Wednesday 3rd October 2012

PH poll: best hot hatch

PH forum poll rates the top 50 hot hatches ever ... and the winner is?

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A hat-tip to PHer Matt Fullwood, AKA 300bhp/ton, for bringing to our attention a poll that’s been running in the PH forums to try and find PHers’ favourite hot hatch. A thorny question if ever there was one, hot hatches inspiring almost tribal loyalty and the source of more than one long-running rivalry.

And the winner is going to raise a few eyebrows. Renaultsport Clio 182 Trophy? Nope. 205 GTI? Almost, but not quite. Golf GTI then? Even six generations of dominance isn’t enough.

Before it all kicks off a few words from Matt on the selection process. First it had to be a hatchback. Obvious enough there, and one hailing from the recognised A to C segments, “a straightforward way to prevent ‘coupe’ styled vehicles” says Matt. Engine location and configuration? Flexible, to include “some of the more eccentric offerings.” No restriction on which or how many wheels are driven either but it must have been a mainstream production model, limited run homologation specials accepted.

Fair play to those counting and attributing the votes too – “a challenging task” according to Matt. “We’ve endeavoured to separate individual versions of a model if they have been voted for separately,” he says. “However, the results have required sanitising in places to make them more meaningful. I hope this won’t offend but it has been a means of necessity.” The original thread can be found here.

So to the top 10, presented in reverse order…

10th place: Renault Clio V6
A hot hatch king, Renault kicks off the top 10 with about the maddest of the breed ever put into production

9th place: Renault 5 Turbo 2
Spotting a theme here? (Yes, we know the pic is of a Turbo 1...)

8th place: Honda Civic Type R (EK9)
A true purist’s hot hatch, the JDM only EK9 deservedly flies the flag for Japan in the top 10

7th place: Ford Escort RS Cosworth
A proper hot hatch? Sierra running gear, four-wheel drive and the rest will no doubt raise some controversy

6th place: Ford Focus RS
Early controversy over that diff have softened and the RS is held in high esteem

5th place: Renault Clio Williams
The third Renault in the PH readers’ top 10 and a true classic from the archives

4th place: VW Golf GTI (Mk2)
A strong finish for the second generation of hot Golf

3rd place: VW Golf GTI (Mk1)
Only third place for the car that invented the genre? Harsh but still a good result

2nd place: Peugeot 205 GTI 1.9
Surprise runner-up for the car many would consider the very definition of hot hatch credibility, notorious through a hedge backwards reputation included

1st place: Lancia Delta HF Integrale
Anticipating the outcry Matt says, after careful analysis of the results, the Integrale earns its place. “It may well be remembered as one of the most awesome rally cars of all time, but the vast majority of Integrales built were destined and intended for road use.”

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And the rest of the best:
11th place:  Renault 5 GT Turbo
12th place:  Renaultsport Clio 182 Trophy
13th place:  Renaultsport Megane R26.R
14th place:  Honda Civic Type R (EP3)
15th place:  Nissan Pulsar GTI-R
16th place:  Peugeot 205 GTI 1.6
17th place:  Talbot Sunbeam Lotus
18th place:  Peugeot 106 GTI
19th place:  Renaultsport Clio 172 and 172 Cup
20th place:  Peugeot 106 Rallye S1
21st place:  Peugeot 306 GTI6
22nd place:  Renault 5 Alpine Turbo/Gordini Turbo
23rd place:  Renaultsport Clio 182 and 182 Cup
24th place:  BMW 130i
25th place:  Ford Focus RS (Mk2)
26th place:  Vauxhall Astra GTE 16v
27th place:  Ford Escort RS Turbo S1
28th place:  Alfa Romeo 147 GTA
29th place:  Ford Focus ST
30th place:  Daihatsu Charade GTTI
31st place:  Citroen AX GT
32nd place:  Peugeot 309 GTI
33rd place:  Renaultsport Megane Trophy (current)
34th place:  Audi RS3
35th place:  Peugeot 306 Rallye
36th place:  MINI Cooper S JCW
37th place:  Renaultsport Megane R26
38th place:  Volkswagen Golf R32 (Mk4)
39th place:  Alfasud 1.5ti
40th place:  Fiat Uno IE Turbo
41st place:  Volkswagen Golf GTI MK5
42nd place:  Subaru Impreza WRX STI (3rd gen)
43rd place:  Renaultsport Clio 200 (current)
44th place:  Suzuki Swift GTI
45th place:  Ford Fiesta XR2 (Mk1)
46th place:  Fiat Strada 130 TC Abarth
47th place:  Suzuki Swift Sport
48th place:  Subaru Impreza Cosworth
49th place:  AMC Pacer (inc Carl Green Edition)
50th place:  Alfa Romeo 145 Cloverleaf

[Antj]

looks like a few owners clubs jumped on the voting,

clio v6, honestly

[Oddball RS]

Some wierd cars in wierd places on that list.

[Panthro]

AMC Pacer...WTF. That doesnt even belong in the top 100.

[LukeyLikey]

Subaru Impreza Cosworth would be much higher in my list (I've had quite a few from the top 50. Very underrated car, and certainly better than the 08 STI above it.

[cvega]

EP3 civic on the list (deserved), FN2 not there despite being quite popular and not bad at all (if you tend to widen your sources outside Top Gear) and some AMC ... weird selection process...

[firebird350]

Fiat Strada Abarth 130TC 46th? Nah, surely not! One of the best hot hatch drives ever.

[Dion20vt]

No doubt the Lancia was/is a mental car! 205 Gti pips it for me! Being RHD the biggest plus! good list!

[excel monkey]

The photo of the R5 in 9th place looks like a close-up photo of a matchbox car! The effect is probably amplified by the simple, squared off lines of the car.

[Gunslinger1979]

Some strange choices in there, but then these kind of lists always throw up odd things.
Fun though, 182 did pretty well whoohoo!

[DeltaEvo2]

DELTA!

[hussein]

/me goes looking at Clio Williamses in the Classifieds...

[nick_mcuk]

1.9 GTI 2nd place....get in there

[Pixelpeep]

Well ive had the 2nd, 14th and 26th place cars but my current jalopy doesn't appear anywhere lol

[Pixelpeep]

French seem pretty good a this don't they..

[Will1602]

What?! Lotus Sunbeam at 17?

I wish I had spotted this earlier so I could put my vote in!

[SWoll]

Don't want to start up the same old argmument again but if I think "Hot Hatch" the Grale never comes to mind.

I think I make a mental connection between hot hatch and FWD, so also wouldn't come up with the Escort RS, Clio V6 etc.

I know, by definition, they are all hot hatches but my brain seems to refuse to accept it.

Odd?

[kazino]

Interesting list, have never driven a Delta, but when I see one on the road it certainly looks like the most exciting hot hatch to have ever existed

[750turbo]

BUT BUT BUT, I was told on here that all French Cars are crap?

Explain this then

[JamesHayward]

Deserving winner but I never think of the Integrale as a Hot Hatch. Funny really because that's exactly what it is!

My old man had one back in the day and one recent whiskey fuelled evening we got discussing the merit's of the car. Basically he wants to drive one again to see if it's as good in the modern day as it was back in the eighties.

I just want to drive one full stop!

[Escort Si-130]

I agree, some of the cars shouldnt be in that list. Definately owners clubs have got in there. Shame it wasnt publicised on the home page. Sure would have been a different outcome.

Antj said:

looks like a few owners clubs jumped on the voting,

clio v6, honestly