Hot hatches

[ninjac]

I love my hot hatch. It's a Nissan Pulsar S-RV VZ-R.
I's only 1.6L but has more power than most 2.0L.
I love the go-cart like handling of hot hatches. I have driven many large cars and they just don't have the communication with the road to inspire confidence when pushing it. Plus, even when you thrash it (and smoke larger cars in the process) the fuel economy returned is only the average for a large car.
I love the look of the latest Golf GTi.
The downside is not being able to power-slide and do donuts with front wheel drive.

[Swoop]

And as for the Capri - I remember lusting after the 2 tone 2.8i Capri in the UK.

There is something about the shape of the Capri, isn't there!!!
Lovely lines!

[scracha]

fair enough, but the fact of the matter exists that would you rather have a fwd 1.4 turbo fiat or a rwd version if you had the choice?
Fwd is just a cost cutting exercise by the car companies. That why fuck all expensive cars use it. Saab 9000 is a joke next to a cheap porsche

Cost cutting for the drivers who purchase the cars. They're lighter and get better fuel economy. They handle slippery / wet roads better and are easier to drive for "normal" drivers. They also don't have a big transmission shaft going the length of the car taking up valuable space. If by "Expensive cars" you means sports cars then you're correct.

Of course, all kiwi blokes think they're Ralf Schumacher and therefore have to purchase V8 rear wheel drive $hitboxes.

Comparing a Saab 9000 to a Porsche is just plain stupid. Why not compare it to an Alfa Romeo or Audi TT? Oh I forgot, different market and different price range,

As for your earlier question, you've obviously never experienced torque steer on a high powered front wheel drive car.

[Motu]

My Charade GTti was a pretty impresive little hatch,apart from the Euro stuff I haven't driven a Jap hatch that could get anywhere near it.But hatch's have a lot of weight high in the rear - after driving my NX Coupe for a year I've noticed the better weight distibution,it's not a fast little car,but as a heap of shit it handles better than a hatch with all the gear.

[bane]

hatches are pretty popular in NZ. If you look at smallish models with both a hatch and saloon variant (corolla, tiida. Mazda 3, the old civic), around 75% are bought as hatches.

In the 80's, the basic small hatch had rubbish performance, and a hotted up version was required for any form of fun - now days, even the basic model have respectable performance.

Take the mazda 3, basic 2L version does 0-100 in 8.5secs, and has top speed of 210kph - late 80's Golf GTi type figures. They handle well, and are good fun (especially as rentals)

The MPS version of the 3 ("hot hatch") does 0-100 in 6secs and tops out at 245kph, supercar performance in the early 90's.

As for rwd vs fwd, the most tail happy car ive ever driven was a Pug 205GTi (1.9). You had to be mighty quick to catch the lift off oversteer (the closest ive ever come to writing off a car in a test drive). Its not as satisfying as power oversteer, but it certainly gets the adrenalin pumping!

[boomer]

Back in the UK there's the BCSD syndrome to keep small car sales buoyant.

Kiwi blokes are actually comfortable to advertise their lack of penile development by driving large cars - good on 'em. Well done. Helps their women identify the European blokes that can really satisfy.

Seriously though it might have something to do with petrol being one third of the price it is in the UK.....and STILL they complain - who's whingeing now? Oh yeah...and Boomer drives a big car too......

Both my cars are big, its just the bike thats small and my cocks HUGE! big enough to fill 3 prams bro!

[Swoop]

A hatch, I guess, is a way to improve traffic flow by having less "big" cars on the road.
Logically then, improving the situation would mean making a hatch even smaller. Perhaps removing a wheel, since a car can drive on three.
The next step in the evolutionary scale of "motoring life" would be to reduce the size again and also removing another wheel, since you can balance on just two and use your foot for balance when stationary.
Imagine the space we would save on the roads and the pitiful amount of congestion on NZ roads if we all did this!
What would we call such a wonderful mode of transportation...?