A long time ago, performance cars weren't all that usable every day. They were big, impractical, unpredictable gas guzzlers that didn't have much space inside, and they weren't exactly cheap either. The answer to this calamity was the hot hatchback; a performance car that could be fun and really good at spirited driving, but also practical and usable.

Possibly the most well-known hot hatchback is the Volkswagen Golf GTI, and with good reason. Since then, many other automakers had a crack at the hot hatchback formula, and a lot of them turned out awesome. Sadly, a lot of them were never available in the United States.

10 Alfa Romeo 147 GTA

Front 3/4 view of a red 147 GTA
drivetribe.com

Pretty much every Alfa Romeo enthusiast swears by the 147 GTA, mostly because of its incredible powertrain and how much personality it has. The hot hatch wars in Europe were heating up big time in the 2000s, but Alfa didn't seem to take it quite as seriously.

Rear 3/4 view of a white 147 GTA
netcarshow.com

RELATED: Here's Why Alfa Romeo Failed To Make An Impact In America

Despite the relatively minute size of the 147, Alfa Romeo somehow managed to shoehorn their fabled 3.2-liter Busso V6 under the hood, which made 250 hp in this application. However, Alfa didn't really incorporate any way to harness the power in this FWD car. Even then, Europeans and especially Alfa lovers absolutely fawn over the 147 GTA, and Alfa Romeo-approved tuning companies offer differential packages to remedy the psychotic handling of this car.

9 Ford Focus RS (Mk2)

Front 3/4 view of the Focus RS Mk2
evo.co.uk

The only Focus RS that North America received was the Mk3, which will certainly be missed by enthusiasts. Even though that car was awesome in every way, the second generation version seems to be cooler in a lot of ways. Despite being FWD, under the hood lays the 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-5 from Volvo.

Rear 3/4 view of the Focus RS Mk2
evo.co.uk

The end result was around 300 hp and a properly epic exhaust note. Despite the FWD platform, the Mk2 Focus RS handled great, and it went like no other hot hatchback on the road.

8 Nissan Pulsar GTI-R

The front of a gray Pulsar GTI-R
wikipedia.org

Out of all the rally homologation specials throughout the years, this one seems to slip under the radar an awful lot. But, a few years ago, some people started to become aware of the Pulsar GTI-R and how proudly unhinged it is.

Rear 3/4 view of a red Pulsar GTI-R
Via jm-imports.co.uk

The Pulsar GTI-R is a homologation version of the rather uninspiring Nissan Pulsar/Sunny compact car for Group A rally racing. The GTI-R version uses the same 2.0 liter turbocharged SR20 found under the hood of an S15 Silvia, a well-known drifting legend, developing 227 hp. It also has AWD and it can put some modern hot hatchbacks to shame. It's also very easy to tell apart a GTI-R from a regular Pulsar, thanks in no small part to the giant hood scoop.

7 Talbot Sunbeam Lotus

Front 3/4 view of the Sunbeam Lotus
automobilemag.com

Ever heard of a Chrysler that was never sold in the United States? Well, technically speaking, the Talbot Sunbeam was exactly that, as it was first known as the Chrysler Sunbeam. Like the Pulsar, the Sunbeam Lotus was another homologated version that the company made to go rally racing.

Sunbeam Lotus on the move
readcars.co

The Lotus version used a 2.2 liter naturally aspirated Lotus engine, codenamed the 911 and based on Lotus' own 907 engine. The slant-4 layout four-banger put down 150 hp in road trim, and 250 in full race trim. The Sunbeam also used a ZF manual transmission and, thanks to its RWD platform, it's one of a handful of hot hatchbacks that can actually drift.

6 Nissan March Super Turbo

Front 3/4 view of the Super Turbo
favcars.com

It's very sad that this pocket rocket was only available in Japan, as it's one of the craziest hot hatchbacks ever devised. It too was a homologation special, and as if the fact that this is a subcompact-based hot hatchback isn't crazy enough, the powertrain certainly is.

Rear 3/4 view of the Super Turbo
favcars.com

Nissan took the familiar 1.0 liter inline-4 that was found under the hood of the regular granny-spec March, and then shoehorned a turbocharger and a supercharger to it. The name, therefore, is not a bad translation, it's somewhat literal. The end result was 108 hp, a 7.7 second 0-60 time, and a 112 mph V-max. To this day, it's the fastest March/Micra they have ever made.

5 Renault Megane RS

The new Megane RS on the move
autoexpress.co.uk

This famous French brand disappeared from the United States in the early 90s, and that's a real shame. Even though it's unlikely we'll ever see them return, thanks to their strategies with sister company Nissan, this ultimate hot hatch is one we wouldn't mind having stateside.

The rear of the Megane RS 275 Cup-S
netcarshow.com

The Megane RS has been around since the mid-2000s, and it's always been one of the best sorted hot hatchbacks ever made. It's also pretty powerful, and a pretty good value proposition when compared to its rivals. Not to mention, it has a penchant for setting Nürburgring lap records as well.

4 Volkswagen Golf VR6 Syncro

The front of the Golf VR6
auto-data.net

When it comes to performance versions of the Golf, eyes are always on the GTI, no matter which generation of Golf is being discussed. Therefore, it's no surprise that no one remembers the Golf VR6 Syncro from the 9os.

Front 3/4 view of the Golf VR6
forumvr6.com

RELATED: Here's What Made The VR6 Engine One Of A Kind

Based on the Mk3 Golf, which was sold from 1991 to 2000, the VR6 Syncro used the unique and characterful narrow-angle 6-cylinder engine, with 2.9 liters of displacement and a transverse configuration. It developed 190 hp, accelerated from 0-60 in just 6.7 seconds, and could hit 155 mph. This engine would go on to power the Corrado VR6 as well.

3 Honda City Turbo II

Honda City Turbo
Via Pinterest

Despite it seeming otherwise, the Honda City was not a kei car, as the engine was more than double the size of the engine kei cars are allowed to have in Japan. Instead, it was a tiny subcompact car that was sold from 1981 to 1986.

The front of the City Turbo II

RELATED: Cool And Affordable Sports Cars From Nissan And Honda

For a while, Honda offered this bonkers performance version of the City, the legendary Turbo II. Somehow, Honda's engineers managed to extract 110 hp from the 1.2-liter inline 4, by way of a turbocharger and intercooler. Of course, no one can talk about the City Turbo II without mentioning the optional fold-out moped that was stored in the trunk, the Motocompo, which to this day remains one of the most bizarre options ever offered on a car.

2 BMW M135i/M140i (F20)

The front of the M135i
carmagazine.co.uk

Even though BMW offered the 135i in North America during the first generation, it was only available as a coupe or a convertible. In Europe and other markets, the 135i was also offered in conventional hatchback form, and it was an awesome car.

The rear of the M135i
carpixel.net

It was truly a one of a kind hot hatch. It used a variety of BMW's legendary six-cylinder engines and all of them were turbocharged for good measure. The most powerful version, the M140i, put out 335 hp. Not to mention, it was RWD (AWD was optional in later models), meaning that it had a drift mode before that became cool.

1 Honda Civic Type R (EK9)

Front 3/4 view of the EK9 Type R
Via hothatch.com.au

Before the EK9, Honda offered a spiced-up version of the Civic hatch called the Si. Most of the Si models didn't make all that much power, but they were faster and handled better than the standard model. When the EK9 came along, Honda finally decided to dip their toes into the hot hatch market, and it definitely paid off.

Rear 3/4 view of the EK9 Type R
wsupercars.com

The end result of their efforts was the original Civic Type R. The 1.6-liter naturally aspirated four-banger developed 182 hp and could scream its way up to an 8,200 RPM redline. Its handling prowess was also exceptional, and it looked fantastic too. Due to its cool factor, values are creeping up.

NEXT: Here Are 10 Hot Hatches That Will Embarrass Sports Cars