Hot hatch
Due to the historical scarcity of hatchback cars in the United States,[citation needed] the term hot hatch is not widely used in the US.
The first car to meet the criteria of a hot hatch, the AMC Gremlin, was introduced in the United States on April 1, 1970.
The manufacturer described the Gremlin as "a pal to its friends and an ogre to its enemies," emphasizing its performance and radical design in comparison to other cars in its class.
It was prepared by the motorsports division of the Fiat Group, at first with a 982 cc engine, obtained by increasing the stroke, coupled to a sporting exhaust, a twin-choke carburetor, and a different camshaft.
Along with a 5-speed gearbox, it featured a more powerful version of the standard 1.2 litre engine, brought to 68 PS (50 kW; 67 hp) by adopting a Weber twin-choke carburettor, allowing the small saloon to reach 160 km/h (99 mph).
The car credited with establishing the popularity of hot hatches is the Volkswagen Golf GTI,[11][13][14] which was announced at the 1975 Frankfurt Motor Show.
The Renault 5 Alpine and Volkswagen Golf GTI, with the addition of a more powerful engine, sharper handling, distinctive body styling with additional spoilers and alloy wheels, helped create the birth of a huge market for small, practical hatchback cars with performance to match contemporary coupes such as the Ford Capri 2.0, Lancia Beta Coupe 2000 and Renault 17 TS.
With top speeds above 110 mph (177 km/h), the Alpine and GTI enjoyed a short run of unparalleled sales success until the early 1980s.
In 1978, Vauxhall created the Chevette HS and HSR by fitting the 2.3 litre slant-four engine, using a 16-valve cylinder head.
From around 1984, the market for hatchbacks with sportier performance grew, and many manufacturers added a hot hatch variant to their range.
Power increases were achieved through upgraded carburettors (e.g. the Ford Fiesta XR2),[19] fuel injection (e.g. the Peugeot 205 GTI),[20] turbocharging (e.g. the Renault 5 GT Turbo), supercharging (e.g. the Polo G40) or fitting larger engines (e.g. the 2.0 litre Fiat Ritmo/Strada Abarth 130 TC).
[21] Other significant hot hatches of the 1980s include the Ford Escort RS Turbo, Opel Kadett GTE (also known as Vauxhall Astra GTE), Renault 11 Turbo, Lancia Delta HF Integrale (all-wheel drive), Citroën AX GT and Suzuki Swift GTi.
However, the WRX/STI is generally considered a compact saloon (to rival the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution),[43] rather than a hot hatch.
[49] In the 1980s, hot hatches built by Ford in the United States include the 1983 Escort GT (and its twin the Mercury Lynx XR3),[50][51][52] Chrysler hot hatches include the 1984 Dodge Omni GLH ("Goes Like Hell")[53] and the 1986 Shelby GLHS ("Goes Like Hell S'more").
