Monday 30th November 2015

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

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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.

 

[Inverted]

Main picture of 200 Cup and it cant even be voted for.

Odd to see R26.R missing from there... Clio Trophy also??

[soad]

Don't want to fill the form for those tickets - does that mean my cast vote will not count?

[Smithers Jones]

Is this some kind of a sick joke? No 205 GTi 1.9?

[colin_p]

Far too wide a catchment.

70's = Golf GTI

80's hot hatch = 205 GTI
80's hotter hatch = RS500 Cosworth Sierra

90's & 00's hot hatch = Lupo GTI
90's & 00's hotter hatch = Audi S3

10's - err, no idea they are all supercars aren't they? And I'm old.

[E36Ross]

Landsail Tyres.

Because when you need to brake, You'll go sailing across the land.

[addz86]

Clio 200 turbo?! The biggest flop in Renault sports history no doubt. I only recall seeing one in the road.

And Landsail tyres? Christ we have them on a few of our vans and it's like driving on ice

[JB!]

E36Ross said:

Landsail Tyres.

Because when you need to brake, You'll go sailing across the land.

How is an Impreza a hot hatch???

I'm a VAG nut but the Pulsar was just an animal, so kind of wins by default???

[Arsecati]

I know someone has beaten me to saying it, but it has to be repeated: where's the Peugeot 205 1.9 GTi????? Seriously!!!!

[dinkel]

Williams Clio was luvery.

309 GTI? HFi a hot hatch? M135i?

So... which definition of hot hatch are we discussing here?

Edited by dinkel on Monday 30th November 16:41

[LotusOmega375D]

I'm surprised that the esteemed journalists feel that both a Skoda Fabia Diesel and an MG Maestro are greater hot hatches than my old Renault 5 Turbo 2. Neither that nor the Clio V6 makes it in to the Top 50.

For that reason, I'm oot.

[milfordkong]

Inverted said:

Main picture of 200 Cup and it cant even be voted for.

Odd to see R26.R missing from there... Clio Trophy also??

Clio Trophy is there but for some reason on a supposed enthusiast site it's hidden behind a picture of a Racing Blue 182 FF/Cup ...

That the RS Clio Turbo is on there at all is absurd...

[milfordkong]

It's also the worst website in the history of websites...

[e8_pack]

Looks like a Haymarket marketing scam. Can't we just vote for fun instead of filling out address details.

The pic of the AX GT is a GTi.

[Bumble SV]

Given up trying to vote because of the Capture ineptness blocking out real users!

[bimbeano]

No Clio 3 RS
No 205 GTI 1.9
No GOLF 5 or 6 or 7 GTI
No E30 M3 (there is a Lancia Integrale .. so ... and a 135i ...)

What a joke :-)

[Petrolhead]

bimbeano said:

No Clio 3 RS
No 205 GTI 1.9
No GOLF 5 or 6 or 7 GTI
No E30 M3 (there is a Lancia Integrale .. so ... and a 135i ...)

What a joke :-)

E30 M3, was that a hot hatch, news to me o keep everyone happy its should be just 205 GTI and not a specific engine

Edited by Petrolhead on Monday 30th November 18:52

[burningdinos]

bimbeano said:

No Clio 3 RS
No 205 GTI 1.9
No GOLF 5 or 6 or 7 GTI
No E30 M3 (there is a Lancia Integrale .. so ... and a 135i ...)

What a joke :-)

The E30 M3 is sorta missing a hatch in the back.

[Poopipe]

Inverted said:

Main picture of 200 Cup and it cant even be voted for.

Odd to see R26.R missing from there... Clio Trophy also??

It's to give the fords and Vws a fighting chance

[s m]

bimbeano said:

No Clio 3 RS
No 205 GTI 1.9
No GOLF 5 or 6 or 7 GTI
No E30 M3 (there is a Lancia Integrale .. so ... and a 135i ...)

What a joke :-)

E30 M3 hatch is too rare



No E36 M3 hatch either

[SirSamuelBuca]

renault 5 gt turbo best hot hatch of all time