20 cool 1980s hot hatches

Some liked it hot

Born in the 1970s, the hot hatch exploded in popularity during the 1980s, offering power to the people like never before. Today, these icons of their era are fast-appreciating classic cars.

We’ve rounded-up the 20 greatest hot hatches of the decade. Do you agree with our choices?

Peugeot 205 GTI

Where else to start but with the Peugeot 205 GTI? Chic styling, superb steering and finely-balanced handling made for a near-irresistible package. Buyers could choose from 105hp (later 115hp) 1.6-litre or 126hp 1.9-litre engines, plus a convertible CTI. Voted the greatest hot hatch of all time, the best examples now fetch in excess of £20,000.

Volkswagen Golf GTI

If a 205 seems a bit fragile – or expensive – how about a Mk2 Golf GTI? With its red go-faster stripes and aspirational Volkswagen badge, the Golf encapsulates this era like few other cars. The 112hp 8v GTI was launched in 1985, with the high-revving 139hp 16v following in 1986. Practical and solidly-built, the Golf is a classic you could drive every day.

Volkswagen Golf Rallye

Looking like a GTI after several months at the gym, the wide-arched Golf Rallye was a homologation special. It boasted four-wheel drive and a 160hp 1.8-litre supercharged engine. Only 5,000 were made, although the Rallye’s G60 engine also saw service in the Corrado, Passat and super-rare 16v Golf Limited.

Ford Escort RS Turbo

Like some of its owners, the original Escort RS Turbo was a bit rough around the edges. It certainly isn’t the greatest hot hatchback to drive, but it was quick (132hp was a big deal in 1985) and looked great. All 5,000 cars were painted white – apart from a single black example built for Princess Diana.

Vauxhall Astra GTE

Vauxhall’s riposte to the RS Turbo was the Mk2 Astra GTE 16v. With 158hp, it was one of the most powerful hot hatches of the 1980s. The benchmark 60mph arrived in just 7.0 seconds, with a touch of torque steer along the way. The Astra’s aerodynamic styling has aged remarkably well – its digital dashboard, less so.

Renault 5 GT Turbo

After the bonkers mid-engined 5 Turbo and Turbo 2, the 1985 GT Turbo was Renault’s mainstream hot hatch. It packed a revvy 115hp 1.4-litre engine and blasted to 60mph in 7.5 seconds. A darling of the ‘Max Power’ scene, there are few unmodified GT Turbos left – and prices have risen rapidly. It’s still cheaper than an equivalent 205, though.

Renault 11 Turbo

The same 115hp 1.4-litre turbocharged engine was used in the Renault 11 Turbo. Although not as quick as the lightweight 5, the 11 is much rarer – we couldn’t find a single one for sale in the UK at the time of writing. It was also a successful rally car, winning several national rally championships in the late 1980s.

Mazda 323 4x4 Turbo

Bristling with retro rally cool, the Mazda 323 4×4 Turbo had a 151hp 1.6-litre turbocharged engine and four-wheel drive. No wonder our own Gavin Braithwaite-Smith calls it the ‘Japanese Integrale’. Only 500 were sold in the UK and a mere six remain on the road.

Lancia Delta Integrale

So that was the Japanese Integrale – now here’s the real thing. The hot Delta is most famous for its success at rallying, but was also a formidable road car. The original Integrale 8v produced 188hp from its 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, although later Evoluzione models made up to 215hp. The very best Integrales now fetch in excess of £50,000.

Ford Fiesta XR2

Back down to Earth with the Ford Fiesta XR2. The original 85hp Mk1 hit 60mph in 9.3 seconds – not exactly scorching, even for 1981. The 97hp Mk2 version (seen here) arrived two years later, becoming one of the most popular hot hatches of the 1980s. It wasn’t sophisticated, but it served up plenty of no-frills fun.

Peugeot 309 GTI

While the 205 GTI grabs the headlines, the frumpier 309 GTI provides similar thrills for much less cash. The 309 borrowed the more powerful 126hp 1.9-litre engine from its little brother, and was reckoned by road testers at the time to offer even better handling. A 16-valve GTI-16 version was also built, but never sold in the UK.

MG Maestro Turbo

While we’re on the subject of unsung heroes, how about the MG Maestro Turbo? Trumpeted in advertising as being faster than a Golf GTI, the bodykitted Brit could hit 60mph in just 6.7 seconds. Top speed was 128mph. Only 505 were made and less than 10 are still on the road.

MG Metro Turbo

Another British car, another memorable ad campaign. The Metro was sold as ‘The British car to beat the world’, and the MG Turbo version was its flagship. With 94hp, it could reach 60mph in 8.9 seconds and boasted handling that was allegedly tuned by Lotus.

Audi Quattro

The Audi Quattro probably isn’t the first car that springs to mind when we say ‘hot hatch’. But this road-going rally car has a hatchback – and boy, is it hot. Launched in 1980, the ‘Ur-Quattro’ had a 200hp five-cylinder engine and four-wheel drive. The 1989 20v version upped output to 220hp, cutting the 0-60mph dash to just 6.2 seconds.

Fiat Strada Abarth 130tc

Carburetors were becoming pretty old-school by 1983, but there was no arguing with the noise of the twin Solexes or Webers fitted to the Abarth 130tc. With 130hp, the hottest Strada (called Ritmo in Europe) could hit 62mph in a brisk 7.8 seconds. Good luck finding one today.

Toyota Corolla GT AE86

If you fancy a cheap Corolla GT AE86, you’ve missed the boat. Starring roles in Gran Turismo and the cult Initial D drifting film mean prices have rocketed. Key to the Toyota’s appeal is its playful rear-wheel-drive chassis, which begs to go sideways at every opportunity. The car that inspired the GT86 – and new GR86.

Citroen Visa GTI

Bet you’d forgotten this one. Launched in 1985, the Visa GTI used the same 105hp or 115hp 1.6-litre engine as the Peugeot 205 GTI. With five doors, it’s more practical than a 205 – and much rarer, too. The ‘How Many Left’ website lists just one Visa GTI as taxed for UK roads.

Citroen AX GT

Citroen also made an AX GTI, but a 1992 launch-date disqualifies it from this round-up. However, the less powerful AX GT was still a credible hot hatch; a modest 86hp from its 1.4-litre engine worked wonders in a car weighing less than 850kg. Fragile, but fun.

Daihatsu Charade GTti

No, that isn’t a misprint, the sportiest Charade did have an extra ‘t’ to its name. In 1987, the GTti was the world’s most powerful 1.0-litre production car, with a turbocharged three-cylinder engine producing 100hp. It sprinted to 60mph in 8.0 seconds, topping out at 114mph.

Ford Sierra RS Cosworth

Bigger – and badder – than your typical hot hatchback, the mighty Sierra RS Cosworth is a fitting way to finish our top 20. It packed a 204hp 2.0-litre turbocharged engine for 0-60mph in 6.5 seconds and a lofty 149mph top speed. It beat all-comers on the racetrack and its mighty rear wing launched a thousand copycat bodyki ts. We want one.