The First Hot Hatch is not the First GTi

[turbolag]

Why do know-nothing anorak wearing goosestep walking hitler car loving chumps insist the Golf GTi was the first hot hatch? Did I imagine my Mums Renault 5 Gordini, which not only comfortably predated the Golf but was also a fraction faster than the original 1600 GTi?

Normally this sort of thing just passes me by, but I've given up smoking and some Men and Motors uneducated presenter type mentioned it earlier and the faulty recall and the intense desire for nicotene has brought out a violent urge for historical accuracy in this matter!!! Yyyyyyyaaaaaaarrrrrr!!!!

[omega]

wasnt the gordini on carbs?

[turbolag]

Big mofo carbs on the early ones, and turbos on the later ones. Still a hot hatch, and French too thinking about it! Take that Hitler!

[omega]

yes but the i in gti stands for INJECTION!!!!

[turbolag]

Well bugger me, so it does! But having injection is not a requirement of being a hot hatch, else the Volvo P1800 ES would take the title instead.

To be a hot hatch you need to be hot, and be a, er, well, a hatch. That's it. Jeez, I need a fag!

[DaiRees]

What year was the Gordini then? '82?

May I be so bold as to suggest that the title of first hot hatch could go to the Lotus Sunbeam, released in 1979?



EDIT: Hang on, the turbo one was 82 wasn't it? The "big mofo carb" one was earlier than that... what year??? errrm, 77?.... just ignore me.... Where did I put my coat?

Another edit: I still reckon the Lotus Sunbeam was the first proper hooligan hatch though... 2.2l DOHC 16V twin carb 155bhp (standard, up to 230 tuned) and all in a car the size, and structural soundness, of a shoe box!

[turbolag]

Gordini was 74 here, 72 in France. Glof GiT was 76, but not officially imported here til 79, although some dealers were able to get it in LHD for those with no taste. The Chevette HS/HSR predate the Sunbeam, though I'd agree the sunbeam (and the HS) were manly hairy chestwig wearing real cars when the original Golf was a little bit, well, ghey...

Hell, the Renault Alpine was technically a hatch, and hot too, though you could hardly describe it as 3 door going to the shops sensible, but it was around in 1964...

[tricky76]

What about the ford with the RS2000 Escort or the XR3 and the XR3i or did they came out later to take on the GTi

[mandelbug]

The RS2000 was a saloon, the XR3(and i) was 80's first release

[DaiRees]

RS1600 / 1800 / Mexico / 2000 were all based on mk 1 or 2 escrotes, which were RWD saloons. The XR3 and the fiesta XR2 were certainly in the category of "hot hatch" but they didn't come out 'till 1980/81.

Does a car have to be front wheel drive to qualify as a hot hatch?

Edit: you beat me to it bug!

[mandelbug]

Hot hatch was originally an informal automotive industry term, shortened from hot hatchback, initially coined by the European motoring press, for a high-performance derivative of a car body style consisting of a three- or five-door hatchback automobile. However, 'hot hatch' is now commonly and widely accepted as a mainstream, if still informal term.

The term is more popular in Europe, due to the popularity of the hatchback configuration. Within the United States, they are commonly named sport compacts, however, this deviates from the original meaning of the 'hot hatch' terminology (because they do not adhere to the 'hatchback' body style).

Vehicles of this class are typically based on family-oriented automobiles, and are equipped with an uprated more powerful internal combustion engine, improved suspension, and may also include additional 'aerodynamic' body parts. Front-mounted petrol engines, together with front-wheel drive, is the most common powertrain layout, although diesel-powered hot hatches are also available.

The design most often considered to have started the 'hot hatch' genre is the 1977 Volkswagen Golf GTI, although some consider the first true hot hatch to be the 1964 Renault 8 Gordini, with others having another point of view.[1] The Renault 5 Alpine (1972) also pre-dated the Golf GTI.

The original 1974 version of the Golf was in mass production at this point, and the addition of a higher performance 1.6 litre fuel injected engine, sharper handling, and sports-focussed marketing - found the birth a huge market for small, practical cars that still had excellent performance. The Golf GTI enjoyed a short run of unparalleled success, but by the early 1980s, car manufacturers worldwide were racing to market with their own alternatives. Notable big-sellers in the early days were the Peugeot 205 GTI, Ford Escort XR3i, (and Vauxhall Astra GTE in United Kingdom).

By the end of the 1980s, the hot hatch had taken its place across Europe, and was pushing into other worldwide markets. The brief heyday of Group B rallying pushed the hot hatch genre to its limits, and small numbers of ultra-high performance variants were manufactured to comply with the rally rules (often termed "homologation specials"). These enthusiasts vehicles represented a brief, extreme branch of the hot hatch, and included such notable vehicles as the Peugeot 205 T-16 and MG Metro 6R4.

So it's european, small, and hatch. Typically FWD although doesn't appear to be exclusive

[DaiRees]

Gordini was 74 here, 72 in France.

That's the problem see, too far back for me...

[STALLED]

Holden Torana A9X of 1977

Did someone say V8? Tick

RWD? Tick

Lairy Paint? Tick

[Welly]

bloody hell imagine that!

Hey guys look at me new ride, the sheila's will love it, wanna ride?...... rev, rev, screeeeeach.......SMASH....dead.

[STALLED]

bloody hell imagine that!

Hey guys look at me new ride, the sheila's will love it, wanna ride?...... rev, rev, screeeeeach.......SMASH....dead.

Don't mock me.