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Road ,News
AUG 10th 2020

Henry Biggs

The best 1980s hot hatches

Every decade has its defining car type. The 1960s was the muscle car era, the ‘70s saw the rise of the hatchback, the 1990s were for some reason awash with sporty coupes which gave way to the MPVs of the new Millennium. And since then, obviously the world has been clogged with SUVs.

The decade I missed from that list was of course defined by one of the most iconic product niches of all time. Nothing is more symbolic of the automotive landscape in the 1980s than a hot hatchback, usually with red seatbelts, blazing foglights and chirruping front tyres.

You can read the origins of the hot hatch in the first part of this series, the seven best 1970s hot hatchbacks here.

1981 Ford Fiesta XR2

Ford has form when it comes to bringing performance to the everyman by offering performance versions of its bread and butter products. The Cortina, the Capri, even the Ka all received sporting makeovers and the same was true for the Mk1 Ford Fiesta. Ford tested the waters in 1980 with the 1.3-litre Supersport before the 1.6-litre XR2 debuted the following year. Incidentally, the ‘X’ denoted the ‘X-Pack’ of performance add-ons and the ‘R’ stood for ‘Racing’.

With 84PS (62kW) but little weight to move the Fiesta XR2 could just dip under the 10 second mark for the 0-60mph dash and top out at over the ton. More importantly with round headlights supplemented by bumper-mounted fog lights, chunky matt black air dam, wheel arch extensions and rear spoiler and now retro-cool pepperpot alloy wheels the XR2 looked every inch the hatch with attitude.

Engine and transmission

1.6-litre inline-four, four-speed manual, front-wheel-drive

Power/torque

84PS (62kW)/113Nm (83lb ft)

0-60mph

9.3 seconds (est.)

Top speed

106mph
Best-1980s-Hot-Hatchbacks-2-Peugeot-205-GTi-Goodwood-10082020.jpg

1984 Peugeot 205 GTi

Is it the rose-tinted spectacles of nostalgia or does the Peugeot 205 GTi still look spot on even today? It was certainly rare in never receiving a redesign in its 25-year production run. Launched in 1983, the 205 is credited with turning Peugeot’s fortunes around and a great deal of its appeal was down to the way it drove. MacPherson strut front and torsion bar rear all-independent suspension gave it the ride and handling that punched well above its (relatively light) weight.

And to exploit this to the full, the GTi was launched in the car’s second year with a 105PS (77kW) 1.6-litre engine. This got a 10PS boost in 1986, the same year in which it was joined by its bigger brother the 1.9-litre GTi with 128PS (94kW) which could get to 60mph in sub eight seconds. Famed for its chuckability, the larger car did have a reputation for being a handful at the limit, barely reined in by its all-round disc brakes where the lesser car made do with drums at the back. Today, rare and very well kept examples can fetch upwards of £40,000.

Engine and transmission

1.6-litre inline-four, five-speed manual, front-wheel-drive

Power/torque

115PS (84kW)/134Nm (99lb ft)

0-60mph

8.9 seconds (est.)

Top speed

118mph
Best-1980s-Hot-Hatchbacks-3-Ford-Escort-RS-Turbo-Goodwood-10082020.jpg

1984 Ford Escort RS Turbo

Ford of Europe’s hottest models have always worn the ‘RS’ badge, ever since the now iconic 1970 RS1600. The origins of this car also lay in motorsport as it was originally envisaged as a rear-wheel-drive turbocharged Group B contender but proved too uncompetitive and Ford moved on to develop the mighty RS200. Instead the public was treated to a fearsome, if unrefined hooligan hot hatch they could buy from the showroom floor.

The turbocharged and fuel-injected 1.6-litre engine produced 133PS (98kW), enough for Ford to fit the Escort RS Turbo with a limited-slip front differential, making it the first production car so equipped. Despite this the ride and handling were distinctly old school with turbo lag and torque steer aplenty. Just 5,000 were built and they we all white. Very white with colour-coded everything, including the very unsubtle rear wing.

Engine and transmission

1.6-litre turbocharged inline-four, five-speed manual, front-wheel-drive

Power/torque

132PS (98kW)/181Nm (133lb ft)

0-60mph

8.7 seconds (est.)

Top speed

128mph
Best-1980s-Hot-Hatchbacks-4-Renault-5-Turbo-Goodwood-10082020.jpg

1985 Renault 5 GT Turbo

Turbocharging may be ubiquitous today, on both everyday and performance models, but back in the 1980s it was a signal of intent. And not usually a subtle one thanks to the relatively primitive state of turbocharging technology. We are actually looking at the second generation of R5 Turbo here, introduced in February 1985. Like the 205 GTi, the R5 Turbo, still just looks right, thanks to chunky bumpers, wheel arch extensions and side skirts, chic yellow fog lights and Alpine-style alloys.

It had the go to match the show as well with 115PS (85kW) from its turbocharged 1.4-litre Cléon engine that, with just 850kg to motivate, propelled the car to 60mph in 7.5 seconds. The car was lowered front and back, gained an oil cooler, supplementary fuel tank and quicker steering. In 1989 an example took the win at the Rallye Côte d'Ivoire, the only Group N car ever to achieve outright victory at a WRC event.

Engine and transmission

1.4-litre turbocharged inline-four, five-speed manual, front-wheel-drive

Power/torque

115PS (85kW)/165Nm (122lb ft)

0-60mph

7.5 seconds (est.)

Top speed

120mph
Best-1980s-Hot-Hatchbacks-5-Volkswagen-Golf-GTI-Mk2-Goodwood-10082020.jpg

1986 VW Golf GTI 16V

Of all the cars on this list, it is the Volkswagen Golf GTI that everyone remembers. Perhaps it’s the quirky ads of the time; remember the one where the woman ditches her jewellery and fur coat but keeps her GTI? Maybe it’s the red strip around the grille; red being the colour to sum up the brash, assertive decade perfectly whether adorning cars or suit braces. Actually, maybe it’s because the Golf was the real all-rounder of the pack, remaining comfortable, reliable and classy when not cocking a rear wheel in the air round corners.

The first iteration of the Mk2 Golf GTI was launched in 1984 and, using the same 112PS (82kW) 1.8-litre as the Mk1, was pretty underwhelming in its bigger, heavier replacement. It wasn’t until a couple of years later that the engine gained a multivalve head, upping power to 139PS (102kW) plus stiffer, lower suspension. The one to have though is the ‘big bumper’ model from 1989 onwards which, equipped with BBS alloy wheels, looks every inch the ‘80s icon.

Engine and transmission

1.8-litre inline-four, five-speed manual, front-wheel-drive

Power/torque

139PS (102kW)/168Nm (124lb ft)

0-60mph

8.0 seconds (est.)

Top speed

124mph
Best-1980s-Hot-Hatchbacks-6-Vauxhall-Astra-GTE-Goodwood-10082020.jpg

1988 Vauxhall Astra GTE 16V

Never quite garnering the same attention as the Ford efforts, Vauxhall has nevertheless produced plenty of pretty and powerful hot hatches over the years, with the Astra GTE setting the ball rolling. The original iteration, launched in 1984 was not a standard setter, with both its performance and handling being uninspired and off the pace.

So Vauxhall’s engineers went back to the drawing board and did it properly. The 16-valve ‘red-top’ version launched in 1988 was an entirely different beast. In addition to the multivalve, ported and polished head, the 2.0-litre engine now included forged pistons, sodium-filled valves and hollow cams to let it spin more easily and produce a class-leading 158PS (116kW). Shorter springs with matched dampers, beefy anti-roll bars and a wider track with negative camber took care of the handling. And it even came with the most ‘80s digital dashboard you’ll ever see.

Engine and transmission

2.0-litre inline-four, five-speed manual, front-wheel-drive

Power/torque

158PS (116kW)/203Nm (150lb ft)

0-60mph

7.2 seconds (est.)

Top speed

137mph
Best-1980s-Hot-Hatchbacks-7-Citroen-AX-GT-Goodwood-10082020.jpg

1988 Citroën AX GT

The AX GT, launched in the same year, is almost the antithesis of the Astra GTE, making just 86PS (63kW) from its 1.4-litre engine. However, the AX was firmly in the yet to be invented supermini category and weighed a scant 722kg. You will notice the missing ‘I’ from its name, the AX wouldn’t receive fuel injection until the following decade.

But any racer will attest that weight is the enemy of performance and the AX GT was perhaps the most agile of the 1980s hot hatch pack. It was still able to crack the 0-60mph move in less than ten seconds and thanks to being much more aerodynamic than its looks suggest would reach 112mph. Contemporary road tests suggest that AX GT drivers might just have been having the most fun too.

Engine and transmission

1.4-litre inline-four, five-speed manual, front-wheel-drive

Power/torque

86PS (63kW)/115Nm (84lb ft)

0-60mph

9.6 seconds (est.)

Top speed

112mph

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