Hot hatches have never been hotter. When the Golf GTi was launched back in the 1970s the car world was impressed that a humble front-wheel drive hatchback could break 10secs to 60mph.
But the quickest of today’s current hot hatch crop can get to 60mph in less the 5sec, and one even ducks into the threes. Reckon you can name the fastest five?
5. BMW M135i xDrive: 4.8sec 0-62mph
Coming in bottom of our top five is BMW’s fastest 1-series. The M135i badge used to mean rear-wheel drive and six cylinders; these days the 1-series shares its platform with the Mini so the M135i is a turbocharged four-cylinder hot hatch with four-wheel drive.
Its 2.0-litre Twin Power engine makes 302bhp and 450Nm of torque, and comes with a £37,685 price. If that sounds too steep, look out for its front-wheel drive 128ti little brother, which lands in the UK next year.
4. Mercedes-AMG A35 4Matic: 4.7sec 0-62mph
Despite offering the same 302bhp as its BMW rival and 50Nm less torque, AMG’s entry-level A-class hatch takes a tenth out of the M135i to 62mph.
What does that look like on the road? Absolutely imperceptible. But in the pub when you’re lording it over your BMW-driving mates it’ll feel like you’re miles ahead. And you can rub salt in the wound by reminding them its over £500 cheaper.
3. Volkswagen Golf R: 4.7 0-62mph
The Mk8 Golf R is the newest car on the list, but not the fastest. Using the same 2.0-litre turbo four and four-wheel drive combo as our previous two hatches, it serves up 316bhp and 420Nm of torque.
It gets the same steely gaze and digital dash as other Mk8 Golfs, but this time there’s an optional R performance pack with a ‘drift’ mode and a 168mph limiter in place of the standard 155mph one. VW hasn’t announced prices, but they’re likely to start at £37k.
2. Audi RS3: 4.1sec 0-62mph
Now we’re getting serious. The RS3 takes us all the way to 400bhp (okay, 397bhp if we’re being pedantic) in one step, and the way it makes it is even more notable.
While the other cars on our list all used four-cylinder engines, the RS3 gets a turbocharged inline five, just like the original 1980s quattro (which Audi spelled with a small q, for some reason).
As you’d hope for £46,885, the RS3 is hugely rapid, but even its 4.1sec 0-62mph effort isn’t enough to put it top of our top five.
1. Mercedes-AMG A45 S 4Matic+: 3.9sec 0-62mph
Three-point nine seconds. Ridiculous, isn’t it? That makes the A45S fast enough to shade a current Porsche 911 Carrera from the lights, and who’d bet against it on a wet, twisty B-road?
Though it’s be easy to presume the A45 is just an A35 with a healthy dose of extra turbo boost, there’s far more to it. The 1991cc engine is comprehensively re-engineered, and even turned through 180 degrees to make the induction system more efficient. There’s also a trick rear differential for naughty oversteer slides.
Unsurprisingly, the A45S’s 415bhp and 500Nm outputs are the biggest here, and so is the price. A standard A45S costs £49,095, but the Plus version pictured here with the aero kit, 19in wheels and adaptive dampers is £55,095.
Keyword: Can you name the UK's 5 fastest hot hatches?