Vote for your best hot hatch ever!

The Performance Car Show is celebrating the hot hatch at next year's show and needs your votes

Here's one that should get some healthy debate flowing! Affordable, fast and practical, hot hatches have captured the imaginations of so many drivers over the years; now the Performance Car Show is on a mission to find the nation's favourite.

New school or old, the choice is yours!

In association with PH and Autocar, the 2016 Performance Car Show will feature a great exhibition of the 10 favourite hot hatches, as voted for from a 50-car shortlist. The cars have been chosen by Steve Cropley, Matt Prior and Richard Bremner at Autocar, plus our own Editor Dan Trent, so you know who to complain to if your favourite is missing!

Now there will be many different views on the first hot hatch, but common consensus is that the Golf GTI kick started the genre. First shown at the 1975 Frankfurt show, it's now 40 years old; VW has already marked the occasion, so what better time to celebrate the hot hatch?

The process is very simple: click the 'Hot hatch nirvana' link on the PCS homepage, look through the 50 and pick your favourite five. Once ranked, your choices will be added to final data for the 10-car display. You will also be entered into a competition for show tickets.

Will you rank Citroen Saxo VTS ahead of AX GT? 205 over 309? Focus or Escort RS? Then you're onto the Renault legends... It's a fascinating exercise, one that will really test how decisive you can be. To get 50 down to five is tough! Finally, see below for the video from our judges for a bit of inspiration. Voting is open until December 31 so there's time for some deliberation. Tickets are available for the show here and we'll bring you more news on the poll soon - get voting!

Watch the video here.