Defining cool: the hottest hatchbacks of the 80's

Ah, the Eighties. They gave us big hair, bold fashion and brilliant music. Better than all of this though - they gave us some of the hottest, wildest and most competitive hatchbacks to date.

In no particular order, here are some of the forgotten but legendary highlights...

Volkswagen Golf GTI Mk2

modernclassicsmagazine.co.uk

modernclassicsmagazine.co.uk

Having hit the ground running with the secretly-developed Mk1, the second generation of GTI was a fast, furious success and latterly a triumph in 4WD motoring thanks to the Rallye edition. Sprinting from 0-60mph in under 10 seconds and capable of delivering sensational driving thrills, over 7 million Mk2's were sold during their years of production!

Lancia Delta HF Integrale

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Possibly the hottest hatchback in history, the first generation of Lancia Delta brought us icons in development and rallying, having achieved prominent success throughout an entire decade. In a toss up between the 197hp 16V Intergrale, the Evoluzione and the HF ('High Fidelity'), I settled on the HF Integrale. Why? Because the glory days of Lancia and the Delta really did begin with that one model.

Peugeot 205 GTI

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The 205 GTI was launched in 1983 and is still used as a benchmark by Peugeot to this very day. The nimble hatch defined the term 'super-mini' thanks to its 900kg weight and 105bhp 1.6-litre engine, which could shoot the car from 0-62mph in just 8.7 seconds! And things got even faster for the little hatch in 1986 when the 1.9-litre was born.

Ford Escort RS Turbo

1985 Series 1

1985 Series 1

Based on the popular 3-door saloon, the striking diamond white RS Turbo's packed a 132bhp 4-cylinder 1.6-Litre engine and were the first-ever Front-wheel Drive models to receive a limited slip differential. Born to stand out, only black edition was every built and it was exclusively designed for Princess Diana.

Renault 5 GT Turbo

classics.honestjohn.co.uk

classics.honestjohn.co.uk

Before we go any further, I will start by saying that yes, this is the car Ali G sprayed yellow and drove in his debut film ('ere me now?). Small but mighty, the nippy GT Turbo was considerably faster than all of its rivals; delivering a 0-60mph time of just 7.5 seconds and a top speed of 125 mph thanks to its light 820kg weight and powerful 4 clyinder engine.

Mazda 323 Turbo

classics.honestjohn.co.uk

classics.honestjohn.co.uk

With an already successful history in motorsport, Mazda really knocked the ball out of the park when they produced the 323 - a 149bhp weapon that was used in Mazdas Group A challenges when they entered the world of rallying in 1985. The 323 was renowned for its unrivalled grip, full-time four-wheel drive system complete with lockable differential, race-inspired suspension and sporty interior and bodykit. Sadly, just 11 models are left in the UK.

Audi Quattro

pistonheads.com

pistonheads.com

Pistonheads describe the Quattro experience as 'an intoxicating combination of turbo power and four-wheel drive' and I couldn't come up with a better description though I tried. Not only was the Quattro the first ever Four-Wheel Drive rally car, but Audi were at least 2 years ahead of their competitors in terms of its technical design. The Quattro also made history when it was driven by Michèle Mouton, as she became the first ever woman to win a World Championship rally, when racing it in San Remo.

Fiat Strada Abarth 130TC

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Sporting one of the coolest grilles in hatch history, the Strada Abarth was a proper car for enthusiastic drivers - for a while it even had better performance figures than the Golf GTI! When most brands were equipping their hatches with fuel injectors, Fiat stuck to an old-school pair of Weber carburettors and derived a whopping 128hp from its in-line four engine.

So, having seen and heard about eight of the finest 80's hatchbacks, I have a question to ask you... Do you think that the modern hatchbacks compare to these ruthless sprinters or are you happy with your driving aids, advanced tech and safety-aware pocket rockets? Tell me in the comments...

Thanks for reading!

Interested in more hatch history? Check these out...

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