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What hot hatch do you own? This poll is closed. |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Golf GTI / R / R32 |
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196 | 0.02% |
| Impreza WRX / STi |
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133 | 0.01% |
| Mazdaspeed 3 |
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92 | 0.01% |
| Veloster Turbo |
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20 | 0.00% |
| Focus ST |
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149 | 0.01% |
| Other Hot Hatch |
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230 | 0.02% |
| Elantra GT |
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1000001 | 99.92% |
| Total: | 1000821 votes | ||
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I had a ride in a Fabia VRS a few years back, it was an impressive piece of kit and I liked the strangeness of a diesel hot hatch. Shame they didn't stick to their guns as it filled an unusual niche. I used to have this obscurity a few years back, a '98 Daihatsu Cuore TR-XX Avanzato R4 (sometimes known as a Mira if the importers weren't bothered swapping the stickers). You may be familiar with it if you've played the Gran Turismo series.  The picture probably doesn't get across just how tiny it was, even by European standards. It was built to the limits of the Japanese rules for lightweight cars and was imported to the UK in tiny amounts as a bit of a halo car to generate some interest in the Daihatsu brand. Oddly despite great reviews and demand outstripping supply, they didn't bother to import more. Weighs about 1500lb (700kg) and is a little under 58 inches wide, I could adjust the passenger mirror from the drivers seat without taking my other hand off the wheel. Engine is a 64hp turbocharged and intercooled 659cc (!) 4-cyl Twincam and if that isn't enough they gave it fulltime 4WD. Since it weighs nothing, performance is 0-60 in 8.5 seconds. Pretty modest, but in real world terms it was one of the fastest cars I've ever owned provided it was kept on-boost, howling up to the 8500rpm redline. In lower gears it could give you some terrifying lift-off oversteer if you were feeling particularly brave, though the narrow and tall body combined with skinny tyres limited the handling somewhat. Really liked the car but it was surprisingly tiring/harsh to drive unless you were driving it flat-out everywhere, combined with a long commute at the time, I eventually sold it on.
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Jun 27, 2013 21:54
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| # ¿ Apr 24, 2024 12:27 |
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