23 Aug 01
Take a bog-standard family hatch or supermini, bung a high-powered engine in it, tweak the suspension a bit and add appropriate styling cues - and you get a hot hatch. The 1980s were the heyday of this sort of thing, before insurance premiums spiralled out of control and ever-tightening safety legislation meant that cars had to get heavier, less chuckable and, let's face it, less fun.
The best hot hatches are not necessarily the fastest: a good one needs more than just a powerful engine. They have to have agile suspension, well-placed gear ratios, loads of grip and excellent balance, as well as razor-sharp reactions and racy responses. And in keeping with the original concept, they also have to be affordable: why pay the sort of money that could get you a proper sports coupe for something that's little more than a souped-up shopping trolley?
These days, insurance premiums have settled down a bit from the early-'90s madness, and many older enthusiasts are reliving their youth with a classic '80s or '90s hatch, often playing second fiddle to a more sensible, solid modern vehicle. If you're after a plaything or, indeed, want a practical but sporty car as your only wheels, read on for a rundown of our favourites...
