RE: PH poll: best hot hatch

[Hasbeen]

They really were/are dreadful things aren't they?

My heart goes out to you people who, because of circumstances/geography, were restricted to driving such awful cars.

No wonder so many Poms/Europeans are emigrating.

[Dusty964]

Ahhh, I can still remember the day mum sold the LNA, and came home in one of these-







It was pretty dire.

[300bhp/ton]

falconhoof said:

Integrale, escort cosworth, impreza etc are not hot hatches, they are super hatches/rally car road versions, totally different from a hot hatch. What a load of shiezen! Mk1 gti the daddy, clio williams and 182 cups, R5's, S1 rs turbo, 205 gti etc are hot hatches, 300bhp per tonne sort it out punkass!

The Clio Williams was built to Homologate it for circuit racing, how is that different?

And you do realise that since the demise of Group A rally cars for the WRC class that the road going versions had nothing to do with the competition cars? Therefore a Focus RS is as close a rally car as the hatch Impreza is - ie neither of them are rally car road versions.

[irish boy]

Honda crx v-tec.....very fast car in it's day!

[300bhp/ton]

falconhoof said:

LuS1fer said:

Agent Orange said:

Surprised the Vauxhall Nova GTE isn't in the top 50. I remember a very memorable drive aged 19 in a G reg dark metallic grey one. I think they were 1.8 from memory.

Awful box and front wheels bounced under acceleration but bloody hell was it fun!

I fear you are confusing fun with automotive incompetence.
A bucking bronco is "fun" but it's not a good racehorse.

A well sorted nova with a redtop will embarrass most precious metal on a twisty road, the gte was epic, in silk violet, nova should be in the top ten, I still love the shape, the nova is a great looking car and with decent shocks/tyres is a b road weapon! Lusifer you are K-nob!

Nova's are dreadful cars and possess the WORST interior ever created by mankind. The driving position was even worse. Ok you can make them quick if you change almost every part of it. But that's true of any car.

Styling, ok the 3 door had a chunky charm. But there's no denying that they were also the pensioners choice.

[300bhp/ton]

falconhoof said:

LuS1fer said:

Agent Orange said:

Surprised the Vauxhall Nova GTE isn't in the top 50. I remember a very memorable drive aged 19 in a G reg dark metallic grey one. I think they were 1.8 from memory.

Awful box and front wheels bounced under acceleration but bloody hell was it fun!

I fear you are confusing fun with automotive incompetence.
A bucking bronco is "fun" but it's not a good racehorse.

LuS1fer you clearly have never driven/been passenger in a nova gte, with better shocks and tyres it is truly amazing on a twisty road, so much fun, can embarass lots of fast metal in the bends, stick a redtop in and they really are awesome! Nova should definately be in the top 10, rally specials are not hot, with a bit of tuning they are supercar slayers, totally different ball game, so luS1fer have you ever driven a nova gte, my mate has had several, they are the T.I.T.S

Are you 12?

[300bhp/ton]

clarki said:

Test drove an intergrale once - horrible thing.

All starts from the moment you get into the passenger seat to do the driving??!!

Then you cant get comfortable cos everything is offset from everything else - and to top it off its quite slow tbh.

Tested an Escort Cossie around the same time - fantastic thing. Really should have bought it and to this day the one car i've never owned but wish I had - my number 1.

What Integrale did you drive? The 8v's were only 185hp, so evidently won't be hugely fast and that's assuming it was even making the power it should have been.

Not sure how valid moaning about LHD is either, that has no affect on the cars performance or ability.

[300bhp/ton]

heightswitch said:

Excellent post and nice to know there are others like me who remember when hot hatches were something different. Nice to see that you are still living the dream with the old Maestro...Are the gearboxes still as bad as I remember them...Seem to remember it being like a pudding stirrer..But then it may have been just a bad example of the car and I was in love with Fords and their lovely boxes at the time.

N

The gearbox is a Honda unit and also used in the Elise. I don't recall it being bad, certainly I'd say as good or better than Ford Orion Ghia I had after my MG Meastro.

[300bhp/ton]

MadDog1962 said:

300bhp/ton said:

As for the quattro, does the vehicle size and category not have a bearing on it? Would have thought that a far more obvious point than engine or drivetrain or flared arches.

As for your other points, well can I ask what are these:

-Talbot Lotus Sunbeam
-MG Metro Turbo
-Alfa 147GTA
-Golf MK3 VR6
-Galanza Turbo
-Audi S3


They would all seem to fail your list for being a hot hatch. So I'm genuinely curious as to how you'd categorise them.

The Talbot Lotus Sunbeam was rear drive and based on a Hillman Avenger platform. No idea what a Galanza Turbo was! It was not very good really.

MG Metro Turbo was a hot hatch - don't seem to be many left though.

The 147GTA , VR6 and S3 are all hot hatches, just loaded up with 21st century safety which you gotta have these days.

Ok so what are they? If they aren't hot hatches....

BTW - The term Hot Hatch didn't come into use until 1984... so on that basis a MK1 Golf wasn't a hot hatch either while it was in production, only retrospectively.

The 147, VR6 and S3 all fail your criteria on engine type and aspiration. BTW you may want to look up prices of a Galanza Turbo, they certainly don't suggest that they weren't very good.

[300bhp/ton]

Hasbeen said:

They really were/are dreadful things aren't they?

My heart goes out to you people who, because of circumstances/geography, were restricted to driving such awful cars.

No wonder so many Poms/Europeans are emigrating.

[drewwa]

Daft result. 4WD != Hot hatch. FWD only.

[Dave Hedgehog]

drewwa said:

Daft result. 4WD != Hot hatch. FWD only.

but then all hot hatches would be a POS by default

and the official is it a hot hatch flow chart allows for 4wd

[V6GTA]

I think this is a terrible poll.

[SonicHedgeHog]

Hot hatches need to be affordable. The Golf VR6 pushed the limit of what you could call affordable, but it always made it into group tests because it was the first hatch with more than 4 cylinders and therefore offered something different. Then BMW came along with the 325i Compact and then Audi with the S3 and it all started to get stupid. Since then the Germans haven't looked back. They've increased the power output, equipment levels and cost to a point where the 135i, S3 and Golf R are not even close to the original hot hatch concept. What they are are powerful executive saloons with a hatchback body.

[Liam79]

falconhoof said:

and in my opinion one of the best looking cars ever made, i think this of many cars but the nova just does it for me.

What!

[300bhp/ton]

JonRB said:

Absolutely stunned that the Corrado VR6 didn't get a mention.

Really? Not sure if serious or not..

[y2blade]

doogz said:

V6GTA said:

I think this is a terrible poll.

You had your chance to voice your opinion months ago when it was running.

Well said doogz.

Good poll

[y2blade]

300bhp/ton said:

JonRB said:

Absolutely stunned that the Corrado VR6 didn't get a mention.

Really? Not sure if serious or not..

[JonRB]

300bhp/ton said:

Really? Not sure if serious or not..

Yes, ok, having seen your chart I withdrew my comment, although you have now quoted it. Whilst the Corrado has a hatchback I suppose it's more of a sports coupé. Having said that, I don't really think the Integrale or the Clio V6 qualify as hot hatches either.

Edited by JonRB on Friday 5th October 10:54

[clarki]

300bhp/ton said:

Not sure how valid moaning about LHD is either, that has no affect on the cars performance or ability.

It does in the country I live where there are other cars on the road to avoid, and things called junctions to pull out of.

A LHD car in the UK is compromised - IMO one of the main virtues of a good hot hatch is that it is good in pritty much every circumstance, an integrale does not tick many of those boxes - so i'll moan if you don't mind!!