Best Hot Hatch of the 21st Century – vote here
Poll: Best Hot Hatch of the 21st Century – vote here
Voting Closed
Total Members Polled: 542
Discussion
Itsallicanafford said:
...fair enough Ben, i will pop open the garage tonight and give the Cup-S a little pat as a consolation prize....(still, not to include an Ohlins equipped Mk3 on the list....whow!)
It works in my favour really that it's not on there for when I buy another one – values might increase otherwise! Give it another few years and when we run this again in five years time, the world will have woken up to how incredible they are.That's the bizarre thing about the Mk3. While those who've driven it as intended know exactly what a few weirdos like us are talking about, it's STILL massively underrated despite the quasi hysterycally positive reviews here, on Autocar and EVO. People still perceive it as an unreliable souped up shopping Renault.
Jon_S_Rally said:
I think that's a case of 'each to his own'. I get the argument about it being a bit different to the norm by being RWD and six-pot, but it is a car with many, many flaws. Many might argue that we don't live "in a sea of over blown farting 4 pots" but that the six-pot, RWD BMW was archaic, making buyers sacrifice interior space and practicality purely because BMW refused to wake up to realities of the segment. Proven by the fact that they've now joined others in making the 1-series transverse.
An interesting car for sure, and a good one in some ways, but this is for the absolute cream of the hot hatch crop. For me, the engine doesn't make it worthy of the top ten, given some of the simply stunning hot hatches we've seen in the last two decades. Not because it's a bad car, but because there are so many other good cars.
I actually think the old E81/87 130i is by far more the more interesting car to be honest. I'd rather have seen that on the list.
Good shout re the 130i, the original and the 135i coupe built on the brawny but small stature USP. An interesting car for sure, and a good one in some ways, but this is for the absolute cream of the hot hatch crop. For me, the engine doesn't make it worthy of the top ten, given some of the simply stunning hot hatches we've seen in the last two decades. Not because it's a bad car, but because there are so many other good cars.
I actually think the old E81/87 130i is by far more the more interesting car to be honest. I'd rather have seen that on the list.
Edited by Jon_S_Rally on Monday 9th December 13:23
The practicality aspect I don't get tho....look at the leader of the vote the 182 Trophy, whose front seats don't fold properly in a 3 door.
The space is not great but still useable. The BMW switch to four pot is less about practicality and more about the bottom line management. A corporate decesion that will lose niche buyers and my future trade but win loads of business purchases.
If you have lived with the drivetrain you will know why it's on the list. Better than the Audi offering with one more cylinder, more frugal, more resilient, very good and reliable platform for affordable tuning and 15k less than said RS3 and in most cases faster in gear. The fart box four pots are from a different class of car, they are mechanically brilliant but try an A45 AMG at 80k miles. Over stressed and not a patch pace wise on the go. Yet, the bimmer manages to have also been cheaper/ as cheap as vag, templated options.
slopes said:
182 Trophy because Harry Metcalfe put his money where his mouth was
I agree with him on this. And, as it happens, that he rates the 205GTI at a similar level. That said, I know that nostalgia seems to be a factor in his assessments. As my wife will tell you, I don't have a nostalgiac bone in my body, so I think that even today (and accepting any advances that have been made in the intervening years) I'd choose a 182 Trophy (or 205GTI) over their more modern rivals to fulfill the same role.SidewaysSi said:
Who cares?
Because Harry loves cars, loves driving and has driven everything under the sun. Not only which price influences him remarkably little - though his garage includes cars valued at 100s or thousands. He does have one foot in the Classic Car camp which I don't - but I'll forgive him that.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff