What’s your all time 5 best hot hatches

[SAX_MAN]

Mine are as follows......

1) Clio Williams - No arguments please, the Willy rocks

2) 205 1.9 GTi - Truely fantastic

3) Golf GTi MK1 - The car that started it all

4) VTS/106 GTi - Superb handling and amazing performance for 1.6

5) R5 GTT - Stupidly fast

 

[Bryan]

worryingly mine are very similar

1) Clio Williams - no-one can doubt the true ability of this car

2) Mk1 Golf GTi

3) 205 1.6 GTi

4) Civic Type-R (old model)

5) Saxo VTS/106 GTi

 

[SAX_MAN]

The old Type-R was fantastic, i forgot that one! I see you chose the 1.6 205 GTi, is that because it was more balenced?

 

[Bryan]

yep

drove both and elt the 1.6 handled much better, with not much difference in straight line speed

my view on a hot hatch is that its ability should be judged on the twisty country lanes not on the A roads of this country

 

[rt172]

1) Williams - no doubt

2) 205 1.9 GTi (I know the 1.6 is meant to be better balanced, but the 1.9 has the extra go to go with the handling)

3) VTS/106 GTi - under rated and mocked by so many, but so quick. For a 1.6!

4) 5GTT - tin can with a turbo. Good plan.

5) 172/Cup - Im biased, but seeing as I own what I reckon to be the best hot hatch ever made, I can confirm that the 172 is immense fun to drive and I wouldnt want any other hot hatch. Next car will have to be a big step up to make it worth while.

Oh yes, Ive owned or do own 2 172s (mk1 and mk2) a Williams and a 1.9 GTi, so I might be a touch biased with these.

And look, theyre all French!

 

[Bryan]

also often overlooked as a contender is the Uno Turbo

very similar in temrs of performance to the 5GTT, IMHO opinion (having owned both) i felt the uno was quicker in a straight line (standard) and the 5 had it in the twisties

very close on an A to B run

 

[SAX_MAN]

Everyone is choosing the same, my judgement seems good.

 

[SAX_MAN]

Renault and Peugeot or should i say Renault and the PSA group! The hot hatch kings, who needs Essex tin cans?!!

 

[Bryan]

seems the torsion bar rear end could have something to do with the handling issue

and to my knowledge only frech cars have ever used these

 

[SAX_MAN]

Torsion bars rule.

 

[007]

Would have to agree with the average list - Im sure BenR would squeeze a MK1 XR2 in there somewhere LOL

 

[SAX_MAN]

MK1 XR2!!!! Werent they 84 bhp??!!! I know the mk2 had 96 bhp and XR2i had 109 bhp.

 

[TB11]

Hmmmmm.....

Well let me see.....

1. Pug 306 GTi-6/Rallye (one of the best handling hot hatches ever!)

2. Pug 205 GTi (either the 1.9 or the 1.6, im not fussy)

3. Clio williams (an all time classic)

4. Pug 309 GTi (a bit heavier than its little brother but under rated and soooo well balanced in the handling department)

5a. R19 16v. (this car didnt win hot hatch of the year in 92/3 for nothing you know! well balanced and i have yet to find a hatch that has the same feel to its steering as this car, a good performance classic and great handling)

5b Pug 106 gti (needed to have 2 5s here, so many good hot hatches and this is the best of the small cars that came out in the mid/late 90s, rated higher over the vts as its got some better tweaks to it!)



There you go!

 

[James20VT]

1. R5 GTT - fun fun fun fun

2. Clio Williams

3. Fiat Uno turbo - they rusted to hell... but bloody quick!! aslong as the electrics worked.

4. MkI Golf Gti

5. VTS

 

[SAX_MAN]

The 106 doesnt have better tweaks to it. If you read magazine reviews your find that the VTS is a more focused car offering more bite due to its wider rubber and larger wheels but the 106 is more forgiving. In the right hands, the VTS is a tad quicker around a track proved in the recent Autocar track test where the VTS was 0.5 secs behind the Clio Cup and half a second quicker than the 106 if i remember rightly.

 

[MAC30L]

Owned a mk1 Uno turbo (1300cc), a few years back. Went like sh*t of a shovel but handled like boat. Too high.

 

[wongy008]

1. integra type R

2. williams

3 5 turbo

4. 1.9 205 gti

5. mk 2 16v golf

most are old school dominated by a class act.

other cars that deserve a mention are

306 gti

106 gti/vts

escort RS turbo

 

[Tom_16v]

Quote: Originally posted by Ralphy_VTS on 05 July 2003


Mine are as follows......

1) Clio Williams - No arguments please, the Willy rocks

2) 205 1.9 GTi - Truely fantastic

3) Golf GTi MK1 - The car that started it all

4) VTS/106 GTi - Superb handling and amazing performance for 1.6

5) R5 GTT - Stupidly fast

Totally agree!

 

[SAX_MAN]

Wouldnt really class the ITR as a hot hatch. RS Turbo? Whys that?

 

[Gwynny]

1) 205 gti 1.9

2)R5 GTT

3)Fiesta turbo

4)Mk1 Golf GTI

5)106 GTI/VTS

 

[flykai]

Ok, not in order of preference, but

1. Golf mk1 GTI - I probably wouldnt ever own one, but its still the Grandaddy of hot hatches...it was the golf that got the ball rolling .

2. 205 GTi 1.6 or 1.9 - Well, I have one, and love it to bits!! It took the golf gtis formula, and improved it!

3. R5GTT - Cheap, blisteringly quick, handles and fun to drive...what a true hot hatch should be. Never really as well acknowledged the previous two by the motoring press.

4. Clio Williams - Well...its a Williams aint it?? Blue paint and gold wheels are lush!!

5. This is the one I cant decide on...there are several cars for me that are contenders: Civic VTI (the engine mailto:note@8500rpm">note@8500rpm!), CTR (as before), Puma Racing (although its a coupe really), and the 106gti/saxo vts (I wouldnt want one, but they are great to drive).

As I said earlier, I think true hot hatches should be cheap, quick, and handle well. So, with respect to that, the 106/saxo would take the final place.

 

[Rajk]

anyone who likes mk1 gtis check my homepage and see mine, its a bit OTT but i like it! The page is not finished yet as i have to get some new pics of my valver on there but it still works.

my 5 are:-

1 Williams clio

2 R5GTT

3 MK1 golf gti

4 16v Golf gti mk2

5 PUG 205 1.9 gti

 

[Rajk]

my homepage refuses to work now! poo

 

[Rajk]

http://www.geocities.com/chunkyjones2002/rajscars1.html?1057407853281U color=#0000ff http://www.geocities.com/chunkyjones2002/rajscars1.html?1057407853281/U

 

[Rajk]

works now

 

[Dash]

My local council gives me warning before they do white lining.

http://erc.qmuc.ac.uk/cliosport/file.php?image=1057416712__golf05.jpg

 

[jonnyboy]

Mine would be in no particular order cos its too hard to pick -

Pug 1.9 GTI. Never owned one but just for sheer legend status as being one of the best hatches.

Civic Type R - Not a popular choice on here obviously being the main competitor of the 172 but they ARE fantastic motors (if a bit common lol)

Nova GSI - Probably get laughed at for that but in their day GSIs were very refined and look the dogs. The novas also responsible at least in part for the modifying/cruising scene been so strong as they provide a good starting point for young drivers to get into cars. I think they still look good over 11 years after they stopped making them.

172 - Deffanately deserves a place for taking hot hatches to a new level of quality (toys and alcantara trim etc)

Saxo VTS/VTR - For being the replacement nova in terms of keeping the scene going by giving younger drivers a platform to get started on. VTS just for being stupidly quick for a 1.6 car.

 

[KDF]

1) My Mk2 phase 2 172
2) Mk2 phase 2 172
3) Mk2 Cup
4) Mk2 phase 1 172
5) Seat Leon/Ibiza Cupra R

 

[Tom]

Mine are


Clio 16v
Mk1 Golf gti
Intergrale (gotta let me have that)
R5 GTT
Daihtsu Cuore Avanzato TR-XX R4

 

[Turkish]

in no particular order

R5 GTturbo (had one and loved it)

172 (have one and still love it)

pug 205gti 1.9 (or my mates 235bhp gti6 engined monster )

williams clio

saxo vts/pug106 gti

 

[Rich-D]

Well, I seemed to have owned most of them now...


In no particular order :-


Clio Cup
306 Rallye
106 GTi
R5 GT Turbo
205 GTi

Currently got a 306 Rallye (for about a week) and an R5 GT Turbo, then next weekend the Rallye is gone and a few days later the Cup arrives. Had a 106 GTi for 2 years too and loved it. The 205 GTi is the only one I aint owned, but I have driven a few and I will get one I reckon, for a track car.

 

[KDF]

I have owned a 205 GTi, which was lowered 30mm, I can comfortably say its the best handling car that I have driven. There was nothing I could do to unseat the car from the road..

well apart from this one time when the road was really bumpy round a sharp corner at 60mph with stiffened supsension..

The back end kinda skipped round the corner, but the car kept its composition..

 

[Tom]

then you drove it in the wet and......................

 

[T.Ferrino]

Mine are:

i- Clio Williams{best car Ive ever driven}

ii- 205 1.9 GTi

iii- Delta Integrale

iv- Alfa Sud Green Cloverleaf{Way a head of its time}

v- 106 GTi

 

[Tom]

Feck forgot about the sud

 

[Dazza@work]

Mine are as follows:

Williams Clio (simply the best hatch ever to date)
Lancia Delta Integrale Evo (absolutely awesome performance)
Pug 205 GTi (Great fun hot hatch)
Daihatsu Charade GTTi (1.0 litre pocket rocket)
Nissan Pulsar GTiR (Truly amazing Cossie killer)

 

[TB11]

Ralph,

The 106 gti has a different suspension setup to the VTS, this is why they always came infront of the VTS (mk1) when tested.

Now the new VTS has 130bhp and the 106 still has 120bhp...... and there is still an advantage with the 106, ie peugeot make it rather than its sister company citroen but not in any way is the vts a classic car, and there are much better hot hatches out there (ie the 106 is still the king to me and thus the reason the vts never got anywhere near it when the 306 GTi and Rallye held the hot hatch crown the 106 was second )

Tony (owner of a few french hot hatches )

 

[Viv172]

1) Clio 172

2) Mark 2 xr2i

3) Mark 1 golf gti

4) Fiesta RS Turbo

5) Saxo VTS

 

[Eddd]

Well, I hope the Ragnotti lives up to the reputation of the 172 and Willy.

I really dont count turbos in this class and especially not the 2 litre ones so I will put the Integrale up against the Evo and Subaru as well as the Celica GT4 where it really belongs.

My definition of a hot hatch is one with a 2.0 litre or less naturally aspirated engine.

My ideal hot hatch would be a 2.0 litre with 250hp and about 900kg.

 

[king.stromba]

Someone once told me that maestro turbos were quick. Anyone tried one? Stats? Was this guy yanking my chain?