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Nr 1 Audi RS 3
Not many people drove the Audi RS3 Sportback and came to the conclusion it needed more power. But that hasn’t stopped Audi bumping the output of its warbling 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine from 362 to a mighty 395bhp in the latest model. That boost has cut its 0-62mph acceleration figure from 4.3 to 4.1 seconds, making the RS3 the fastest-accelerating hot hatch on sale today – even if the Mercedes below is only a tenth of a second slower. Give Audi enough money and it’ll even remove the RS3’s speed limiter, for a top speed of 174mph, meaning you can have supercar performance with five seats, a large boot and roof rails to mount your bikes on. Four-wheel drive and a dual-clutch automatic gearbox ensures not a shred of power is wasted and makes the RS3 as easy to drive as a 1.4-litre Volkswagen Golf
Nr 2 A45 AMG
When Mercedes scrapped its urban-focused tall and upright A-Class in 2012 in favour of a sleek and low-slung BMW 1 Series rival, the prospect of the first-ever Mercedes hot hatchback was tantalising. The A250 petrol with 208bhp was a good start, but against rivals it looked more warm than hot. Then, when AMG released the A45 in 2013, its 355bhp blew the opposition out of the water. With four-wheel drive to deploy its immense power, the raucous engine squeezed behind the three-pointed badge could get the car’s occupants from 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds. Clearly not content with this and locked in a battle of one-upmanship with the Audi RS3, this has since increased to 376bhp, slashing the acceleration time to 4.2 seconds. To put this figure in perspective, this Mercedes is now faster than an R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R (nicknamed ‘Godzilla’) and could keep up with a Ferrari F430 in a drag race.
Nr3
With a similar dual-clutch gearbox and four-wheel-drive system to the Audi RS3, the Golf R can still get from 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds, despite only having 306bhp from its smaller 2.0-litre turbocharged engine. Perhaps the most impressive thing though, is just how easy it is to achieve this feat time after time. Sit on the starting line with your left foot on the brake (there’s no sequence of buttons to remember) push down the throttle, wait for the revs to sit at a pre-programmed figure and release the brakes. It’s a feeling akin to a pilot being cleared for take-off, but a lot more exciting. Because the 2.0-litre engine places less weight over the nose of the Golf than the RS3, it also feels more fun than its more powerful rival on twisting roads
nr4
You can think of the Audi S3 as the baby brother to the Audi RS3 topping this list, with a smaller 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine and just 306bhp. Despite this model’s power deficit, tenacious four-wheel-drive traction gets it from 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds with an automatic gearbox fitted. Choosing the manual hampers acceleration quite considerably, increasing the time to 5.3 seconds. The figures above might sound familiar, because the S3 is essentially a Volkswagen Golf R in business attire. The Golf is hardly a bad place to spend time, but the Audi is even classier inside, with more options for personalisation if you delve into the brochure. Strangely, however, the S3 doesn’t feel quite as much fun to drive as the Golf R and there isn’t box you can tick in the options list to remedy that shortcoming.
Nr5 Ford Focus RS hatchback
The rumours kept news writers busy and forums buzzing – would the third-generation Ford Focus RS simply have too much power for front-wheel drive? It was an incredible achievement to send 345bhp to just the front wheels in the limited-edition Mk2 Ford Focus RS500, but with a 0-62mph time of 5.2 seconds, it still couldn’t dip below the magic five-second barrier. When the news finally came in, it practically broke the internet. Not only does the Focus RS indeed have four-wheel drive, for a 0-62mph time of 4.7 seconds, it’s one of the most advanced four-wheel-drive systems ever put in a car. It can send power to the front or rear wheels, but also juggle torque from side to side, giving the RS incredibly agile handling. This ability brings a party trick, too, in the form of ‘Drift mode’, which can be used on track to give the Focus a more rear-wheel-drive handling balance
NR6 BMW 1 Series hatchback
With a 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine and rear-wheel-drive, the BMW M140i is very much the odd car out in this top 10, taking a very different approach to the hot-hatchback recipe. This arguably makes it feel like the most grown-up model here, with merits like refinement and comfort, as well as neck-snapping handling and acceleration. With 335bhp, it’s definitely no slouch, getting from 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds, but it’s as happy cruising on the motorway as it is lapping Brands Hatch at a trackday. Thanks to its six-cylinder engine, it’s also one of the best-sounding models here, with a more tuneful exhaust note than some of the blaring four-cylinder models. Its rear-wheel drive will also appeal to driving purists, allowing skilled drivers to exploit its excellent handling balance and precision.
Not many people drove the Audi RS3 Sportback and came to the conclusion it needed more power. But that hasn’t stopped Audi bumping the output of its warbling 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine from 362 to a mighty 395bhp in the latest model. That boost has cut its 0-62mph acceleration figure from 4.3 to 4.1 seconds, making the RS3 the fastest-accelerating hot hatch on sale today – even if the Mercedes below is only a tenth of a second slower. Give Audi enough money and it’ll even remove the RS3’s speed limiter, for a top speed of 174mph, meaning you can have supercar performance with five seats, a large boot and roof rails to mount your bikes on. Four-wheel drive and a dual-clutch automatic gearbox ensures not a shred of power is wasted and makes the RS3 as easy to drive as a 1.4-litre Volkswagen Golf
Nr 2 A45 AMG
When Mercedes scrapped its urban-focused tall and upright A-Class in 2012 in favour of a sleek and low-slung BMW 1 Series rival, the prospect of the first-ever Mercedes hot hatchback was tantalising. The A250 petrol with 208bhp was a good start, but against rivals it looked more warm than hot. Then, when AMG released the A45 in 2013, its 355bhp blew the opposition out of the water. With four-wheel drive to deploy its immense power, the raucous engine squeezed behind the three-pointed badge could get the car’s occupants from 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds. Clearly not content with this and locked in a battle of one-upmanship with the Audi RS3, this has since increased to 376bhp, slashing the acceleration time to 4.2 seconds. To put this figure in perspective, this Mercedes is now faster than an R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R (nicknamed ‘Godzilla’) and could keep up with a Ferrari F430 in a drag race.
Nr3
With a similar dual-clutch gearbox and four-wheel-drive system to the Audi RS3, the Golf R can still get from 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds, despite only having 306bhp from its smaller 2.0-litre turbocharged engine. Perhaps the most impressive thing though, is just how easy it is to achieve this feat time after time. Sit on the starting line with your left foot on the brake (there’s no sequence of buttons to remember) push down the throttle, wait for the revs to sit at a pre-programmed figure and release the brakes. It’s a feeling akin to a pilot being cleared for take-off, but a lot more exciting. Because the 2.0-litre engine places less weight over the nose of the Golf than the RS3, it also feels more fun than its more powerful rival on twisting roads
nr4
You can think of the Audi S3 as the baby brother to the Audi RS3 topping this list, with a smaller 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine and just 306bhp. Despite this model’s power deficit, tenacious four-wheel-drive traction gets it from 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds with an automatic gearbox fitted. Choosing the manual hampers acceleration quite considerably, increasing the time to 5.3 seconds. The figures above might sound familiar, because the S3 is essentially a Volkswagen Golf R in business attire. The Golf is hardly a bad place to spend time, but the Audi is even classier inside, with more options for personalisation if you delve into the brochure. Strangely, however, the S3 doesn’t feel quite as much fun to drive as the Golf R and there isn’t box you can tick in the options list to remedy that shortcoming.
Nr5 Ford Focus RS hatchback
The rumours kept news writers busy and forums buzzing – would the third-generation Ford Focus RS simply have too much power for front-wheel drive? It was an incredible achievement to send 345bhp to just the front wheels in the limited-edition Mk2 Ford Focus RS500, but with a 0-62mph time of 5.2 seconds, it still couldn’t dip below the magic five-second barrier. When the news finally came in, it practically broke the internet. Not only does the Focus RS indeed have four-wheel drive, for a 0-62mph time of 4.7 seconds, it’s one of the most advanced four-wheel-drive systems ever put in a car. It can send power to the front or rear wheels, but also juggle torque from side to side, giving the RS incredibly agile handling. This ability brings a party trick, too, in the form of ‘Drift mode’, which can be used on track to give the Focus a more rear-wheel-drive handling balance
NR6 BMW 1 Series hatchback
With a 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine and rear-wheel-drive, the BMW M140i is very much the odd car out in this top 10, taking a very different approach to the hot-hatchback recipe. This arguably makes it feel like the most grown-up model here, with merits like refinement and comfort, as well as neck-snapping handling and acceleration. With 335bhp, it’s definitely no slouch, getting from 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds, but it’s as happy cruising on the motorway as it is lapping Brands Hatch at a trackday. Thanks to its six-cylinder engine, it’s also one of the best-sounding models here, with a more tuneful exhaust note than some of the blaring four-cylinder models. Its rear-wheel drive will also appeal to driving purists, allowing skilled drivers to exploit its excellent handling balance and precision.
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