I never thought I'd fathom a list of this nature. Like a few others on here I'm of the previous generation, where the fastest people mover was a Volvo, the fastest sedan was a japanese-engined Taurus, and the fastest SUV was being dropped from a crane.
Today, we live in a glorious time. A brilliant adventure of forced induction, electronic controls and high-tech alloys. We now live in the second great horsepower race. The biggest leap in automotive power output since the early 1970's is occurring now, right as we speak.
Minivans making 300 horsepower glide effortlessly along shopping boulevards. Muscle cars with well north of 600 hp are obliterating traffic light trip sensors. Rally cars can be purchased at the dealership. The slowest car you can buy is still faster than an old Ford F series. And perhaps the greatest of all, the true Hot Hatch is back.
I'd like to share with you my humble short list of the finest and most interesting examples of these cars that i have had the chance to experience, drive, and even in the case of two... own!!! Join me in discussing our favorite hot hatches, or just sit back and enjoy the read.
10. The 1976 Volkswagen Rabbit GTI- ok, this one's too easy. It is Genesis after all. But it is too easy and the obvious choice, so it's on the top ten as an honorary mention.
9. The 1999 Honda Civic HX- I feel I have to apologize for the Honda Civic. It was not very well made, not very fast and did not handle particularly well. But it was unbelievably prolific and Honda's mix-and-match platform strategy made it become synonymous with the term 'Hot Hatchback'. As a result, it makes my top ten.
8. The 1988 Mazda 323 GTX- This is a rare find, and usually wouldn't show up on the radar of most Top Ten hatchback lists, if only for it's obscurity. This was the biggest problem the 323 GTX faced in it's production life as well. Born into a time when the GTI was enjoying huge popularity and embraced by almost no one, the GTX was a scrappy, four wheel drive, turbocharged rally animal and was perhaps one of the best kept secrets in the Hot Hatch genre.
7. The 2002 Saab 9-3 Viggen- It can be said that the Viggen ushered in the high output euro hatch revival. It boasted class-leading horsepower ratings, with 230 BHP at its apex of production. However the Saab's dismal sales were its downfall, and the 9-3 was re-engineered to GM's Epsilon platform, thus spelling the end of the brilliant Saab Viggen.
6. The 1990 DSM Triplets- Diamond Star Motors was a joint venture between Mitsubishi and Chrysler in the late 1980's, the result of which were three of the most well-balanced and powerful cars of their era, with all-wheel-drive and a robust turbocharged 2 liter engine, the Eagle Talon, Mitsubishi Eclipse and Plymouth Laser could be propelled into the fastest ETs and Trap Times of any compact car in history, some examples of which have survived to this very day.
5. The 2014 Ford Fiesta ST- I had a hard time ranking the FiST above the DSM, as the GS-X and TSi triplets were so much more groundbreaking car for their time. But the Fiesta ST is a very special car, as it marks the pinnacle of the company who has kept the flame burning for as long as memory serves. It is the finest modern example of the true Hot Hatch formula: smallest, lightest, most fun.
4. The 2010 Mazdaspeed 3- With 263BHP, six speed manual transmission and GKN limited slip differential, the MS3 is still one of the most fun cars to be had for not a lot of money. Build quality isn't great, but the drivetrain and it's rocketship 0-60 times more than make up for the little quirks.
3. The 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi- This is a hatchback that is so maddening, so bonkers, so completely off the wall that it just barely squeezes into the category. As a matter of fact, it can be said the Impreza created it's own category and is only said to be competed against by one other car; the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Generation after generation of purpose-built rally homologation has resulted in 300BHP, Intelligent AWD, Intelligent differentials and the ability to go competition ready from showroom floor to anywhere without turning so much as a screw.
2. The 1987 Dodge Omni GLHS- In it's day the GLHS was not only the best-handling hatchback on the road and track, it was just about the best handling car you could buy at any price. With a 1/4 mile time of 14.8 seconds out of the box, the little Omni was an absolute terror whenever it showed up to any event. The Carroll Shelby-tuned GLHS was a factory-sponsored exercise in 'what-if' of a Jurassic Park sized proportion.
1. The 1981 Audi UR Quattro- Whereas the Subaru Impreza WRX STi might be billed as the most lunatic Hot Hatch of today, the 1981 Audi UR Quattro was the beginning of the genre from which it and perhaps all rally cars of modern vintage exist. The first to mate turbo and four wheel drive together as a performance application, The Audi Quattro will forever be remembered as a car that changed the automotive world. Held in the same regards as a supercar and collected as such, it makes the top of this list and many, many, many others.
Thanks and don't forget to post up your favorite Hot Hatch and join me in celebrating the everyman's supercar!
Today, we live in a glorious time. A brilliant adventure of forced induction, electronic controls and high-tech alloys. We now live in the second great horsepower race. The biggest leap in automotive power output since the early 1970's is occurring now, right as we speak.
Minivans making 300 horsepower glide effortlessly along shopping boulevards. Muscle cars with well north of 600 hp are obliterating traffic light trip sensors. Rally cars can be purchased at the dealership. The slowest car you can buy is still faster than an old Ford F series. And perhaps the greatest of all, the true Hot Hatch is back.
I'd like to share with you my humble short list of the finest and most interesting examples of these cars that i have had the chance to experience, drive, and even in the case of two... own!!! Join me in discussing our favorite hot hatches, or just sit back and enjoy the read.
10. The 1976 Volkswagen Rabbit GTI- ok, this one's too easy. It is Genesis after all. But it is too easy and the obvious choice, so it's on the top ten as an honorary mention.
9. The 1999 Honda Civic HX- I feel I have to apologize for the Honda Civic. It was not very well made, not very fast and did not handle particularly well. But it was unbelievably prolific and Honda's mix-and-match platform strategy made it become synonymous with the term 'Hot Hatchback'. As a result, it makes my top ten.
8. The 1988 Mazda 323 GTX- This is a rare find, and usually wouldn't show up on the radar of most Top Ten hatchback lists, if only for it's obscurity. This was the biggest problem the 323 GTX faced in it's production life as well. Born into a time when the GTI was enjoying huge popularity and embraced by almost no one, the GTX was a scrappy, four wheel drive, turbocharged rally animal and was perhaps one of the best kept secrets in the Hot Hatch genre.
7. The 2002 Saab 9-3 Viggen- It can be said that the Viggen ushered in the high output euro hatch revival. It boasted class-leading horsepower ratings, with 230 BHP at its apex of production. However the Saab's dismal sales were its downfall, and the 9-3 was re-engineered to GM's Epsilon platform, thus spelling the end of the brilliant Saab Viggen.
6. The 1990 DSM Triplets- Diamond Star Motors was a joint venture between Mitsubishi and Chrysler in the late 1980's, the result of which were three of the most well-balanced and powerful cars of their era, with all-wheel-drive and a robust turbocharged 2 liter engine, the Eagle Talon, Mitsubishi Eclipse and Plymouth Laser could be propelled into the fastest ETs and Trap Times of any compact car in history, some examples of which have survived to this very day.
5. The 2014 Ford Fiesta ST- I had a hard time ranking the FiST above the DSM, as the GS-X and TSi triplets were so much more groundbreaking car for their time. But the Fiesta ST is a very special car, as it marks the pinnacle of the company who has kept the flame burning for as long as memory serves. It is the finest modern example of the true Hot Hatch formula: smallest, lightest, most fun.
4. The 2010 Mazdaspeed 3- With 263BHP, six speed manual transmission and GKN limited slip differential, the MS3 is still one of the most fun cars to be had for not a lot of money. Build quality isn't great, but the drivetrain and it's rocketship 0-60 times more than make up for the little quirks.
3. The 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi- This is a hatchback that is so maddening, so bonkers, so completely off the wall that it just barely squeezes into the category. As a matter of fact, it can be said the Impreza created it's own category and is only said to be competed against by one other car; the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Generation after generation of purpose-built rally homologation has resulted in 300BHP, Intelligent AWD, Intelligent differentials and the ability to go competition ready from showroom floor to anywhere without turning so much as a screw.
2. The 1987 Dodge Omni GLHS- In it's day the GLHS was not only the best-handling hatchback on the road and track, it was just about the best handling car you could buy at any price. With a 1/4 mile time of 14.8 seconds out of the box, the little Omni was an absolute terror whenever it showed up to any event. The Carroll Shelby-tuned GLHS was a factory-sponsored exercise in 'what-if' of a Jurassic Park sized proportion.
1. The 1981 Audi UR Quattro- Whereas the Subaru Impreza WRX STi might be billed as the most lunatic Hot Hatch of today, the 1981 Audi UR Quattro was the beginning of the genre from which it and perhaps all rally cars of modern vintage exist. The first to mate turbo and four wheel drive together as a performance application, The Audi Quattro will forever be remembered as a car that changed the automotive world. Held in the same regards as a supercar and collected as such, it makes the top of this list and many, many, many others.
Thanks and don't forget to post up your favorite Hot Hatch and join me in celebrating the everyman's supercar!
