When it comes to hot hatches, the Mazda3 is one of the most popular and fun-to-drive options. That said, Mazda is always changing its cars, usually for the better but sometimes for the worse. Here’s a look at how a small tweak to the 2021 Mazda3 2.5 Turbo hatchback has made it less fun to …
The Golf R won’t come to the US until the 2022 model year. But the latest version of Volkswagen’s hottest hatch is shaping up to be seriously impressive. However, at least in the US, the Honda Civic Type R arguably wears the hot-hatch crown. So, which one delivers the biggest helping of speed? The YouTube …
Over here in the US, the Abarth name is mostly associated with the Fiat 500 and the 124 Spider. However, Carlo Abarth tuned a wide variety of cars back in the day, many of which were never officially sold here. And among them was a little Italian hatchback called the Autobianchi A112. The Autobianchi A112 …
Until the hinted-at Corolla hot hatch finally arrives, the only GR car Toyota offers in the US is the Supra. But overseas, the GR Yaris has been making plenty of waves—and that’s even before the tuners got a hold of it. Specifically, UK-based Litchfield. However, the six-cylinder Toyota Supra 3.0 has also gotten a power …
Sadly, we’re not getting the latest 500 here in the US. But Fiat did bring the last-gen version to the US for several years. And while you could have the Fiat 500 in convertible or even electric 500e form, the most exciting version was the 500 Abarth hot hatch. Used examples tend to be rather …
The GR Yaris’s rave reviews don’t make its lack of US availability any easier to bear. But the Toyota hot hatch isn’t the only rally-themed car kept from American shores. Although Mitsubishi eventually sold the Lancer Evo here, we never got the earlier models. For example, the celebratory Lancer Evo VI Tommi Makinen Edition. But …
While the standard Golf has been discontinued in the US, Volkswagen hasn’t left its hatchback buyers high and dry. In addition to the upcoming Mk8 GTI, we’re also getting the next-gen Volkswagen Golf R. And while the ongoing pandemic has made reviewing cars trickier, YouTube team The Straight Pipes still wanted to witness the Golf …
Automaker collaborations can lead to interesting vehicles. The modern Supra, for example, is the result of BMW and Toyota working together. And it’s because Toyota joined forces with Subaru that we have the 86 and BRZ. But new rumors suggest the two Japanese automakers aren’t done with their partnership. We’re hearing whispers that Toyota and …
Hot hatches are the coolest. Full-stop. They hit all the major food groups; fast, efficient, practical, and good looking. In almost every other segment in the automotive industry, you end up sacrificing something to get something else. The hot hatch group, in general, doesn’t really feel that way. So, we agree; hot hatches are the …
Thanks to a rally racing touch, the Toyota GR Yaris is shaping up to a truly hype-worthy hot hatch. But it’s not the Japanese automaker’s only all-wheel-drive hatchback rally entry. Before the GR Yaris, Toyota had the Celica GT-Four. But how does the new kid on the block compare to the old guard? The YouTube …
While the 2020 Civic Type R is already a terrific hot hatch, Honda gave it one last tweak before the 2022 redesign. It’s the 2021 Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition, and it’s already sold out in Canada. Naturally, given the Type R’s tunability, some may want to make a homebrewed version of the LE. …
With the loss of Ford’s ST and RS models, the hot hatch selection in the US has gotten fairly thin. Fortunately, in addition to relative newcomers like the Hyundai Veloster N, the archetypal hot hatch, the Volkswagen GTI, is still sticking around. And as we await the next-gen 2022 model, older examples will start getting …
Until the rumored Corolla hot hatch arrives, all US enthusiasts can do is pine over the Toyota GR Yaris. And all-wheel drive is just one of the many upgrades it enjoys over the standard Yaris. However, up until a few years ago, the biggest name in forbidden Japanese hot hatches was the FWD Honda Civic …
Before the Civic Type R landed in the US, Honda’s sportiest hatchback was the Civic Si. It actually pre-dates the first US-market Type R, the Acura Integra. And like many 80s and 90s cars, early Civic Si values have been on the rise. If you want to understand, one of the best examples is the …
While a Mazdaspeed version isn’t happening, Mazda is still giving the 2021 Mazda3 a bit of zoom-zoom. Specifically, in the form of a new turbocharged powertrain. However, the Mazda3 Turbo’s luxury aspirations put it in competition with another turbocharged fast hatchback: the Volkswagen Golf R. But which one is really faster? That’s what YouTube team …
Here in the US, the Yaris hatchback serves—or rather, served—as Toyota’s cheapest car. But its strengths don’t include performance. So Gazoo Racing, the Japanese automaker’s performance division, stepped in to correct that. In doing so, it created the Toyota GR Yaris, an all-wheel-drive throwback to the brand’s rally days. It’s not coming to the US—but …
While its newest models come with quite a few restrictions, many older Ferraris find themselves being used for all sorts of projects. Some builds, like Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera’s Aero 3, give the donor Ferrari a full re-skin. Others, though, focus on transplanting the Italian powertrain into more mundane cars. And one of these builds, the …
The recent unveiling of the 2022 Volkswagen Golf R brought along the announcement of a unique new feature. The Golf R now features a new drift mode, which in theory, should allow its owners to do wonderful skids on the track. The VW isn’t even the only hot hatchback to offer it. So far, only …
The Mk1 Volkswagen Golf GTI ushered in the concept of the front-wheel-drive hot hatch. Since then, other models have tweaked the formula. The Saab 900 Turbo, for example, introduced turbocharging. And the Lancia Delta Integrale broached the topic of all-wheel drive. But not all hot hatches were sold in the US. And getting one of …
For performance with daily practicality, the usual answer is a hot hatch. And some of the best modern ones, like the Honda Civic Type R, can even embarrass classic supercars. But some hatches went beyond ‘hot’ and went straight to ‘super’ thanks to some drastic changes. And YouTube team The Straight Pipes recently spent time …
While the Mustang is now Ford’s only performance passenger car, until recently it offered several more. The AWD Focus RS tends to be easily remembered, but it isn’t the only hot hatch Ford once offered in the US. It’s not even the only Focus-based one. The FWD Ford Focus ST may have been overshadowed by …
Though the Accord loses its manual for 2021, the Honda sedan can still out-speed the Toyota Camry TRD. That’s partially thanks to a powertrain shared with the Honda Civic Type R hot hatch. However, even though the Accord’s quick, could it really be as fast as the Civic Type R? YouTube team Throttle House decided …
It’s not just sedans that Ford’s cut from its US lineup, but hot hatches too. Up until fairly recently, you could walk into a Blue Oval dealership and take your pick from 3 different models. There was the all-wheel-drive rally-inspired Focus RS, as well as the more ‘traditional hot hatch’-style FWD Focus ST. And then …
The ‘Type R’ moniker is very special to Honda and its fans, and the latest Civic Type R lives up to that heritage. However, it’s not the only iconic Japanese nameplate available in the US. The reborn Toyota Supra, like the Civic Type R, got a recent update and a new four-cylinder Supra 2.0 model. …
The Toyota Corolla is a benchmark Toyota car. Now, we have the 2021 Toyota Corolla presenting with some new trims, or ‘grades,’ as the Toyota press videos call them. There is an all-new special edition called the Apex, as well as the spunky hot hatch Corolla. In fact, with a reputation for being a basic …
The Integra Type R never wore a Honda badge in the US. But along with Fast and Furious, it helped create a wave of JDM love that’s never really gone away. We could only watch and envy the markets which received the early Civic Type R models. However, eventually, as with the Nissan GT-R, Honda’s …
That the Ferrari F40-beating 2021 limited-edition Honda Civic Type R sold out in minutes should be proof enough of the hot hatch’s credentials. But if you missed out, the 2020 Civic Type R is by no means a consolation prize. And it’s not a pretender to the Integra Type R’s name, nor is it hanging …
Among hot hatches, the 2020 Honda Civic Type R stands particularly high. It’s the sportiest and most powerful Civic and heir to the iconic ‘Type R’ nameplate. But while that makes for an exhilarating driving experience, it also requires dealing with the Civic Type R’s drawbacks. In the 2020 Honda Civic Type R, ‘Comfort Mode’ …
With the death of the Fusion, Ford only has one passenger car remaining that isn’t a crossover or supercar: the Mustang. And while the pony car offers impressive speed, the automaker used to offer a wider performance selection. Only a few short years ago, Ford offered several hot hatches, like the Fiesta ST and Focus …
Classic styles aren’t limited to the 60s and 70s anymore, both for cars and motorcycles. As the rise of Radwood and the continuation of Hot Import Nights shows, the 80s and 90s are in, man. JDM vehicles are especially popular, and not just performance stars like the Skyline GT-R. Obscure models like the Autozam AZ-1 …
To many enthusiasts, ‘R32’ refers to Nissan Skyline GTRs. But it’s also the name of a Volkswagen: the Golf R32. Previewed by the Beetle RSi, the Volkswagen Golf R32 was a step up in performance from the GTI hot hatch. But does that justify spending $62,000 on a used one? 2004 Volkswagen Golf R32: background, …
Even among the high-power hot hatches, the Volkswagen Golf GTI is still a segment benchmark. Which makes sense, given that it did establish it in the 80s. And it’s so popular in the US that although we’re not getting the next-gen Golf, the GTI and Golf R are coming here. But is the 2022 Volkswagen …
It’s not just the Genesis brand and the Telluride that are fueling Hyundai’s rise. The Korean automaker’s hot hatch, the Veloster N, can compete with segment leaders like the Volkswagen GTI. But to keep up with models like the Honda Civic Type R, it still needs a bit more performance. Luckily, for 2021, Hyundai is …
The Golf name has adorned quite a few high-performance Volkswagens. And before the R, the fastest Golf was the all-wheel-drive R32. But before the hot hatch received its powertrain, another VW product tested it out first. Which led to one of the rarest, fastest, and priciest Volkswagen Beetles ever: the Beetle RSI. Volkswagen Beetle RSI …
Since the Ford Focus ST’s and Fiesta ST’s cancellation, American OEMs haven’t really offered a genuine hot hatch. However, even before those cars came out, Chevrolet was offering its own spin on the ‘sporty version of a regular car’ formula. The late-2000s HHR SS panel van is one such example. But arguably the closest thing …
While the John Cooper Works Minis are genuinely fast and fun, there are a few hot hatches that are even faster. For example, the recently-updated Honda Civic Type R. But for the hardcore driving enthusiast, there’s a new Mini Cooper available: the Mini Cooper JCW GP. And it’s seriously gunning for the Civic Type R’s …
Today, turbochargers are a standard part of the hot hatch formula. And some of the hottest, like the Golf R, rely on all-wheel drive for greater speed and traction. Both helped start the legends of cars like the Audi Ur-Quattro, Subaru WRX, and Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. But all 3 were hard-pressed to keep up with …
Ownership by BMW has taken Mini quite a bit from its beginnings. Although it still makes the Mini Cooper, the brand has expanded its offerings to include larger cars like the Countryman. And even though it also offers hybrids and EVs, Mini maintains some connections to its past. Particularly in the form of the Mini …
Newly sharpened for 2020, the Honda Civic Type R has proven to be one of the best hot hatches on sale today. It’s a fitting successor to the moniker started in the US by the Acura Integra Type R. However, today’s CTR approaches performance from a different perspective than the originals, eschewing high-revving naturally-aspirated engines …
You may have heard the term ‘hot hatch‘ before, and even if you know what some examples of hot hatches are you may not fully understand what the term means. Hot hatches are pretty uncommon, especially in the United States, but they have a lot to offer and are all-around great cars if you’re looking …
When the original Volkswagen GTI helped start the front-wheel-drive hot hatch segment, very few production vehicles had turbos. Only high-performance cars, or rally homologation specials, could afford to house them. Today, though, turbocharging is basically a hot hatch requirement. The Fiat 500 Abarth, Hyundai Veloster N, Civic Type R, and VW GTI all have turbocharged …
Although the Beetle eventually led to the Porsche 911, it’s the Golf that’s arguably more important to Volkswagen. Initially sold as the Rabbit in the US, the Golf has been used for everything from basic transportation to dual-engine Pikes Peak racer. Then there’s the Volkswagen GTI, which kick-started the hot hatch segment, creating rivals like …
Toyota seems to be slowly regaining its performance mojo. While the Avalon TRD isn’t terribly sporty, the Camry TRD can have some racetrack fun. Unfortunately, US enthusiasts can’t get their hands on the GR Yaris. Like the Celica GT4 before it, the GR Yaris is a true AWD homologation-special hot hatch. But because it’s so …
With Ford discontinuing the Fiesta ST and Focus ST, and the Fiat 500 Abarth gone too, the pool of US-market hot hatches has shrunk significantly. It’s down to the Honda Civic Type R, the Hyundai Veloster N, and the latest version of the original hot hatch, the VW GTI. However, thanks to the 25-year import …
