When discussing 80's hot hatches..

[dpbird90]

I am a huge fan of 80's hot hatch coolness, but the insurance companies, who must already bathe in Moet & Chandon with the amount I paid out in insurance for the last 3 years on the Fiat, won't let me anywhere near one without me winning the Euromillions jackpot 10 times over, which is not suprising. What is suprising is that a Peugeot 205 1.9 GTi is actually the same cost for fully comp insurance as a Subaru Impreza P1 for me. Anyway, I digress.

For years I would have championed the Mk1 Golf GTi as the best 80's hot hatch, but these days I have seen the light and love the 205 GTi even more. At the moment, I would happily snub a Ferrari for a 1.9 GTi in Miami Blue with full leather interior & red carpets.

But let's not forget all the other great hot hatches that Mr Churchill Norwich Union Direct Admiral won't let me near:

Renault 5 GT Turbo & GT Turbo 2 (mid engined)
Peugeot 205 T16 (Group B Homolgation Special, basically a 205 with a huge engine where the back seats should have been, for the less knowledgable)
MG Metro 6R4 (as above, but a Metro)
Fiat Strada Abarth (with the seats that won't go forwards enough)
Fiat Uno Turbo (perhaps going towards the 90's and a little more restrained than other cars but still fantastic nonetheless.
Golf Mk1 GTi
And, although it isn't really a hatchback, but I feel it is one of the coolest 80's things ever, especially in white, the 2 door Sierra Cosworth (sod the Escort XR3!)

[mitch78]

Sorry I've not had chance to read through the whole thread yet, just a quick skim through, but I'm surprised at how many of these '80s hot hatches that have been posted weren't actually '80s cars.

[Alfa_75_Steve]

mitch78 said:

Sorry I've not had chance to read through the whole thread yet, just a quick skim through, but I'm surprised at how many of these '80s hot hatches that have been posted weren't actually '80s cars.

Most of them were conceived in the 80s, even if the posted examples were of a later build date.

[minimatt1967]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Is that shadeofdale interior, I wouldn't call that 80's its more a 70's Hangover

[useyourdellusion]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Fantastic thread! 80's hot-hatches were the best! No weight, responsive performance and full of character. Love 'em.

That Gordini would confuse the hell out of todays boy racers. I love it for that!

[RossB_eg4]

GravelBen said:

vz-r_dave said:

GravelBen said:

MrMoonyMan said:

GravelBen said:

A lad in an EG Civic VTi (maybe VTiR) (with lexarse lights, big shiny wheels etc) decided to have a drag off the lights against my old '90 2.0NA Legacy wagon once....

Interesting, I can't imagine a n/a sooby doing that well. Especially as the Vti versions of the Civic had a fair bit more power than the 16i's. Wonder if it was a badged up 1.3?

Was a few years ago but just looking up some figures and thinking about it...

Civic VTi: 130bhp/138Nm/1000Kg
Legacy VZ: 150bhp/172Nm/1320Kg

So power and torque to weight ratios aren't worlds apart, agreed that the VTi should still have been quicker but perhaps the Civic driver wasn't winding the revs right out? Who knows.

Civic VTi: 130bhp/138Nm/1000Kg

Not sure where you got 130HP from, these use the B16A engine with atleast 160HP as standard.

www.english.auto.vl.ru is where those figures came from, I've found it to be pretty accurate for every other car I've looked into.

It may be a difference in model naming between countries, that site lists JDM spec and has the VTi with the 130bhp D15B and the SiR with the 170bhp B16A (I'm in NZ where most cars are Jap imports).

Yeah that'll be where the confusion is, our vti cars are B16a1 or a2 depending if we are talking ef or eg civic or crx. They are essentially sir's, just less ~10hp and a factory lsd

[OPC100]

The Fiat Strada Abarth 130TC was the best in my opinion. Probably the most fun I've ever had in a car, but then again I was a crazy 18 year old at the time.

Have driven, or owned most others and my old 205 1.9GTI was a great everyday car and looked ace in laser green. My mate had an uprated GT Tuning 5 GT Turbo. That was a great laugh as well.

Integrale is amazing, but a hot hatch? Not that old argument again?

[MrMoonyMan]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Is it just me or did some lucky so and so get the deal of the century with that? Surely they're not that cheap? How did I miss that?

[LuS1fer]

Don't mix up the mid-engined R5 Gordini Turbo with the earlier front-engined Gordini made of soluble steel.

[MrMoonyMan]

Good point, I wasn't but good point none-the-less. They go for £15/20k upwards IIRC..

But for £1500 that looks like a really nice rare car. Non?

[Agoogy]

Lancia Y10 Turbo
rapid in the midrange, great turbo whistle and Alcantara ineterior populated with a myriad of small lights...to signify fuel level, temperature control, turbo boost.. etc etc...all of whicg destine do fail, epxensively

[Mustard]

http://www.realmb.co.uk/

worth a mention as these really are rocking horse manure like this....

Edited by Mustard on Saturday 13th December 16:21

[nsa]

Technically a hot hatch?



1981 924 Carrera GT, 220bhp, 1180kg

http://www.924gt.com

Otherwise +1 for the AX GT.

Edited by nsa on Saturday 13th December 20:18

[R5GTTGaz]

MrMoonyMan said:

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Is it just me or did some lucky so and so get the deal of the century with that? Surely they're not that cheap? How did I miss that?

Absolutely gutted I missed that.

My old 5 - yes I know its on a H plate!

[maddog993]

Orangecurry said:

In 1989 I was driving a 1985 B-reg Fiat Strada Abarth 130 TC, just like this one (but RHD). It was fantastic - stupidly light, brilliant induction roar from the twin carbs, it did suffer from lift-off oversteer, but not as much as the Pug 205s did. I took it up the Alps as part of a skiing trip, and it handled perfectly.

Unfortunatly it was starting to rust even when I bought it

Snap -I had a red B reg one in '89 also -bested the Mk II GTI in every performance department (apart from the rubbery gearchange), better handling, weren't so many of them about and it sounded brilliant -unfortunately had just the same corrosion problems though.

[dugsud]

I had a 127 Sport in the early 80s. Not that much power but great fun and a real little screamer!!

[trackcar]

wow i'd forgotten about the 127 sport, good call

[Zippyworld]

Anyone thought of this ?

had one recently sunk £5500 into it anbd the sold it on, probably the best out there.

This thing was standard with 152 bhp and was so rare it was a talking point everywhere I went, which wasn't often as its always peeing down and they came of the production line rusty in the first place.

Don't recall any of the below passing me,,,,, ever !

If I knew how to post a picture of it, I would !

Zippyworld

[Zippyworld]

It would help if I told you what I was on about wouldn't it ?

Maestro Tickford Turbo, and iyt deserves a second mention heh heh !

[Baby Huey]

Some that I owned.



One of the fastest of the non-rally derived cars. 160 bhp, 1050kgs, 0-60 7.5s, 135+mph. Excellent.



Great cars, had 2 of these, sadly not this rare Zender version.



Had one of these as my second car, this was a good car, not quick but good fun. Looked great in black.