Hot hatch's you have had over the years

Warm hatches.  Rover Metro GTa - weighed nothing, and went like a Go Kart. Micra K11 Super S 1.3 - nice car, and quick.  Then a company car, bit bigger, Alfa 147 Selespeed - that was a hoot.

When that went back I bought a big Nissan Saloon, boring but lasted me 22 years until I've just changed it for a rather rapid Van with seats, which is faster than any of them by some way.

Just the current one

B reg 205 GTi 1.6 one of my favourite cars ever as it was only 3 years old , bought it from a lady who owned a hairdressing salon and treated it so well it was immaculate and smelled nice too

It had the perfect balance of performance and handling, looked great in silver and none of the torque steer some other fwd hatchback suffered from

I did have a Golf GTi MK2 enjoyed it as well but had the badge nicked twice, broken into once so not so good memories

Only one a 306gti6.

Lovely car to drive very nimble, as pokey as I'd ever feel the need to use and you could really use it's performance without getting into ban territory or doing idiotic and illegal speeds that would put others in harm's way.

Too many years since of smashing out big mileages and my priorities are more 'auto box, 50+mpg, tows well with comfy seats these days but life has many other positive things that trump cars.

@BoardinBob

I do love the Abarth's what version is it? they look like a lot of fun but a bit impratical for me

I had a Fiat Uno Turbo for three years. Awesome thing it was. Superb handling and ridiculously fast for a wee machine.

Also had a Renault 19 Turbo for about three years. It was a company car and everyone in the office seemed to need to "borrow" it for various errands 🙂  I loved the rather capacious boot too.

FWIW both ran faultlessly, for me and for the subsequent owners.

Saxo VTR

SEAT Ibiza Cupra

VW Golf v5

BMW 130i

Miss the 130 the most but suspect rose tinted glasses are involved

Dihatsu charade GTti

Fiat strada 130tc abarth

205gti

309gti

Then went onto company cars like a grown up, and had some mentally fast ones over the years.

Does this count?

Bought it new after a bit of a work bonus. Before that there was a slightly warm Mitsubishi Colt GLXi, after came a Subaru WRX (sort of a hatch), RS4 Avant (not really a hatch) and currently an S3 (definitely a hatch).

I was more into the push bikes, so I've always had decent road bikes, the car had to carry them and needed to be reliable so the 'hatches' were only warm ones.

Ford in the late 60's and all of the 70's were so good , Lotus Cortina, Rs1600,Twin Cam, MK1 Mexico I had 3 and the Rs 2000 chuck in the Anglia and Capri for looks but that front wheel hatchback from the xr3 to Rs2000!!!!!! Looked shit no idea what the were like to drive or own but  the Germans showed them how much a mistake they made with the GTI

Mini 1275GT with Janspeed exhaust. On country lanes it was fastest car "in the world".
However it was so loud inside a radio was useless.
I did once park it a street in London and an American wanted to buy it off me.

First car was a mini city e, loads of fun but the slowest thing in the world! I had bucket seats you had to climb over to get in the back.... Once squashed in 7 people to go to the drive though!

Next was a 205 xs which was a pretty bad car. Followed by the Nova Gte up there, that was bloody awesome, so much fun to drive. I had it lowered so the rear wheels rubbed the arches and the front suspension strut tore the engine bay. Got it welded back together, it was reet.

Then a pre 90 spec S2 rs turbo, adjustable boost and insane torque steer. That ended up in the side of a lorry, pulled out of a side junction on me (not my fault!)

Then 90 spec S2 which was a bit more refined, then the grey S1 up there. The only factory sprayed mercury grey (obviously regret selling that on.)

Proton GTi after that which was a surprisingly good little car, then the Starlet GT turbo up there which was just a daft car.

Then an Sri Corsa, then a mk 1 vxr Corsa which was great. Then sensible after that, a mini clubman, Citroen cactus, 2 Octavia's, now a Corsa e and transporter!

Fiat strada 65cl, my first car, cost £120 and was only just value for money.

Had quite a few “fast” cars not all hot hatches.

2005 AMG CLK 55 Cabriolet. Wasn’t a particularly fast car in modern day standards, but was a really nice car to drive.

R Reg TVR Chimera, 5 litre special edition. Was a great car to drive, I didn’t drive it particularly hard, had no real issues with it. This felt very fast, scarily so! Span it once without really going at speed, road was damp with leaves.

Mercedes GLC AMG43. Hated it. Cruised well on ok roads, crashy bangy on even the slightest of bumpy roads.

Cupra Leon (2019), loved it. Only got rid of it last year to move to an EV.

Mini Cooper S 2005 - was ok. Fun when it wasn’t broken. Broken more than it wasn’t. Was a money pit…..but I’d get another one….yes I’m daft!

Proton GTi after that which was a surprisingly good little car,

I passed a Proton the other day, I was surprised there was any still on the road.

Golf GTi, MK3 8 valve. I found out after buying it, it was the slowest golf GTi.

Good fun until it started cutting out randomly. 40,000 miles of relatively cheap motoring.

Skoda Octavia Vrs mark 1.

A massive upgrade on the golf. 80,000 miles of mostly trouble free motoring.

I'm in a 335d now. 60,000 miles mostly trouble free motoring. Apart from the one time it caught fire. Still not quite forgiven it for that. Not quite a hot hatch but I love it. Frugal enough, mostly too fast for me, steering feels ace other than one time it felt very, very odd through a fast corner.

R53 Cooper S - bought new in 2003. Still own it... Guaranteed to put a smile on my face.

I had a Fiat Uno Turbo for three years.

Jealous. My first car was an uno 999. Incredible handling and I was always wanting a turbo.

Then I had some astra thing that wasn't a gte but was very quick in it's day. Close ratio box, dropped suspension and 1.8 16v I think.

Proton GTi

Pretty sure I had one on a track day at brands hatch, it was pretty good fun.

Then I got into motorbikes and never looked at cars again

For context I’m now 40. Somehow managed to convince my dad to buy a (then new) 2002 clio sport when I was 18 and he was ready to downsize from the family car. He put me on the insurance. Man that thing was brilliant.

followed up myself with a ‘92 Mini Cooper John cooper works Si.

One or two.

Nova GTE with redtop conversion. I was 19 it was silly fast.

Astra GTE with Calibra Turbo conversion. Dangerous.

MK1 golf with G60 Conversion. Nightmare but had moments of brilliance.

Polo G40, best car I ever owned.  Charge cooler, water injection, toothed pulleys, lsd.14.04 quarter mile, proper sleeper,hilarious.

EK4 civic VTI great, sold it to get a EK9 which nearly got stolen off the drive & I sold.

3 swift Sports, current one is a gem.

Wasn't a hot hatch but I learnt to drive (and subsequently owned) a Fiat 131 Mirafiori Sport, which was maybe intended to go up against the Ford hot hatches. Brilliant car, 2.0l twin cam, rorty dell'ortos, black velour interior, 13" Alleycats.
And a rust bucket, especially in my case as my dad used to windsurf so it spent a lot of time in seaside car parks.
Fewer than 25 left now. All that remains of mine is the factory Fiat parcel shelf towel!

The 131 mirafiori sport was before hot hatches and was a poor man's MK2 rs2000

I had a black one with the velour upholstery, Pirelli P6 tyres

Look up Paulo Diana on you tube and see his 131 in action although I'm sure it's a Japanese engine but fantastic to watch

Nice cars, but up against the Escort Mk2s

Talbot samba rallye - my first car in 87,cost 700 quid to buy, 450 quid to insure

Audi s3 - awful car, hated it

BMW m135i

Toyota gr yaris - current car, amazing

Edit: I forgot about the civic type r

Mk1 Golf Gti, Mk2 Golf Gti, Peugeot 205 Gti 1.9, Mk2 Jetta Gti 16v ( ok not really a hatch), Peugeot 309 Xsi, Citroen BX Gti 16v, Mk4 Golf Gt Tdi (does that count?), Honda Civic Vti, Mk7 Golf R, Mk7.5 Golf R.

I had a Fiat Uno Turbo for three years.

A mate had a Lancia Delta Integrale which constantly had something expensive wrong with it so he bought a Dimmer Uno Turbo so he had a car that actually worked. It’s the most terrifying car I’ve ever been in. It appeared to be made out of discarded fag packets and tinfoil. I reckon if you crashed it, your chances of survival would be zero

I loved my old ‘boiled sweet’ Golf GTi. Stage 1 remap, lowered, BBS Monzas. Bloody great fun!

Mrs Binners had a Polo GTi at the same time which was like a rocket powered roller skate. It was like Mariokart to drive

Then there’s this thing. It’s still my daily driver. We have a complicated relationship going back twenty years. We were apart for a bit, then got back together. 3 names on the log book and 2 of them are me. Not a hatch, but still counts. I bloody LOVE this car!

he bought a Dimmer Uno Turbo so he had a car that actually worked. It’s the most terrifying car I’ve ever been in. It appeared to be made out of discarded fag packets and tinfoil. I reckon if you crashed it, your chances of survival would be zero

This times many!

My uno was the flimsiest car I've ever seen. The body work dissolved in front of your eyes. The steering was sublime. Glorious drifts on damp tarmac what a car.

It did make a saxo look a good prospect in a crash though

Iirc it had a single wing mirror and the funkiest paddle switches, all reached from the wheel

The only hot hatch I’ve had was a 306 gti6 which I loved. But family estates then took over.

i have considered getting something like an early A45 Merc or GolfR for track use. But I can’t be hassled with the security worries.

Only had one. A Clio 182 Trophy. Got to be one of the best there’s been. Only 500 made and I loved mine and it saw a lot of action. Someone with deeper pockets and more time on their hands is now looking after it properly.

Polo G40, best car I ever owned.  Charge cooler, water injection, toothed pulleys, lsd.14.04 quarter mile, proper sleeper,hilarious.

Great little cars with a lot of charm. Not the fastest or best of the generation but a lot of fun. Mine sounded really nice under power, like a jet fighter. It was a mixture of the low resonant burble (Scorpion exhaust K&N induction) and the subtle supercharger whine, rather than that fart can sound so many of the little hot hatches had. Had a Seat Leon Cupra 1.8T after it. A much more modern and refined car. It was faster, not by much, but wasn't as much fun/dangerous! Out of all the cars I've owned the G40 is the only one people remember, weird for such a low key vehicle. I didn't see another on the road when I owned it or since!

The road legal rally cars Impreza, Lancer Evo and Pulsar GTI-R wiped the floor with the older hot hatches and set the tone for what followed.

Non the less there's a few already mentioned I would have loved to have a go of:

205 GTI

Renault 5 GT Turbo (not mentioned)

Starlet Turbo

Uno Turbo (ferocious tin can)

Peugeot 306 GTI6 (another understated sleeper)

Integra Type R

Quite liked the Megane 225 but it was a very plastic feeling car for it's price. Came close to buying a VW Passat W8!

Also had a Renault 19 Turbo for about three years. 

Had no idea there was such a thing!

What could possibly be worse in a crash than an uno turbo?

Opel Kadett 1.3 SR (would be best described as "luke warm" rather than "hot" but it did look the part and, if I remember correctly, had excellent front seats)

Talbot Sunbeam TI - with two twin choke Webber carbs which were about the same size as the rest of the engine. RWD so a oversteer on demand, particularly on the cheap tyres I could just about afford at the time. I couldn't afford a Lotus Sunbeam (or, more accurately, couldn't afford to insure one)

Peugeot 309 GTI 1.9 - ugly outside and only bought because my budget wouldn't stretch to a 205 GTI 1.9 (and cheaper to insure than the 205 variant)

Peugeot 205 GTI 1.6 - see above. Still too poor to afford the real deal but, it turns out, 1.6 was poky enough for me anyway.

What could possibly be worse in a crash than an uno turbo?

Maybe not worse but on a par:

Fiat Panda Turbo

Citroen AX GT

Mrs Fruitbat has had this since 2012 -

My old Fiesta, it was ludicrously fast and well balanced up to about 120mph, My mates Honda fireblade 600 couldn't even keep pace with it on the slow corners due to the sheer grip it had.

Of course he lost me for dust on the straights.

Fiat 131 Supermirafiori Sport

MK2 XR2

Mini 11oo Special

Citroen AXGT

R53 Cooper S - still have it

Honda Civic Type R - still have it

His and hers.

I’ve had the R32 for 12 years now and will prob never get rid.

We were looking to get rid of our old B7 A4 Avant Tdi when my wife asked if there was an estate version of my car as “I like ragging it”.

I had a Peugeot 206 GTI 1.9 litre for around 15 years - lovely to drive on twisty A roads. Now got a SEAT Leon FR which still pokey but a bit more sedate than the Peugeot.

That red fiesta with the knackered suspension and skirt has won the prize for the worst by a mile looking car on this thread

Am I reading correctly that it was so fast and balanced up to 120mph yet drum rear brakes ?

I'm guessing your mate wasn't the best on a bike?

Am I reading correctly that it was so fast and balanced up to 120mph yet drum rear brakes ?

Yep, I actualy got 145mph out of it on the M1 once....at a quiet time of night...It had AVO suspension, and the 1.7 Yamaha/FRP engine helped, but, it got a bit frighening at that speed, it was litteraly about to take off.

No down force. At all.

Maybe I should have put a bigger spoiler on it?

I think I can proabably admit to that now, staute of limitations, and all that.

Amongst other cars, I have had quite a few hot/warm hatches over the years as follows:

Mini 1275GT
Fiesta XR2 (mk2)
Nova SRi
Citroen ZX Furio
Clio RSi
Ford Puma (1.7 engine)
Audi TT (mk2)

Then I had kids...

Posted by: chestercopperpot

↑

What could possibly be worse in a crash than an uno turbo?

Maybe not worse but on a par:

Fiat Panda Turbo

Citroen AX GT

Lancia Y10 GTie or Y10 turbo is pretty much a "Panda turbo" I suppose (complete with luxuries such as electric rear quarterlights).

AX GTs were amazing for their time. But yeah, wouldn't want to hit a wheelie bin never mind another vehicle with one.

Sadly realised that I don't have enough car photos for times like this. My short list:

- Clio 182. Daft, flawed and infinitely loveable. Still miss it, and the pain is made worse by knowing that it never made it to another MOT or Tax year after I sold it 🙁

- Fiesta ST mk6. Bought as the Clio wasn't exactly great as a daily commuter. Should've felt like the spiritual successor. It was great but couldn't hold a candle to the 182

Am I reading correctly that it was so fast and balanced up to 120mph yet drum rear brakes ?

What exactly is wrong with drums then ? especially on the rear on a car not used on the track.... 

Some cracking motors in the thread though 

Ford Fiesta Mk 1 XR2

Ford Escort XR3i

Nissan Sunny ZX Coupe

Nissan Sunny ZX hatch

Mazda MX5 Mk1 1.8i S

Mazda MX3 V6

Peugeot 307 cc

Peugeot 308 cc

Now driving Tourneo Custom

However daughter has which I can use

Eunos Roadster Turbo

Mitsubishi Evo 5

Seem to have a habit of alternating between fun cars and more sensible ones:

1994 Mini Cooper, the proper mini only with injection rather than carbs...

2006 Renault Clio 197, successor to the 182 above- apparently not as good though. Loved it apart from the cost of the regular tyre and brake replacement.

2015 Merc A45 AMG, like a bigger badder Clio, sold it too soon for a family estate

2020 Merc A45S AMG, more refined than the previous one but much more mental (420bhp) at the same time. 

Astra SXi was the closest I ever got to a hot hatch, it had white dials!

Civic Type-R EP3 - pretty much when it came out in 2002. 

I had it for almost 15 years and 165,000 miles from new. Lovely car. 

My one hot hatch, aged 22 I decided it was a good idea to take my work travel allowance in one lump sum and buy a R5 GT Turbo rather than taking the train.

No other car I've had has come close, scary fast (for the time), go kart handling. Still going as far as I know as it pops up now and again on social media and in the classifieds.

I haven't had one yet.

But I have been fighting the temptation of a yaris gr since they came out

One of the original hot hatches back in the 80's, one of the original 400 Chevette HS's which we rallied on roads and stages !

5 x standard Citroen Visa GTis (1.6 205/104 hybrid)

1 x Grp N Visa GTi which I then put an Mi16 in and competed in for a few years

3 x Citroen ZX 16v

1 x Peugeot 205 GTI 1.6

1 x Citroen Xsara VTS (5 sped 306 GTI6)

1 x Renault Clio 172 ph1

1 x JDM Honda Integra Type R DC2 (technically a coupe but the boot is a hatch so....)

Since then, dull sh1te but I have room in the garage for something, just trying to decide

Wish I had rented a storage place a couple of decades ago and filled it full of sub 1k 205s, old Fords etc. Would have made a fortune now even after all the costs

i loves me a hot hatch.

i've had:

Saxo VTR - then had a VTS engine fitted, throttle bodies, Pug sport GrpN suspension, roll cage etc. it was awesome.

Clio 182 cup

Clio 172 - converted to a time attack car.

Clio 200 - after a year i put a megane turbo engine in it.

Clio 182 FF Cup - was converted into a race car and did a couple of seasons of 750MC championship.

Fiat Panda 100HP

EP3 Civic Type-R JDM

mk7.5 Golf R

Megane (mk4) 300 Trophy

Megane R26 (current car, its old, but good fun)

I think thats about it. had a few other cars in between, but always come back to a hatch.

Some Wonderful memories here chaps. I only had a couple, a mini 1275GT was my first ever.... it was bloody brilliant. Loved that car, even though you could see the ground through the hole in the floor.

1.3 Nova SR. Best seats I ever sat in. 

Boring company cars since then, although my Electric i4M50 is insanely quick. Retiring next month and I've got a hankering to get a really good hot hatch as a end of life crisis. Currently thinking about Yaris GR Circuit. That or a Fiesta ST. 

To the various people thinking about a gr yaris, they're really very good, so much more than just a hot hatch. 

The quality of the damping is amazing, just soaks up bumps and undulations in the road without flinching.  I bet there's not much that is faster than one  down your average b road.

They're also fun, very agile and adjustable mid corner on the throttle in a way that some 4wd cars are not. 

Be careful under heavy braking though, the back goes light and moves around a fair bit, makes for great trail braking, but could catch out the unwary. 

The brakes are tremendous, steering good, gear change good. 

Interior is typically Japanese though, so hard scratchy plastics abound, plus you get quite a lot of tyre roar, and general mechical noises going on,its on the raw side rather than luxurious side. 

You can fit a 29er enduro bike in the boot too. 

My first was a Nova SR which was quick for a 1.3, lovely car but unfortunately it got nicked. Then followed by a Renault 5 GT turbo which was scary quick but like others have said, not a chance if you lost it, the body panels would kinda move if you pushed too hard with the cleaning sponge!!

I then had a bit of a windfall and chopped it in for an Astra GTE 16v, the only one I wished I still had. 
I sold it for the deposit on our first place and then brought a Nova GTE. A great car which I had for a few years before my brother drove it to Austria, never to be seen again.

I loved my cars back in the 80’s and 90’s but modern cars just don’t move me like back then. These days I’m happy pootling around in the old T5.

I feel like I should have had so many more over the years, love a hot hatch!

In reality they were all warm rather than properly hot.  Pics from the interwebz but all the right colours and specs.

The Suzuki was tepid rather than warm or hot!  10 points if you know what it is:

Rear engined, snicky 5 speed (!) gearbox, loadsa rust.  Nothing not to like there.

The red one was a bit more like it - 130hp, weighed nowt, a lovely drive.  Still would have preferred the VTEC version but I was poor at the time.

The first decent company car I ever had!  206 GTi HDi - diesel, dontcha know.  List price of £14k and low emissions at the time made for very low company car tax.

This was my next decent company car, loved driving it.  Only had it for a year or so but thoroughly enjoyed it, even down to the golf ball gear lever - manual rather than DSG.

Very jealous of some of your cars further up the thread, especially the Visa GTis, still have a soft spot for them now.  

I'm only just in my 40s, so don't have quite the range of some of you guys. However. I've had hot hatches all my adult life, starting with a mk1 Fiesta with XR2 running gear.

Binned that off for a late mk2 GTI, which is still in the family. My stepdad's restoring it right now, and I can't wait to play with it again. It was standard, but I lowered and stiffened it, added G60 arches, ATS Cups, Passat wishbones, Recaros, and a Momo Race steering wheel as that was the law. Eventually dropped an ABF in it.

Had a mk3 16V which was dogshit, so that got replaced with a first gen S3. That got remapped and a set of Brembo GT juniors up front. It was a Friday car, though, and was resprayed once under warranty, then not a second time as Audi refused. It was sold for very little with the sills starting to split open. I'll probably never have another Audi.

Currently got a mk5 GTI, which I've had for ten years. It's also got ATS Cups, but other than a set of R8 coil packs it's remained standard. I've put 110,000 miles on it and would love to hit half a million. We'll see.

More warm hatch than hot hatch, but I used to have a Mazda 323 ZXI 2ltr V6, in metallic bottle green.

Loved that car, only got rid as I couldn't find a baby seat which would fit it 🙁

I had a couple back in the 80s:

Favourite was an XR2 Mk2 - fantastic wee car, not the fastest top end, but good acceleration, and handled well for the time, so great for the ‘point and squirt’ roads around where I lived in Aberdeen

Decided I wanted something bigger, and swapped it in for an XR3i - never really fell in love with this car in the same way. Despite being faster top end, it was less nippy on the throttle, and less sure footed than the XR2.

Preceding these two, I also had a Capri 2.0s, which I inevitably crashed on a greasy road when the back end let go in a corner. I wouldn’t be surprised if half the Capris ever built met their end in similar circumstances.

(not my car…)
 

First car was an R8/200 1.8 k-series 16v, which was a model that didn't exist (it was a limited run for Japan that they'd shipped over then shipped back when no one wanted to buy them) about 10 in the whole of the UK. Cost a fortune to insure and service. Also required trawling the manuals to find any engine/cooling/gearbox parts. Was pretty quick for what it was, and had leather/electric everything. Took me all over the UK racing.

Replaced that with a rebodied Astra MK2, was a half built cadet class rally car. The guy who built it decided (or maybe his wife did) that he wouldn't have time to do the half dozen other restos in his barn inc his dads old Sunbeam and a Quattro coupe SWB and drive either of his other rally cars. So i got it, engine gearbox and suspension was ready to race. Not actually very fast (only a 1300 cc) but very rev happy (7000rpm) and weighed bugger all. All the steering was sorted, as were the brakes.

Only problem is that he'd not installed the blower ducts properly, so it took a fortnight to demist the screen. Only had that for a year, if that.

Then onto an MG ZR160, which shit it's big end after <5000 miles. Once they replaced the engine and gear box i got some hookey camshafts from someone in the engine dev team that were destined for the 190 version of the engine, that did another 50000 miles without complaint and would happily zip round to 7500 rpm or more.

At 55001 miles i sold it and it almost lost 3rd gear as i went to go and pick up my diesel golf, probably due to my enjoyment of listening to the exhaust at 6000+ rpm... Didn't feel bad about it though, the dealers were a bunch of crooks (literally, the principal went to prison for fraud about 6 months after i sold them the car)! Rover had also managed to register it and VIN it as a ZR120, so that saved me most of the extra money i'd paid out trying to insure the earlier Rover that didn't exist in the insurance companies database...

Not owned any hot hatches since, nearly bought a 205 Gti with an Mi16 4x4 swapped driveline, but it was a bit rusty and a bit too rattly (probably needed a complete bare metal rebuild at that point) it was still sat on the guys driveway until a couple of years ago, more than 10 years after i looked at it.

Last proper hot hatch i drove was the C30 polestar performance concept. Shame it never went to production.

Some nice cars around!  I'm old so many and various cars over the years.  First hot hatch was a Mk2 Fiesta XR2, sold for a Pug 205Gti 1.6 - the special edition in metallic blue with full leather, lovely little thing.  Next was a Renault Clio 16v, nice car but being  French threw up all sorts of electrical issues.  After that was a Honda Civic Vti, not really a hot hatch but was the forerunner to the Type R's.  That turned into an Impreza RB5 - not a hatch but a truly brilliant cat that I kept for 14 years and 235,000 miles.

Then a Fiesta Zetec S diesel for commuting duties, followed by the first Mk7 Fiesta ST - proper little hooligan.  I then had an urge for a DSG gearbox so got a Leon Cupra - good car but dull - now in a facelift Hyundai i30N which is just brilliant at everything 🙂

Here goes:

Fiat Cinquecento Sporting - I crashed it but I was totally unhurt!

VW Lupo 16v

VW Lupo GTI - Brilliant car

Smart ForFour Brabus - also a brilliant car

Fiat 500 Abarth Esseesse - a police magnet and just not very good

Audi S1 - was stolen

er BMW i3s

the 500 was style over substance.

BMW i3s

Yeah, i've most been driving diesel volvos for the last 20 years...

I had - and still have - a Mk2 Golf GTi 8v with a TSR motor, Konis, a stainless branch manifold and other things that I've mostly forgotten, but are probably still there. It's amusing in a visceral way. Feels faster than it actually is, which is good for licence retention. 

Also a Corrado VR6, which isn't a hot hatch, but that doesn't seem to have stopped anyone else 🙄 

I only had one - 205 GTI 1.6 (in 1986)

Then I too had kids….

Renault 5 Gordini turbo

Astra GTE 2L 

Nova SRi

Then I became a ‘greenie’ and had normal family estate cars, practical and boring. 

I only had one - 205 GTI 1.6 (in 1986)

Then I too had kids….

Peugeot 306XSI. Light and agile car.   Or particulate ‘hot’ by todays standards with 135hp.

Audi S3 (8L) Probably my favourite car ever. Solid, planted and great ergonomics. Recaro seats were just amazing.  Still miss it.  225HP so again  not hot by modern standards.

Volkswagen Golf R (Mk7.5). Another great car which felt extremely planted. Has to be my second favourite car.  Interior very well thought out -  if not as nice as the S3.

Some cracking Escorts up there!

Mine:

Saab 900 Turbo - amazing in almost every way except when the boost caught you on a roundabout.

Nissan Almera GTi - surprisingly good. Used to run rings around my brother's M3 Golf gti. Plus it would happily bounce off the rev limiter!

Audi S3 (2002) - surprisingly bad. And went wrong so often it nearly bankrupted me.

Edit: to correct spelling mistakes. Jeeez editing a post is difficult in this new forum. It'll like trying to write a letter through a letterbox!

Great thread, here’s mine in chrono order…

Triumph Herald 13/60, fast road head, twin SS exhaust and twin 1.5” SU’s

Honda Civic Type R EP3 stock, tempted by another!

Audi A4 quattro sport avant, dull

Skoda Fabia VRS PD130 remapped, too quick without chassis upgrades

Mini Cooper S R53, Scorpion exhaust, want another for the supercharge whine!

Mini Factory JCW R56 (chocolate timing chain woes)

Currently in a Mini Cooper S F56 (with JCW Pro Tune pack)
Bluetooth JCW Pro exhaust and remap, very quick and loud in track mode if you want.

I’ve always wanted a Mk1 Golf or 205 GTI.

I’ve never managed to own either (and that’s very unlikely to change) but have finally got a Mk7 Golf GTI now, which I quite like 🙂 After owning a couple of estates and daily driving vans before that it’s good fun.

We had a Mk5 Polo GTI for a couple of years which was also a great little car.

Renault 5 Gordini turbo

FIrst car I ever thought was cool - when the lottery numbers come good, I'm hunting one down to restomod it. 

Not really that hot, but had a Punto HGT in sprint blue, the Mk 2 atmo one - maybe the coolest looking car (or closest thing to it...) I've ever had. Loved that car - not that quick, not blinding handling, but fun to drive, and its fuel mileage readouts were comedic in their optimism. 🙂 

Had a Golf GTD as a company car for awhile - didn't raise the pulse, but very capable, plenty quick for UK roads but did everything well. Which is not really what hot hatches are about... 🙂 

Opel Kadet warmish starter!

Visa Gti

309 GTi both 5 door versions.

205 GTi 1.9  intention was to make it a track car ,but was too good to take apart.

But did do track days and The Ring with it.

Then moved onto various Subaru Imprezas.

Opel Kadet warmish starter!

Visa Gti

309 GTi both 5 door versions.

205 GTi 1.9  intention was to make it a track car ,but was too good to take apart.

But did do track days and The Ring with it.

Then moved onto various Subaru Imprezas.