Integrale should be disqualified as it cost more than most other hot hatches in its day to produce a superior machine.

Jesus, I've heard just about every excuse why it shouldn't be allowed in this poll. It's a case of 'do anything to keep the car out of the poll or my car won't win.'

Get over it, dry your eyes. My car is better than your car.

Dunno if the last two posts were aimed specifically at me, but if they were: do I think it should be classed as a "traditional" hot hatch? Push came to shove, no I don't.
Do I say this because I want "my car to win"? Er..."my car" IS the integrale. I'm just about to another.
In a list of best rally derived cars it'd be at the top for me by leagues, better than the Stratos.
In a list of best cars ever made, it'd only lose to a 288GTO in my opinion.
fk it, in a list of best convertibles ever made, it'd only lose to a DS Decap. (and no, I'm not talking of the Agnelli cars)

Is it a "hot hatch"? No, that does the integrale down, and more importantly, that doesn't let something more deserving of the spirit of the title win it.

ETA

Just to add..technically speaking, the majority might actually say that the integrale isn't a hot hatch (to be fair, they may not)..but that is a different question to the one posed..even then, unless the Lancia polled over half the votes then more people didn't vote for it than did.

Personally, I have no problem with it "winning" 300's poll, it fits the criteria he set and that's cool (tbh, he was going to be damned whatever criteria he came up with). It was an interesting exercise and cheers to him for putting the effort into the online pub discussion it is/was.

No probs.
You've probably hit the nail on the head by asking "when did it stop being a hot hatch?" because for me (and others it seems) it simply never was one. It never was in the same class as the Golf, 205, Corolla etc..the HF Turbo was, the integrale, no. That class is the hot hatch to me.

Aaaanyway, it's all a larf innit?

Has no-one had the good grace to mention the Chevette HSR yet?

Why are some people attacking 300bhp/ton? He set up the poll, he didnt cast all the votes. I dontbknow the guy personally, but he's taking flak about what is or isnt a hot hatch. Judging by the broad spectrum (by hot hatch standards) hes done a good job to not dismiss certain vehicles. As far as i can see the list has 50 cars on it all hatchbacks that are performance versions of normal cars. Yes some more extreme than others but still relevant.

Did you vote? If this poll is so bad have you made your own to 'recitify' how wrong it is? Or you just had beef with 300 in the past and are now just being an ass?

The irony being im a gushing sycophant whilst you are doing the same for mr Hedgehog. I dont care if i didnt see the original poll, the amount of folk getting at someone for a poll they started not cast all the votes in is sad. People may or may not be in agreement with the results, but its not 300s fault people voted the way they did. How dare i think rationally.

the point was it wasnt a poll it was random scribblings (which i did contribute too)

i have no beef with 300, personally i would have taken all the suggestions in the random scribble thread and produced a proper poll with one vote per person, might have got something meaningful from it then

Fair enough mr Hedgehog, i apologise for questioning if you were being an ass. perhaps i should use more smilies fir my intentions . As for others mockng me for saying I didnt think 300 had done a bad job, i would rather give credit where i think its due, rather than crying because its not how I would have conducted it. Have a pleasant evening chaps im off to get drunk.

I retract blaming it on Dan, but that is it. If I had seen the original thread I would have posted similar there. Some great cars in this poll, but they are NOT hot hatches. The Integrale, along with the Cosworths, GTIR's etc etc are in a completely. different. category.