What are your 3 favourite 1980s hot hatches?
Discussion
I know that the 2000s/2010s were also a "high point" for hot hatches but for me, the original 1980s hot hatches are still the zenith. Light, raw, just the right amount of sporting intent stylistically, practical, still affordable to buy/run and although not fast by today's standards, when the "base" spec car only had 40-50bhp, 100-150bhp felt really quick and before everything came with alloys/body-coloured bumpers/mirrors, the "hot" versions looked really special in comparison to their "cooking" counterparts.
So if you had to own 3 hot hatches from that era what would they be?
Let's say:
1) to daily drive;
2) to take out for B road blasts;
3) one a bit rarer to look at/take to car shows.
For me, it's a choice of 5 and I'll probably go with the path that I actually took but had I bought the other one, I could see an alternate reality where I went the other route.
1) Daily
Volkswagen Golf GTi 16v 3 door - I never actually owned a 16v but have had several Golfs and a Corrado and they're just such easy cars to live with. I think that one of these would still be a very adequate car to daily drive. I like the mk1 GTi too but the "big bumper" 16v still looks sharp in 3 door guise and has better brakes!
2) B-road blast
Peugeot 205 GTi 1.9 - owned the 1.6 but never a 1.9, always wanted one but still the most fun car that i have owned for a B road blast and still perfection stylistically IMHO.
3) Show/collectible car
Renault 5 GT Turbo - always ran the 205 1.9 close in my eyes, very quick but possibly a bit fragile but they're cool-looking things and rare in unmodified form these days. Considered one as my first car but the insurance was a little prohibitive!
Just missing the cut as my daily 1980s hot hatch is the S2 Escort RS Turbo. The UK in the 1980s was all about the fast Ford really and my older cousin liked his fast Fords and had one of these. It felt quite refined and "luxurious" compared to my 205 and being a bit bigger, a bit more practical too and they certainly looked the part.
As a "show"/collectible 1980s hot hatch, I'm still quite taken with the mk1 Astra GTE, especially in white. It never got the legendary "redtop" engine but I never liked the styling of the mk2 Astra GTE and the mk1 was still quick, quite rare in comparison and a little underrated possibly? It was alright to like Vauxhalls in the 80s too!
So if you had to own 3 hot hatches from that era what would they be?
Let's say:
1) to daily drive;
2) to take out for B road blasts;
3) one a bit rarer to look at/take to car shows.
For me, it's a choice of 5 and I'll probably go with the path that I actually took but had I bought the other one, I could see an alternate reality where I went the other route.
1) Daily
Volkswagen Golf GTi 16v 3 door - I never actually owned a 16v but have had several Golfs and a Corrado and they're just such easy cars to live with. I think that one of these would still be a very adequate car to daily drive. I like the mk1 GTi too but the "big bumper" 16v still looks sharp in 3 door guise and has better brakes!
2) B-road blast
Peugeot 205 GTi 1.9 - owned the 1.6 but never a 1.9, always wanted one but still the most fun car that i have owned for a B road blast and still perfection stylistically IMHO.
3) Show/collectible car
Renault 5 GT Turbo - always ran the 205 1.9 close in my eyes, very quick but possibly a bit fragile but they're cool-looking things and rare in unmodified form these days. Considered one as my first car but the insurance was a little prohibitive!
Just missing the cut as my daily 1980s hot hatch is the S2 Escort RS Turbo. The UK in the 1980s was all about the fast Ford really and my older cousin liked his fast Fords and had one of these. It felt quite refined and "luxurious" compared to my 205 and being a bit bigger, a bit more practical too and they certainly looked the part.
As a "show"/collectible 1980s hot hatch, I'm still quite taken with the mk1 Astra GTE, especially in white. It never got the legendary "redtop" engine but I never liked the styling of the mk2 Astra GTE and the mk1 was still quick, quite rare in comparison and a little underrated possibly? It was alright to like Vauxhalls in the 80s too!
1. Mk2 Golf GTi
2. XR3i (although the RS 1600i was more hardcore)
3. 205 GTi
I owned the first two of those and a friend owned the third. The Golf was easily the best daily all-rounder, but the XR3i had sharper handling. I never drove the 205, but as a passenger it felt a bit cheap and flimsy.
2. XR3i (although the RS 1600i was more hardcore)
3. 205 GTi
I owned the first two of those and a friend owned the third. The Golf was easily the best daily all-rounder, but the XR3i had sharper handling. I never drove the 205, but as a passenger it felt a bit cheap and flimsy.
Lo-Fi said:
MK2 Cavalier SRi
XR3i
Nissan Silvia (looks like a Bluebird with pop-ups and spoiler)
I had all 3 in the '90s (albeit, my Cavalier was the CDi, not SRi). I'd gladly have them again as new cars. All looked the mutt's nuts.
Love all your cars on this list , I had a mk2 cav Sri and I made my dad buy a Silvia 1.8 turbo , such a cool car , had an Xr3i also , probably the worst of the 3 although still enjoyable XR3i
Nissan Silvia (looks like a Bluebird with pop-ups and spoiler)
I had all 3 in the '90s (albeit, my Cavalier was the CDi, not SRi). I'd gladly have them again as new cars. All looked the mutt's nuts.
No contest .
My first ( of Many ) R5GT Turbos was this Pearl White phase 1 electric pack car - thankfully with no hideous glass sunroof - one of the very first to be sold to the UK.
Bought it with very light front damage for £900 quid in circa Feb 93 in Walthamstow via good old LOOT.
Some awesome memories of this superb little car, including July 93, flat out with my ex wife down to St.Tropez and back and it never missed a beat - full of camping gear and 2 cycles lashed to a Halfrauds cycle carrier. Somewhere on the Route Napoleon we had a white 911SC or 3.2 Carrera come up behind us. An epic dice ensued, but he knew the road and I didnt so we let him go.
Stupidly I sold it in late 93 to someone from Carshalton
By the powers of YouTube https://youtu.be/kCU1XvyvM-Y?si=lP01Ah9hPNe_x-Gf
Neilbolts. said:
Lo-Fi said:
MK2 Cavalier SRi
XR3i
Nissan Silvia (looks like a Bluebird with pop-ups and spoiler)
I had all 3 in the '90s (albeit, my Cavalier was the CDi, not SRi). I'd gladly have them again as new cars. All looked the mutt's nuts.
Love all your cars on this list , I had a mk2 cav Sri and I made my dad buy a Silvia 1.8 turbo , such a cool car , had an Xr3i also , probably the worst of the 3 although still enjoyable XR3i
Nissan Silvia (looks like a Bluebird with pop-ups and spoiler)
I had all 3 in the '90s (albeit, my Cavalier was the CDi, not SRi). I'd gladly have them again as new cars. All looked the mutt's nuts.
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