Forgotten hot hatches...

[Darrell]

Being 55 I was a real hot hatch lover.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Apart from the ALFA and the Delta.....both of which coincidentally I've owned (my Yellow Delta being in my top few best cars that I've owned.......).....most of the rest of those are best forgotten. There's a reason most of them are rare. They either never sold in volume in the first place or were build so flimsy and bio-degradable that they have gone back to the Earth!!!

That said I was selling VWs when the G40 was launched and I ran one as a demo....hilarious to drive and that supercharged 1.3 made the R5T feel lifeless.

 

[Bellow]

''It deserved better. The Nissan Almera GTi was one of the most underrated hot hatches of the era, offering sharp handling, precise steering and a complete absence of torque-steer. Few four-cylinder engines were as sweet as the Primera eGT-derived 2.0-litre 16-valve unit.''

How many here actually drove one?

 

[ChipChop]

''It deserved better. The Nissan Almera GTi was one of the most underrated hot hatches of the era, offering sharp handling, precise steering and a complete absence of torque-steer. Few four-cylinder engines were as sweet as the Primera eGT-derived 2.0-litre 16-valve unit.''

How many here actually drove one?

Even the regular hum drum first gen 1.6 Almera was a good driving car. Maybe the twin cam gti was overshadowed by the Pulsar gti-r?

Another forgotten hot hatch. The VW Corrado. Known as one of the best handling fwd cars in it's day. Owned a 1990 1.8 16V model. Cracking engine.

 

[HappytalkAgain]

Best and worst car I have had was an MG Metro Turbo. Many fond memories of life good and bad but most unreliable car I've ever had too.

My first car in 1990. Y Reg (83) in black. Red stitching & seat belts. Cost me £900 and the same again to insure it.

Had it crypton tuned and did a few mods.

My pride & joy. Never looked after a car so well. forever breaking down and looking back was a bag of spanner’s. Still one of my fav cars I’ve owned though. Great memories.

 

[Bellow]

Even the regular hum drum first gen 1.6 Almera was a good driving car. Maybe the twin cam gti was overshadowed by the Pulsar gti-r?

Possibly, but the Pulsar gti-r was a homologation special so a little further up the food (and cost) chain.
In an Autocar group test at the time the Almera was only bested by the Peugeot (306?) of the day and only really because it had the novelty of a six speed transmission. And a price tag heftier by a couple of thousand.

 

[Bellow]

Another forgotten hot hatch. The VW Corrado. Known as one of the best handling fwd cars in it's day. Owned a 1990 1.8 16V model. Cracking engine.

More coupe than hatch though. The Golf was the hatch that spawned it.

 

[ALFAitalia]

I had a couple....a 16v 2.0 and a 2.9 V6.......That was a very quick feeling car for the modest power output and as said the handing was great. Autocar voted it their best handling FWD car at the time.....and it beat the BMW 328i Coupe in a head to head test too.....

 

[190]

When I bought my first car, hot hatches had yet to be invented. I did go for a tuned engine though. I thought I was being canny buying a Mk3 Humber Sceptre because it had the same 1725 cc twin carb engine as the Hunter GT but with a lower insurance group. Great car with Laycock overdrive on 3rd and 4th gear.

 

[Boxer70]

I had a 86 plate XR2 and absolutely loved it at the time. 1.6 engine if I remember right. Followed by a XR3i. Not quite a hit hatch but almost

 

[Bortig]

Volkswagens hot hatches have been a big part of my life in years gone by, sadly I have few pics of the many Gti’s I’ve owned, a couple of Mk1’s and too many Mk2’s to remember. Driveway in 2009. Jetta Gti 16v still owned.
View attachment 134129

Like the microbus

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

I managed to get through two Mk1 Scirocco Storms and a Mk1 Scirocco GLI. Essentially a GTI in coupe form.

Great affordable cars but then I saw a black SAAB 900 Turbo.....

It's a shame that the regulators are pricing car ownership out of the hands of the young.

 

[ChrisHGTV]

The Scirocco was a little bit quicker than the Sprint but for me it had to be the Alfa. I still pine after mine, like the one below. And technically I guess it was a hatchback of sorts with the vinyl boot cover thing.

 

[jasmine]

i had a nissan cherry turbo . ugly but it was rapid in those days

 

[Darrell]

i had a nissan cherry turbo . ugly but it was rapid in those days

One of the car mags called it a motorised and turbo charged dog turd!!

 

[jasmine]

One of the car mags called it a motorised and turbo charged dog turd!!

it wasnt beautiful but it embarrassed the xr3i brigade
and it could wheel spin like mad )))))))))))))

 

[markjay]

I quite liked (but never owned) the Uno Turbo.

 

[Darrell]

it wasnt beautiful but it embarrassed the xr3i brigade
and it could wheel spin like mad )))))))))))))

I had a normal one (inherited from an ex) that I used for work. It wouldn’t die!!

 

[jasmine]

i also had a renault 5 GT turbo was ok but the boost lasted about 2 seconds .
an escort RS turbo that had been uprated torque steered like mad .
an A reg golf gti campaing , nice car i assume thats why it got stolen ))
a 205 D turbo not exactly a hot hatch but went well .

 

[jasmine]

I had a normal one (inherited from an ex) that I used for work. It wouldn’t die!!

yer good cars the turbo version was a bit of an electrical nightmare though