Size doesn't always matter - and the people who drive hot hatches or nimble roadsters know that better than anyone. Truth is, real hardcore performance isn't reserved exclusively by low-slung mid-engined supercars or athletic German sedans with motors the size of a washing machine.
RELATED: These Hatchbacks Will Leave A Supercar In The Dust
If you like your cars practical and fuel-efficient yet fast, then this article is for you! And even though it was hard, we did our best to compile a list of the coolest tiny but incredibly fast sports cars the market has to offer. After all, what's sicker than a compact hatchback that will leave a Corvette in the dust?
10 Smart Fourfour Brabus
It's only right to start this article with a Smart - after all, these city cars are the epitome of tiny. Sadly, most Smart vehicles aren't exactly fast - we're talking double-digit horsepower and three-cylinder engine.
Luckily, a few of them were blessed by the Midas touch of Brabus - yes, that same Brabus that makes 1000 hp G-Wagons. The fastest of their Smart creations is the first-gen Fourfor. 177 hp might not seem like a lot, but only until you realize that it's about as big as a shopping cart and weight about as much. Hence the 0-60 time of only 6.9 seconds.
9 Renault Clio V6 Renault Sport
Just like with the Smart, it would be impossible to write this list without including the legendary Clio V6. The recipe for this hot hatch icon was as simple as it was insane. Take a cheap subcompact hatchback and stuff a 2.9-liter V6 in the trunk.
The result was a monster with 255 hp and the curb weight of a hair over 3,000 pounds. At the time, it was the most powerful production hot hatch in the world that did 0 to 60 in 5.9 seconds. Renault do know a thing or two about hot hatches, after all.
8 Abarth 695 Biposto
Bonkers, exhilarating, thrilling - these are only a few words we would describe the Abarth 695 Biposto with. This Fiat 500 on steroids is, essentially, a road-legal race car. Firstly, there is a stripped-out interior with bucket seats, racing harnesses, and bare carbon fiber door panels.
Secondly, there is the performance - a custom titanium exhaust by Akrapovic, a bigger turbo and modified intake push the power output to 190 hp. For a car that weighs less than a ton, this is crazy - just like the 5.9 seconds 0-60 time.
7 MINI John Cooper Works GP
Remember MINI - the cute, retro-styled city hatchbacks with Union Jack badges? Well, forget all about it - because the latest JCW GP hatch is anything but the MINI we're used to. Road & Track said it best - it makes the Honda Civic Type R feel like a luxury car.
But when you have over 300 hp bulldozing their way through the front axle, you have to compromise. How else are you going to achieve the 0-60 acceleration in around 5 seconds and the top speed of 160 mph? After all, it's the fastest, most powerful MINI ever - and surely looks and feels like that.
6 Audi S1
You love hot hatches, but don't want to sacrifice comfort and refinement for performance? The Audi S1 is the way to go. It might not be the newest car on this list - in fact, it's production ended some two years ago. But it still manages to amaze us with its performance.
With its 228 horsepower and Audi's signature Quattro AWD system, it manages to sprint from 0 to 60 in only 5.8 seconds. And unlike many other cars on this list, it still manages to look and feel like a comfortable, premium hatchback that it is. Such a shame that it was never sold in the US!
5 Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG
A small roadster might not be the type of car one imagines upon hearing the three magic letters AMG. However, it exists - and it's every bit as brutal as any other AMG car. We're talking about the SLK 55, of course. AMG built the SLK 55 according to their trusted recipe. Take the biggest engine you have and drop it under the hood of a car that, rationally, should have never been fitted with it.
As the numbers in its name suggest, the SLK 55 features a 5.5-liter, naturally aspirated (!) V8, built specifically for the model. This absolute unit kicks out 416 hp and 398 lb-ft of torque, just enough to allow the SLK 55 to jolt from 0 to 60 mph in only 4.1 seconds.
4 Audi TT RS
The TT RS has always been the unsung hero of Audi's performance. This is the car that perfected the quirky, unique 2.5-liter five-cylinder. And by "perfected" we mean, of course, pushed it to the absolute limits of performance.
We're talking about almost 400 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque in a car that has remained roughly the same size and weight ever since it first came out more than 20 years ago. Forget the hairdresser jokes - the TT RS is a real performer, and we'll be sad to see it go.
3 Hyundai i30N
With i30N, Hyundai made a bold entry into the hot hatch segment - and they didn't fall short ever for a tiny bit. According to many enthusiasts and reviewers, it is one of the best overall hot hatches on the market right now that combines form and function in the most on-point way possible.
The i30N's performance credentials come courtesy of its turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes as much as 271 hp, allowing the i30N to go from 0 to 60 in as little as 6.1 seconds. And by the way, it only comes with a six-speed manual! Sign us up.
2 KTM X-Bow R
KTM is more known for its motocross bikes, but we couldn't help but include the X-Bow on this list. Namely, because it fits all of our criteria - it's tiny, weird, and extremely fast. This open-top, street-legal go-kart makes 300 hp from a 2.0l turbocharged Audi four-cylinder.
With the dry weight of only 1741 lbs, that's quite insane! The X-Bow R goes from 0 to 60 in only 3.9 seconds, and while it might not be as fast as some of its track-focused competitors, it also costs much less - only around $100,000.
1 BMW 1 Series M Coupe
You may fight us, but we believe that the 1M Coupe is the greatest BMW of the last 20 years and a true modern classic. It ticked all the boxes that put BMW on the map all those years ago - a compact, agile performance car that is comfortable enough to drive every day and powerful enough to tear a race track to pieces. The 3.0l twin-turbocharged N54 six-cylinder pushed out 335 hp and up to 369 lb-ft of torque, which were sent to the rear axle via a six-speed manual and a limited-slip diff.
All this power was packed into a compact, entry-level body, which resulted in a 0-60 time of only 4.8 seconds. To this day, it remains one of the most balanced and polished BMW M cars and a true example of why you don't need a ton of power in a big car to have fun.