro 1600 / EFI / Turbo
* Matra Murena 2200 S
* Mitsubishi Colt GTi
* Nissan March / Nissan Micra Super Turbo (JDM only)/1.3 SuperS
* Opel Corsa/Vauxhall Nova SR / GT / GSi / GTE / JOY
* Opel Kadett/Vauxhall Astra GT / GSi / GTE
* Peugeot 104 ZS / ZS2
* Peugeot 205 Rallye / GTi 1.6 / GTi 1.9
* Peugeot 309 GTi / GTi 16v
* Peugeot 505 Turbo Injection
* Proton Satria GTi
* Renault 5 Turbo/Turbo 2 / Renault 5 GT Turbo
* Renault 9 Turbo
* Renault 11 Turbo
* Renault 18 Turbo
* Talbot Sunbeam Lotus
* Volkswagen Polo G40
* Volkswagen Golf GT / GTI / GTI 16v / G60
* Volvo 480 ES Turbo

1990 to 2000
* Alfa Romeo 145 / 146 Cloverleaf/Ti
* Citroën AX GTi
* Citroën Saxo VTR/VTS
* Citroën ZX Volcane/16s
* Citroën Xsara VTS
* Daihatsu Charade GTti
* Fiat Punto GT
* Fiat Tipo Sedicivalvole
* Ford Fiesta XR2i / RS 1800 / RS Turbo
* Ford Puma 1.7 VCT/Racing Puma
* Ford Escort XR3i / RS 2000 / RS 2000 4x4 / RS Cosworth
* Honda Civic CRX/VTEC/VTi/SiR-II
* Honda Integra GSR/Type R
* Hyundai Tiburon
* Mazda 323 GTX 4WD / GT-R
* Mitsubishi Colt GTi
* Nissan Sunny GTi / GTi-R
* Nissan Almera GTi
* Opel/Vauxhall Corsa GSi / SRi 16v
* Opel/Vauxhall Astra GSi / SRi 16v
* Peugeot 106 Rallye/XSi/GTi
* Peugeot 306 S16 / GTi-6 / Rallye
* Peugeot 206 S16
* Renault Clio Williams
* Renault 19 16v and Renault Sport
* Renault Mégane Coupe 16S
* Rover Metro (114) GTi / GTa
* Rover 220 GTi
* Rover 200 Vi
* SEAT Ibiza GTi / GT 16v / Cupra
* Škoda Octavia vRS
* Suzuki Baleno GTi
* Suzuki Ignis Sport
* Toyota Starlet Turbo
* Toyota Corolla GTi
* Volkswagen Polo Mk3 GTI
* Volkswagen Golf GTI/VR6

2000 onwards
* Alfa Romeo 147 2.0 TS / GTA
* Audi S3
* BMW 1 Series 120i/130i/135i
* BMW 3 Series 316ti/320ti/325ti
* Citroën C2 VTS
* Citroën Xsara VTS
* Citroën C4 VTS
* Fiat Nuova 500 Abarth
* Fiat Panda 100HP
* Fiat Punto HGT
* Fiat Abarth Grande Punto
* Fiat Bravo HGT
* Fiat Stilo Abarth
* Ford SportKa
* Ford Fiesta Zetec S / Sport / ST (XR4 in Australia)
* Ford Focus ST170 / RS / ST
* Honda Civic Type R
* Hyundai coupe / Tiburon GT
* Mazda3/Axela SP23/Mazdaspeed3/3 MPS
* MG ZR 160
* MINI Cooper/Cooper S
* Mitsubishi Colt CZT 1.5 Turbo / Ralliart Version-R
* Nissan Micra 160 SR
* Opel/Vauxhall Corsa SRi 1.8 16v / OPC
* Opel/Vauxhall Astra OPC / OPC Turbo / VXR
* Peugeot 206 S16/GTi 138/RC/GTi 180
* Peugeot 207 GTi
* Renault Clio RS 2.0/V6
* Renault Mégane RS (full name Renault Mégane Renault Sport)
* Rover 25 GTi
* SEAT Ibiza 1.8T Cupra / FR
* SEAT León Cupra R 2.0 TFSI/FR 2.0 TFSI/FR TDi
* Škoda Fabia vRS
* Škoda Octavia vRS
* Smart Forfour Brabus
* Subaru Impreza WRX
* Suzuki Swift Sport
* Toyota Yaris T Sport
* Toyota Corolla/RunX/Allex VVTL-i T-sport,Compressor
* Volkswagen Lupo GTI
* Volkswagen Polo GT/GTI/GTI Cup Edition
* Volkswagen Golf Mk5 R32 / GTI / GT
* Volvo C30 T5

The Integrale, Cossie's, Scoobys and Evo's were always rally specials in my eyes not hot hatches, but as I have said it's all subjective.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Is that a BMW 316i Compact? Seriously?