Month: April 2018

Hot hatches offer a compelling combination of practicality and performance that buyers can’t seem to get enough of.

These days, it’s almost impossible to imagine a world where we don’t have sporty hatchbacks, such is their beloved, revered status among car enthusiasts.

Inevitably, dozens of discussions happen in offices, race circuits and pubs across the world, all of which centre around the hot hatches that stand out from the rest.

Here’s our list of hot hatches that define the breed; yes, we’ve tried to rank the best hot hatches of all-time, and considering there’s so much to choose from, it wasn’t easy. But we had a go…

Honda Civic Type-R (EP3)

In 2001, the second generation Honda Civic Type-R was released – the first to be built at Honda’s Swindon plant.

The 197bhp Type-R was one of the few great hot hatches of the early-2000’s, becoming renowned for its eager, near-constant three-wheeling while steering at the limit, with the likes of Jeremy Clarkson remarking that the car was ‘cocking its leg’ much like a small dog.

The car was a serial award winner among the motoring press, and cemented the Civic Type-R as a prime hot hatch after the previous success of the EK9.

Lancia Delta HF Integrale

Lancia suffered a well documented fall in reputation at the tail-end of the 20^th century. However, during the 80s and early 90s, the Italian firm achieved many of its greatest sporting accomplishments in rallying.

The car that provided much of that success was the Lancia Delta HF Integrale, which won three World Rally Championship titles in 1988, 1989 and 1991.

The road-going version of the rally car retained its four-wheel-drive system, as well as much of its handling prowess and performance ability. The Lancia Delta HF Integrale is not only a great hot hatch, but also one of the best race-bred road cars the world has seen.

Ford Fiesta XR2

From its launch in 1976, the Fiesta was lauded as a significant source of driving fun, and as such, it was a prime platform for a hot hatch.

And sure enough, for the second generation of the Fiesta, the XR2 was a winner all round. While it is not the most powerful hot hatch, at just 96bhp, it is one of the best-loved and most purposeful-looking cars of the era.

While performance was limited by Ford itself to protect the Escort’s performance credibility, the XR2 has still gone down as a hot hatch icon.

Renaultsport Megane R26.R

While cars like the aforementioned Lancia Delta are racers calmed down for the road, the Megane R26.R took an exciting road car and turned it up to 11 in honour of one of Renault’s most successful Formula One cars of all time.

In 2006, Renault took its second consecutive Formula One World Championship with their R26, and Fernando Alonso at the wheel. The R26.R was a hardened version of the previously-launched Megane Renault F1 Team R26 launched to commemorate the F1 successes.

The R26.R was to the Megane range what the Porsche GT3 RS is to 911’s – lightened, hardened and styled for the track. With 123kg shed from the 1,355kg R26, the ‘R’ version proved to be one of the most potent hot hatches of the late-2000’s, and also one of the rarest, with just 450 examples produced.

Talbot Sunbeam Lotus

The Talbot Sunbeam Lotus is an oddball in the hot hatch world, as it is rear-wheel drive.

Honed by the famed Norfolk-based sportscar firm, this 150bhp, 960kg hatchback could hit 60mph from standstill in less than seven seconds, a figure which holds up as impressive to this day.

While the Sunbeam Lotus is rather forgotten compared to the likes of the Golf GTI, its brilliant chassis and rear-wheel drive layout make it a standout hot hatch driving experience.

Ford Escort RS Cosworth

 

The best Ford ‘Cossie’ was, for our money, the last one.

After the incredible Sierra RS Cosworth allowed Ford to compete in Group A rallying and touring car racing at the tail-end of the 1980s, it was inevitable that a successor would have to come, as the regulations for the World Rally Championship still required the production of 2,500 homologation specials.

The result was the Escort RS Cosworth. With four-wheel drive, 227bhp and that incredible whale-tail spoiler, it soon became the envy of a generation.

The car was infinitely upgradeable, incredibly butch from a styling standpoint, and one last example of the Escort’s potential before the model was consigned to the history books.

Renault Clio Williams

 

In the mid-90s, Williams and Renault were all-dominant in Formula One, and also in touring car racing, with their incredible Laguna Super Tourer.

With such strong collaboration between the legendary race team and the French manufacturer, a road-going car was inevitable, and when it came, it was truly phenomenal.

This car was yet another homologation special for the secondary WRC ‘Kit Car’ class of rallying, and to ensure the road-going version was as good as it could be, nearly 150bhp was on tap, suspension borrowed from a Clio race car, and the folks at Williams had the chance to tinker with the sub-1000kg pocket rocket.

To many fans of hot hatches, the iconic Metallic Sports Blue and Gold wheels of the Clio Williams define the breed. It is a spectacular machine.

Volkswagen Golf GTI MK1

We couldn’t not include the car that serves as the origin of the GTI badge, the MK1 Golf GTI.

When this arrived in 1975, the hot hatch recipe was fresh and new. This phenomenal product of Wolfsburg was both practical and pacey, weighed just 810kg, and would perform all the light, rear-wheel cocking B-road handling you could ever dream of.

While its performance is tame in this day and age, the handling still holds up, and while other manufacturers would try different methods early on, this car would prove to be the mould for all hot hatches going forward.

Mini Cooper S

If the Golf is the original GTI, the Mini Cooper S is the progenitor of all GTIs and hot hatches as a whole.

The car, particularly with the most popular 1275cc engine, has all the key ingredients of a hot hatch. It is lightweight, and thanks to that, its 76bhp packs quite the punch. The handling is wonderful, and as a plus, the car has serious racing pedigree thanks to the exploits of Paddy Hopkirk at events such as the Monte Carlo Rally.

Of course, it also became a movie star in The Italian Job, and went on to be a symbol of all things British. It is, without exaggeration, one of the most iconic cars of all time.

Peugeot 205 GTi

The MK2 VW Golf GTI took the original version’s recipe and improved upon it to an impressive degree. The world knew it would take something special to knock the Golf off of its perch, and Peugeot went for the jugular with something very special indeed.

The 205 GTi is another lightweight, superbly-fettled hatch with more than enough power to classify it as a daily use missile. While the handling of the car is superb, we think it’s the engines that really made the car special, with the revvy, hyperactive 1.6 and the slightly less vigorous 1.9 with superior pull, both being wonderful motors.

Over 30 years after launch, the 205 GTi is still a benchmark which many hot hatches are put up against, and if that isn’t the mark of an all-time great, we don’t know what is.

The world’s first all-electric snow race has taken place, with vehicles ranging from a humble Smart Fortwo Electric Drive to a classy Tesla Model S P85 taking to the hills of Andorra in near-blizzard conditions.

Organised by Eco Grand Prix and with more to come, the races seek to prove to the world that electric vehicles can work in a variety of conditions and be fun at the same time. In addition to this snow stage, races will take place in Calafat, Spain, and Bilster Berg, Germany, with the cars sampling wind and heat in one environment and wet conditions and hill climbing in the other.

The Andorran race was a five-hour endurance circuit, with winning driver Alan Fuertes completing 62 laps within the allotted time at the wheel of a Tesla Model S P85. He was tailed by Pere Soria in a Hyundai Ioniq and Peter and Michael Walser in another Tesla Model S.

Other competitors raced in a wide variety of electric cars, including a BMW i3, Nissan Leaf, Volkswagen eGolf and Smart Fortwo Electric Drive.

Eco Grand Prix co-organiser Rafael de Mestre, who holds the current record for the fastest trip around the world in an electric vehicle, said: “A lot of petrolheads are commenting there will be no fun any more if EVs take over.

Some of the action from an #electricvehicle #EV race, the #EcoGrandPrix, in the snow near blizzard like conditions in #Andorra recently.

This is the first of a series of #EcoGP events which will test EVs to the limit in different environments. https://t.co/CBlG0wPHgG

— World Reach Comms (@WorldReachComms) April 3, 2018

“We at Eco GP are showing that this is a thrilling competitive race series which also encourages people to think about buying EVs. Also, we want to show that EVs can stand up to the toughest tests in harsh conditions.”

De Mestre achieved his own record in 2012, after setting off around the world behind the wheel of a Tesla Roadster. His goal was to achieve the trip in 80 days, as in the famous Jules Verne novel ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ – but fell short of the target, taking 127 days to complete the challenge.

The next Eco GP race will take place in Spain on September 15.

Everybody loves a laugh every now and then, and so it is in the world of cars, with automotive PR departments unable to resist the occasional giggle by sending out a humorous press release for April Fools’ day.

With the stress of major events such as the Geneva and New York motor shows barely out of their memories, car manufacturers often let their hair down and take one of two routes with their joke. Some go for pure ridiculous hilarity, while others take the time and often put in a great deal of effort to make their April Fools’ press release as convincing as possible.

Some past efforts are certainly memorable – who could forget Honda’s emoji number plate, Peugeot’s personalisable car horns, the BMW M3 pickup truck or Mercedes’ AMG Sprinter?

Read on for the best jokes that the UK’s automotive press teams came up with for April Fools 2018.

Seat Arona Copper Edition

We have too many pennies around, says Seat – so why not put them to good use? That’s the thinking behind the new Arona Copper Edition, which adds a coin slot to the compact crossover making it ideal for the penny-pinching petrolhead.

The Spanish manufacturer points to proposals by HM Treasury to scrap the 1p and 2p, which would leave the country with over 15 billion redundant coins. “Seat has found a way to keep these soon-to-be historical artefacts motoring on for years to come,” it says.

MG’s Alpaca-powered crossover

With the pushback against diesel fuel, what alternatives are there to power the millions of cars on British roads? Petrol and electricity are both sound options, but MG thinks it has the answer – alpaca dung.

Daniel Gregorious, head of sales and marketing at MG UK, said: “We look forward to the day when people resign horsepower to the history books and refer to alpaca power. It really packs a punch.”

Honda CR-V Roadster

Honda pulled out all the stops with this one – or rather, it pulled out the angle grinder from the garage and gave it to a team of enthusiastic press officers. Created by slicing off the entire roof at the pillars, what’s perhaps most remarkable is how natural the CR-V looks as a rival to the Range Rover Evoque Convertible.

The team, however, notes that the prototype does suffer from its total lack of a convertible roof, making it somewhat unsuitable for the UK’s two-day summer, while the loss of structural rigidity makes it ‘completely undriveable.’ Shame.

Hyundai’s Cacao Corner

The Hyundai i30 N is a remarkably close rival to the Volkswagen Golf GTI – remarkable as it’s a first effort at a hot hatchback from traditionally staid and sensible Hyundai. How did the team develop such a brilliant car on its first attempt? With Cacao Corner, obviously.

The biodegradable and viscous material of Cacao Corner (located at Hyundai’s test track and paved with just cocoa, butter and milk) enables the brand to capture tyre prints for later analysis. Remnants of the track are, the brand says, responsibly disposed of during Easter.

Aston Martin Project Sparta

Aston Martin’s motorsport division is branching out, fielding a challenger in a sport it’s never attempted before. Codenamed Project Sparta, it’s a radical direction for the company to take – who would have associated Aston Martin with monster truck racing?

Fitted with a 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 engine, it will produce 1,100bhp and go head to head with some of the most famous trucks out there such as Grave Digger, Big Kahuna and Jailbird.

The covers are off, the pictures have been taken and the mysteries have been revealed – the 2018 New York International Auto Show press days have come to a close. Of course, the vast majority of the cars featuring at the show in the Big Apple are destined to only arrive in the U.S., but there are certain vehicles that will be heading to the U.K, too.

Here, we look at some of the standout, U.K-bound models to be featured at this year’s New York motor show.

Mercedes-AMG C63

AMG’s ballistic version of the popular executive C-Class has long been a hit with car enthusiasts, and in New York the German firm revealed a mildly refreshed version. The latest C63 has been given some subtle exterior design changes, but the really interesting stuff is in its dynamics. The suspension, adaptive damping system and dynamic engine mounts have been ‘elaborately retuned’ and a limited-slip differential is now standard.

There are still two versions available – the standard C63 gets a 469bhp version of the 4.0-litre V8 engine, while the C63 S gets 503bhp. Prices for the standard model start at £64,000 and increase to £73,000 for the S.

Mini Classic Electric

Mini is working on an all-electric version of its popular three-door model, and to get buyers excited at the prospect of a zero-emission Mini it has built a one-off version of its classic model.

Details of what’s underneath are thin on the ground, but the iconic exterior has been fully restored with bright red paint, and a white roof and bonnet stripes. It’s likely this unique model is powered by the electric powertrain from a BMW i3, as that is what is expected to go under the bonnet of the new production Mini when it goes on sale next year.

Maserati Levante Trofeo

If you’re in the market for a high-performance Italian SUV, then this is your latest option — the Maserati Levante Trofeo. With a 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V8 under the bonnet, this is one fast 4×4 – and Maserati claims that it’ll hit 60mph in under four seconds thanks to an advanced all-wheel-drive system that is able to accurately get the power onto the road.

Maserati claims that the V8 features the highest specific output of any engine it has created, and with 750Nm of torque on tap it should certainly feel brisk enough to live up to this.

Jaguar F-Pace SVR

Jaguar’s Special Vehicle Operations division is tasked with creating high-performance and limited-run version of the British firm’s cars, and now it’s turned its hand to the F-Pace SUV. Under the sculpted bonnet sits a 5.0-litre V8 making a healthy 542bhp and 680Nm of torque.

With all-wheel-drive aiding grip that makes it good for 0-60mph in just 4.1 seconds, while the top speed is 176mph. It also gets an aggressive body kit with large air intakes to improve cooling, and costs from £74,835.

Toyota RAV4

The new Toyota RAV4 made its first appearance at this year’s show, marking the return of a popular name in the compact SUV segment. Available with two powertrains – a 2.5-litre hybrid unit as well as a 2.0-litre petrol – it’s been designed to be more dynamic and better to drive than the outgoing model.

In addition, 30mm has been added to the wheelbase, increasing the levels of interior space. Despite this, the front and rear overhangs have been shortened, giving the RAV4 a more dynamic look out on the road.

Audi RS5 Sportback

We’ve already seen the regular RS5 Coupe, but this is the first time that the Sportback version has broken cover. It’s there for people who want the performance of the two-door, but with the added practicality only afforded by a five-door.

Under the bonnet sits a 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine, which sends power to all four wheels via Audi’s famous quattro all-wheel-drive system. The German manufacturer claims that the sprint to 60mph can be dispatched in just 3.9 seconds.

Wheel arches extended by 15mm help give the RS5 Sportback a commanding appearance on the road, while a lower ride height thanks to sports suspension should mean that it corners well too.

It wasn’t too long ago the Ford Mustang was finally put on sale officially in the UK – having arrived here in 2016 for the first time in the iconic model’s 44-year history. Demand has been huge on this side of the pond, with the firm claiming to have sold more than 33,000 units since arriving in Europe.

It’s not sitting around on that initial success though. For 2018, the Mustang has been refreshed with more tech, fresh looks and increased power in an effort to carry on that success. We take a closer look at what’s new.

A fresh face

The new Ford Mustang carries over the core look of the outgoing model, but it does bring a number of tweaks to keep it up to date.

At the front there’s a revised lower front grille, the addition of a front splitter for more downforce and new bonnet with integrated air intakes to help keep the engine cool. As for the rear, a redesigned bumper and diffuser feature while a new optional boot spoiler is also available.

A way to keep your neighbours happy (or to annoy them)

If you want to take your muscle car out for a drive in the early hours, but don’t want to disrupt your neighbours, the Mustang’s new active exhaust has the solution for you.

Dubbed ‘Good Neighbour Mode’, there’s a configurable timer on the system that keeps it in ‘quiet’ mode between selected hours – so not to disturb the peace around you.

Alternatively, there’s also a ‘race track’ setting, which lets the 5.0-litre V8 engine scream at the top of its voice. That’ll teach Gareth next door not to badly play Muse’s Hysteria on his car boot sale electric guitar at 3am.

Even more power

The 5.0-litre naturally-aspirated V8 engine might be something of a dinosaur in modern terms, but that hasn’t stopped Ford taking it up a notch for 2018.

There’s more power from the brute – up to 444bhp from 410bhp – which has resulted in a quicker 0-60mph time of 4.4 seconds and a 155mph top speed. It’s still not exactly efficient, returning 22.8mpg on the combined cycle, but who cares when it sounds so good?

Rev-matching technology that makes you look like a pro

If you’re struggling to perfect the heel-toe technique on your downshifts, then this new gadget on the Mustang has you covered.

Rev-matching technology works by “blipping” the throttle during downshifts, resulting in a smoother gear change that allows you to carry more speed through corners.

It’s not an entirely new thing in the motoring world – previously appearing on the likes of the Nissan 370Z, a number of Porsches and the Ford Focus RS – but this is the first time we’ve seen it on a Mustang.

A 10-speed automatic gearbox (Yep, 10)

Ok, 10 gears may sound absolutely ridiculous on any car – let alone a muscle car – but this new transmission has proven to be a fantastic addition to the Mustang.

Derived from the Ford F-150 Raptor (yes, it comes from a pick-up truck), this automatic box is far from sluggish – great for performance driving – and the addition of two extra gears means cruising at motorways speeds is more comfortable and more efficient than before.

Clever new suspension

If you fancy paying an extra £1,600, you can have your Mustang fitted with seriously clever ‘MagneRide’ suspension.

It’s a complicated thing, using a fluid that can be magnetically stimulated to change the resistance of the dampers, but the end result is a car that can do it all. Switch to Sport+ mode, and the suspension will firm up to deliver an uncompromised driving experience – which can then be switched up to a more relaxing ride for motorway miles at the touch of a button. We’d definitely spec this on our Mustang.

Improved safety

Ford has been on a mission to take the Mustang from two stars to three for Euro NCAP’s safety ratings, throwing more tech at the car to do so.

This means the ‘stang now has Pre-Collision Assist with Pedestrian Detection and Lane Keeping Aid, along with the existing Adaptive Cruise Control and Auto Emergency Braking systems. You can cruise along in your new muscle car with an eased mind.