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Post by bancroft on May 10, 2023 19:08:54 GMT
This car marquee was born not due to the car manufacturers yet down to the car mechanics who in their own time transformed the Golf mk1 to the Golf Sport now known as the Golf GTI. When they presented their design and model to the car company they were challenged to sell 5,000 and it would be then carried forward as a model. As it happened they sold 4,600 and management thought that was close enough and the GTI marquee was born in 1975. www.volkswagen.co.uk/en/life/magazine/vw-golf-evolution/gti-history.htmlThen came the Renault 5 turbo and then the Peugeot 205 GTI and has continued across the industry and is still a popular car model. |
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Post by Vinny on May 10, 2023 19:27:21 GMT
First there was the Mini Cooper in 1961, although it wasn't a hatchback, it was of the sort of size that would start getting hatchbacks in the 1970's. Then in 1970, there was the AMC Gremlin in the USA. Not the prettiest of cars, but it was a hot hatch and had 145 horsepower:  Then in Italy, came this:  The Autobianchi A112 Abarth. Tuned by Fiat's motorsports division. 70 horsepower, but at 700kg, quite light. Nowhere near the power to weight ratio of a Golf GTI Mk1, but it was early days. |
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Post by bancroft on May 10, 2023 19:58:08 GMT
Yes the Mini Cooper was a good call out not quite a hot hatch yet a small car with good performance and some style.
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Post by Red Rackham on May 11, 2023 3:37:08 GMT
I had a Peugeot 309 GTI, in metallic gun metal grey with red trim, at the time I thought it was the dogs lol. I think that was probably the only car I had that could be considered hot hatch-ish.
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Post by Red Rackham on May 11, 2023 3:48:41 GMT
A mate of mine at the time, had a tiny thing called a Honda CRX. It was the star of the car park for a while.
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Post by Pacifico on May 11, 2023 6:46:58 GMT
I had an Escort RS Turbo for a while - it was OK but I tired of the crap ride quality and the heavy steering.  so I replaced with a luxo barge that was incredibly comfortable (and just as fast)   |
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Post by Vinny on May 11, 2023 8:53:14 GMT
I used to drive a V8 Range Rover Vogue mk1, that was a hatchback, sort of. 165 bhp. 15 mpg. Happy days. Rusted though.  |
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Post by Steve on May 11, 2023 9:20:53 GMT
From Top Gear: www.topgear.com/car-news/classic/history-hot-hatches-ten-cars They say it was the 1973 Simca 1100TI Modern (post 2000) hot hatches are really brilliant pieces of work. Bonkers fast when you want them to be but easy to drive in a tame way, economical, don't have to look like bratmobiles and can do a Tescos shop with ease (other supermarkets are available). You'd have to prise my AMG merc 45 from my cold dead hands. The insurance and car tax stings a bit though, well actually a lot. |
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Post by Vinny on May 11, 2023 9:24:48 GMT
Speaking of hot hatches one of my friends drives a Focus ST170.
It's very powerful and there aren't many left.
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Post by Dan Dare on May 11, 2023 9:30:45 GMT
My first and so-far only foray into hot-hatchery was a 1978 VW Scirocco. Nice motor and reasonably quick until you turned on the a/c when it felt like someone had thrown a boat-anchor out the back.
Actually I forgot. I did drive a Chevrolet Citation for a while, the first and only American car I ever owned. It was a hatchback but it was anything but hot despite having a 2.8L 'High Output' V6. It had two other very un-hatchey features - a front bench seat and a column-mounted auto transmission. And although sold as a 'compact' it was about the size of a Mk 1 Granada.
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Post by Steve on May 11, 2023 9:36:29 GMT
Speaking of hot hatches one of my friends drives a Focus ST170. It's very powerful and there aren't many left. Evo mag says just 171 bhp? That's not really powerful, even the RS version was only 212bhp |
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Post by Vinny on May 11, 2023 10:15:06 GMT
1 horsepower for every 7.5 kg, it's not bad at all.
Corners like a go kart, it accelerates well.
I realise there are faster cars but try driving one, it's really good.
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Post by Steve on May 11, 2023 12:01:31 GMT
1 horsepower for every 7.5 kg, it's not bad at all. Corners like a go kart, it accelerates well. I realise there are faster cars but try driving one, it's really good. Yes impressive. My AMG is 1 horsepower for every 4.1 kg and 4WD. It's not the bonkers 0-60 that matters on hot hatches, it's the 40-60 acceleration for getting past those damn caravans with ease and safety. For best cornering try a Xantia Activa (there's a few still left running). Not much power (150bhp) but just takes corners like it's glued to them. |
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Post by Vinny on May 11, 2023 12:33:23 GMT
My daily driver is a 2017 Golf TDI, 150bhp 1290kg.
My current 4x4 is a 3 door Toyota Rav4 mk1, 127bhp 1150kg but nowhere near as thirsty as the old Range Rover was.
It has the same 3S-FE 2 litre petrol engine as the automatic version of the old Toyota MR2 sports car.
Reasonably nippy, not bad off road considering it doesn't have a low range.
It can tow caravans with ease and safety.
If I were to mod it with a 3S-GTE engine, its performance would be vastly improved.
The above car has 1 horsepower for every 2.3kg.
But, I dread to think how much the modifications cost.
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Post by bancroft on May 11, 2023 16:17:18 GMT
My brother had an XR2 which was quick and once I drove a Golf GTI company car and didn't realise they had rev cut-outs on the gears, I almost came unstuck.
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