The automobile industry has come a long way in the last few decades. Think about how fast most of the supercars were from the ‘70s and ‘80s. Today, we have little hatchbacks that are even quicker. The United States gave us muscle cars like the Mustang, Camaro, or the Challenger. On the other hand, we have to thank Europe for giving us vehicles known as ‘Hot Hatches’. These types of cars expertly blend a fun driving experience and everyday practicality at an affordable price. That’s why they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Brands like Volkswagen, Ford, Honda, Audi, etc have a proven track record of making successful and amazing hot hatches that accelerate like hell.
Let’s take a look at how they compare to a muscle car for a moment. Both are affordable, powerful, fun to drive, and easy to maintain. A Ford Mustang, for example, starts from $28,000, and the top trim will set you back $53,000. In terms of performance, the Mustang is just what you expect from a modern-day muscle car. The 2021 Mustang base is said to have a 0-60 mph time of just 5.1 seconds. If you time the acceleration of GT or Mach1 models, you’ll see about 4.2 seconds on the stopwatch. A couple of years ago, the Ford Mustang GT Performance Pack set an 8:07 lap time at the coveted Nurburgring. Let’s see how it fares against some of the fastest hot hatches.
8 Ford Focus RS
Let’s kick off the list with one from Ford itself. The Focus RS shares the 2.3-Liter EcoBoost engine with the entry-level Mustang. It produces 345 HP and 347lb-ft of torque. That’s quick enough to give the Focus a top speed of 165 mph.
Both the Mustang and Focus have similar power figures, but the Focus is much lighter. That allows the smaller car to have a quicker acceleration to 60 mph, under 5 seconds. The Nurburgring lap time of the Focus is 8:06.3, which is slightly faster than that of the Mustang GT Performance Pack.
7 BMW M135i xDrive
The BMW M135i xDrive may have a funky-sounding name, but its purpose is simple; A 4WD hot hatch with excellent traction which makes it a great handling car. It’s got a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that makes 302 HP.
The car looks and drives great on the road but it is much more composed than other hot hatches. With launch control engaged, the bimmer takes 4.8 seconds to reach 60 mph, and the top speed is 155 mph, enough to beat a base Mustang in both a straight line and on a track.
6 SEAT Leon Cupra
The SEAT Leon Cupra may not be faster than the current Mustang, but it’s definitely faster than the Mustang, and even its higher trims from its time. If we take its 7:58.4 Nurburgring lap time into consideration, you’ll see that this little hatch could keep up with the BMW M2, and Cadillac CTS-V.
One of them is a certified Sports oriented car, and another is a V8-powered beast. The Leon Cupra ST 280 holds the record for fastest Estate car around the ring. The SEAT badge may throw some people off, but that’s why it’s a sleeper hot hatch in its class.
5 Volkswagen Golf R
The VW Golf R is the top model in the Mk8 generation Golf range. Apart from the 316 HP 2-Liter turbo engine, it’s got some fancy abilities like a torque vectoring differential, ‘Special’ and ‘Drift’ driving modes, and a lot more modern gizmos.
Apparently, the 0-60 mph time is 4.7 seconds, but we figure it’s gonna have some tricks up its sleeve to become a top competitor in the hot hatch race. As far as its competition with the Mustang goes, we are confident it can give a higher trim like the GT a run for its money.
4 Honda Civic Type R
After looking at European brands like Volkswagen, BMW, Audi, and Mercedes competing fiercely in the hot hatch category, Japan must have thought to themselves, “Let’s see what we can do, shall we?” The answer to that question is the Honda Civic Type R. While the rear design is divisive, its performance is universally proclaimed.
The 2-Liter four-cylinder engine makes an impressive 316 HP (similar to the Golf R) which enables the Type R to achieve a commendable Nurburgring lap time that sits close to that of a Corvette Z06 or even a GT-R! Just make sure you know about its pros and cons before you buy a new or used one.
3 Mercedes AMG A 45 S
The AMG division is esteemed for making high-performance cars. The A 45 S is no exception. Its engine makes an astounding 415 HP from four cylinders. This unmatched power in its category may very well be the USP of Mercedes.
The 0-60 time of 3.9 seconds is plenty to beat Mustang GTs and Mach1s in a drag strip. The Merc’s amazing handling capabilities ensure its victory in a race track as well. One might think that putting a 400+ HP powerplant in a hatchback is overkill, but we think it’s wicked cool.
2 Audi RS3
The upcoming RS3 has arrived with a new design and more power. The upcoming RS3 Sedan is as fast as a Ferrari-freakin'-Enzo! Yup, let that sink in first. Forget about the Mustang, Audi’s new RS3 is faster than a modern Lamborghini Urus!
The RS3 Sportback weighs even less, imagine what it can achieve. Unfortunately, North America cannot get its hands on a Sportback yet. The Sedan goes on sale mid-2022, but we’ll have to wait longer to get the hot hatch here.
1 Renault Megane RS Trophy-R
It can’t get any better than the fastest FWD production car to set a Nurburgring lap time. Through weight-cutting measures, a powerful engine, and amazing driving (we think the driver’s skills also count here), the Megane RS Trophy-R is the fastest Renault ever made, and it managed to set a lap time of 7:40.1 only! That’s less than a second more than the 997 Porsche 911 Turbo!
We ought to believe that a car that can beat the Camaro ZL-1 in ‘The Green Hell’ can beat a Mustang GT or Mach1 too. Hatchbacks like these never cease to amaze and remind us just how thrilling and sensational a small car can be.