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Road ,News
AUG 28th 2020

Henry Biggs

The six best noughties hot hatches

Controversies over ram-raiding, joyriders and ‘twoccing’ (Taking Without the Owner’s Consent) in the 1990s nearly killed off the hot hatch market. Soaring insurance rates and an undesirable image saw people deserting the category in favour of the coupes which proliferated at the end of the decade.

Thankfully a new millennium dawned, everyone calmed down a bit and some famous badges returned to the showrooms in the 2000s. The choice was certainly thinner than it had been in the previous two decades but there were some gems and here are our favourites.

If you love hot hatches, you'll love our list of the six best 1990s hot hatches.

Honda Civic Type R – 2001

The second generation Civic Type R was actually the first one to be sold in UK showrooms and was in fact built in Honda’s Swindon factory. Frustratingly the factory also built the Japanese-spec Type Rs, which received a significant power boost, shorter gearing, a limited-slip diff and more track oriented suspension than the European model. That small gripe aside, the Civic Type R continued Honda’s tradition of creating the most focused hot hatch in its category.

The 2.0-litre VTEC engine didn’t produce its peak power of 200PS (147kW) until a screaming 7,400rpm, with a significant step up at 6,000rpm when ‘the VTEC kicked in, yo’. The lever for the six-speed close-ratio gearbox was mounted on the dashboard to bring it within an ideal hand’s span of the steering wheel for faster changes and virtually every contemporary review used the hackneyed ‘rifle bolt’ analogy for its change quality. Lighter and stiffer than its rivals the Civic Type R was much nimbler as a result while remaining utterly reliable and, thanks to its ‘breadvan’ styling, immensely practical.

 

Engine and transmission

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

Power/torque

200PS (147kW)/196Nm (145lb ft)

0-60mph

6.5 seconds (est.)

Top speed

141mph
Best-Noughties-Hot-Hatches-2-Ford-Focus-RS-Goodwood-28082020.jpg

Ford Focus RS – 2002

The first generation Ford Focus was a revelation when it was launched in 1998. Thanks to its ‘Control Blade’ rear suspension, it was heaped with plaudits for being a family-friendly daily driver which was actually fun to drive. It took four years for Ford to fit an engine suitable for exploiting that handling prowess, a 2.0-litre Duratec with 215PS (158kW), turning the front wheels through a five-speed gearbox and, thankfully, a Quaife limited-slip diff.

Despite the mechanical aid to shift torque to the wheel with the most grip the Focus RS was still quite unruly in an old school way, thanks to its noticeable turbo lag. The interior is a mess of ovals and triangles as were all Ford interiors of the time but blue dials, trim highlights and Sparco seats help lift it above the everyday. A limited edition, just 4,501 were built, 2,147 in right hand drive for the UK market.

 

Engine and transmission

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

Power/torque

215PS (158kW)/310Nm (229lb ft)

0-60mph

6.2 seconds (est.)

Top speed

143mph
Best-Noughties-Hot-Hatches-3-Alfa-Romeo-147-GTA-Goodwood-28082020.jpg

Alfa Romeo 147 GTA – 2002

Consider a V6-powered hot hatch and the Renault Clio V6 probably comes to mind but we excluded it owing to its utter impracticality in terms of the ‘hatchback’ part of its duties. The Alfa Romeo 147 GTA however retained its hatchback credentials because the Milanese engineers somehow managed to shoehorn a 3.2-litre version of the legendary Busso V6 under the bonnet. And if contemporary testers thought the Focus RS had a torque steer problem, they hadn’t seen anything yet.

Significantly more powerful than any of its rivals, the 147 GTA looked the part thanks to swollen bodywork to accommodate a wider track but it remained unruly, not helped by its nose-heaviness. The engine itself was a gem, providing prodigious performance, albeit best enjoyed in a straight line. Common upgrades of stiffened suspension, limited-slip diff and thicker anti-roll bars help transform the car into something worthy of its engine. And you could always lift the bonnet and look at its gorgeous chromed intake pipes.

 

Engine and transmission

3.2-litre V6, six-speed manual, front-wheel-drive

Power/torque

250PS (184kW)/300Nm (221lb ft)

0-60mph

6.0 seconds (est.)

Top speed

153mph
Best-Noughties-Hot-Hatches-4-Renault-Clio-182-Trophy-Goodwood-28082020.jpg

Renault Clio 182 Trophy – 2004

Hot hatch fashions wax and wane. A case in point is the supplanting of Peugeot by their Gallic rival Renault by the turn of the millennium. The then current 206GTi was failing to recapture the spirit of its 205 GTi forebear while Renaultsport was channelling the original Renault 5 GT Turbo and creating a series of nimble, powerful products.

The second generation hot Clio didn’t quite capture the mighty midget presence of the iconic Clio Williams but was still quite the lil’ slugger in both looks and performance. Debuting as the Clio RS (for Renaultsport) 172 (for its output) in 1999 this used a variable valve timing equipped 2.0-litre engine driving the front wheels through a five-speed gearbox. Fat tyres, bumpers and wheel arches helped complete the look. This soon got a power bump to become the Clio 182 and it is the Trophy version of this variant that is regarded as the ultimate. Just 500 were made and received styling tweaks taken from the Clio V6, larger wheels, a numbered plaque and Trophy decals. The transformative change however was the switch to Sachs remote-reservoir dampers which created a Clio with the handling prowess to humble supercars.

 

Engine and transmission

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

Power/torque

182PS (133kW)/200Nm (148lb ft)

0-60mph

6.6 seconds (est.)

Top speed

137mph
Best-Noughties-Hot-Hatches-5-Volkswagen-Golf-GTI-Mk5-Goodwood-28082020.jpg

Golf GTI Mk5 – 2004

The Mk1 and Mk2 Golf GTI were icons but as the Golf got posher over the course of the following two generations it also got a bit, well, frumpy. The Mk5 changed all that, getting a much sharper redesign, independent suspension and a range of direct injection petrol engines. The best of these was turbocharged and reserved for the GTI which suddenly found itself back at the top of the pack.

It even looked like a Golf GTI should with a red-framed grille, roof spoiler, chunky alloy wheels and tartan cloth interior. The 2006 30th anniversary edition even featured a golf ball gear knob as well as an additional 30PS. Where the Golf really stole a march on the rest of the hot hatch contenders was the option of the DSG dual-clutch gearbox with its blindingly fast and smooth shifts that improved the already impressive acceleration.

 

Engine and transmission

2.0-litre turbocharged inline-four, six-speed manual, front-wheel-drive

Power/torque

200PS (147kW)/280Nm (207lb ft)

0-60mph

7.2 seconds (est.)

Top speed

146mph
Best-Noughties-Hot-Hatches-6-Mini-Cooper-S-Works-GP-R53-Goodwood-28082020.jpg

Mini Cooper S Works GP – 2006

Taking bits and pieces out of cars yet charging more for them has become a go-to tactic for performance models in the last few years but it was really the John Cooper Works GP which started the trend. The Mini Cooper S had already done things differently when it was launched in 2002 by using a supercharger rather than turbocharger to achieve its 165PS (121kW) from 1.6-litres. With multilink suspension and a close ratio six-speed gearbox it got close to its legendary namesake in terms of driver appeal.

The Works GP model was a different beast however. Lowered and stiffened, it also gained a limited-slip differential to tame the now 221PS (250) its engine produced. It certainly lost some of the twee cuteness of the reborn Mini thanks to assertive aero styling tweaks which included a massive rear wing, plus larger alloys and dechroming. Losing the back seats and other practicalities also resulted in a 50kg weight loss, bringing the car in at just over a tonne. The supercharged torque moves the car along with alacrity, soundtracked by the crackles and booms from an exhaust that comes unfiltered from beneath the boot floor. Just 2,000 were built in Italy by Bertone and just 459 came to the UK.

 

Engine and transmission

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

Power/torque

221PS (162kW)/250Nm (184lb ft)

0-60mph

6.5 seconds (est.)

Top speed

150mph
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What's your favourite noughties hot hatch?

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