Small hot hatch

[Breaker]

Say a certain someone was becoming a bit stale with his z4 coupe and has a strange urge to get the smallest and fastest hatch back he can find, which one would you think he should go for a drive in?

I see where you are coming from with this as I almost went back to a MINI last year as they can be more fun day to day than the Z4. I still may one day! :wink:

My missus has a new shape Cooper S and it's great fun to drive. She had a Fiesta ST before that and that too was a great car. MINI is better though. I have had 3 MINI's so far. Great cars.

 

[Robb]

Back to this, sorry.

Thoughts on the new polo gti, 1.4 supercharged turbo with 7 speed dsg, potential to be fun?

 

[ga41]

Back to this, sorry.

Thoughts on the new polo gti, 1.4 supercharged turbo with 7 speed dsg, potential to be fun?

Reviews are generally positive, they describe it as a mini Golf GTi, smooth, quick, efficient. I was hoping for something a bit more unruly to be honest. They're also mechanically identical to the Ibiza Cupra and the Skoda Fabia VRS.

 

[Jono]

Try a Mini GP...it's a hoot

 

[a11y]

Back to this, sorry.

Thoughts on the new polo gti, 1.4 supercharged turbo with 7 speed dsg, potential to be fun?

Reviews are generally positive, they describe it as a mini Golf GTi, smooth, quick, efficient. I was hoping for something a bit more unruly to be honest. They're also mechanically identical to the Ibiza Cupra and the Skoda Fabia VRS.

Matches the reviews I've read about it too. Although one thing I've seen mentioned is it beign a bit uninvolving, with the DSG gearbox not helping. Interesting that the Polo GTI is still much bigger and heavier (but obviously more powerful) than the mk1 and mk2 Golfs...

MINI GP - yep, I was very tempted by one instead of the Z4. But was silly money compared to what I could got in Z4's for the same amount of money.

 

[Robb]

Dragging an old thread from the dead alert, well it was my thread to start with so there.

I should of stuck to this small hatch plan from the start, the 630 i swapped my Z for is going on friday, tbh never really gelled with it, an amazing car that it was it just wasnt really me and i alway felt guilty thrashing the arse off it. That along with other reasons such as scraping money together for a house deposit ment it made sens to cut losses and get something cheaper to run off my original list.

So after a trip round the houses, paper work signed to pick up my nearly new Abarth 500 on friday, reasonable deal with a chunk of cash back my way means the first part of the objective is met.
Its a 2010, 59 plate, one owner 5k miles from new, black with red leather, climate, bluetooth, upgrade stereo, spangly wheels etc. finally got some excitement again, the b-roads around darlo aint gonna know what hit them.
I know the rules, pics or it didnt happen etc, will get some when i pick it up and give it the new car wash regardles of how clean it it.

 

[Breaker]

Coming from a stable of BMW MINI's before the Z4 days, I know where your coming from. The supercharged MINI S Works is still the best drivers car I've owned so far! I keep getting drawn to the latest Focus RS!! Now the Series 1 M is out!

I just think, 2 week into a car like that now, I'd end up missing the looks of my Z4 though, both inside and out!

 

[T1berious]

As a former hot hatch owner (Pug GTi and Renault 5 GT Turbo), I've often felt the tug towards a hot hatch.

Clio has been getting rave reviews and if you ever wanted to do track work it would run rings around much more expensive \ powerful machinery.

Cooper S is also right up there. (I'd also imagine the build quality would be much higher)

Do miss a mental hot hatch though, you can go 9 tenths and have a ball Bigger cars at 9 tenths tends to lead to too much olice: attention...

Corrado VR6 = the ban machine

 

[Robb]

Pics of my new toy, its obscene amounts of fun:

It literally is a go kart with a roof, if you think the ride is firm in a z4 this i a whole new level.

 

[Friengineer]

I'd say you probably went for the right choice. A clio would be quicker no doubt (I'm an ex 197 owner), but you'd likely get utterly annoyed after a while with the build quality!

 

[gannet]

looks good

 

[ga41]

Now fit a cheeky blowoff valve and an exhaust and the tiny hooligan is set to go!

 

[Redzedfour]

Nice little pocket rocket you got there,i'll keep a lookout for you when i'm in Darlo

 

[Z4 Beemer]

Looks an amazing little car!

 

[Breaker]

Looks great. Like those!

 

[navid.v]

Robb,

was this brand new?I was looking into test driving one but no actual Abarth dealer round here, I know some Fiat dealers have them but where did you get yours?
as my wife likes the 500 and I like the sporty stuff, so this looks like a good compromise :wink:

 

[imp75]

Robb, you made the right choice my friend. Looks classic and contempory all at once. I bought brand new vxr corsa (needed a 4 seated as well since my son was born) as it had most power available for the monthly outlay. It's fun, but on reflection I was swayed by the awesome recaro seats; still the best I ever had. Wish I had the abarth but can't get baby buggy etc in it!

 

[Robb]

Cheers all, its a fantastic little car.
navid.v I got it from the abarth dealer in york, he was telling me the day I bought mine he sold 4 more used ones that weekend so I guess they are popular little car.
imp75, your right I am more than happy with my little car, its a long way down on power from anything iv owned in the last 5 years but it somehow doesnt seem to matter, the noise, the little pops on the upshift and the bouncy ride all make it feel like your doing 200mph everywhere, totally into it.
Its one of those cars when you return home from somewhere you sit behind the wheel racking your brain for another excuse to turn around and head back out somewhere just for the sake of driving it again.
I know what you mean about the seats in the corsa tho, brilliant, the problem I thought with the corsa is its the most powerful of this type of car about at the min and I was thinking in a few years time the corsa will start to silp into the clutches of the baseball cap brigade with max power stickers and all, the abarth is only 135bhp so would never have the same draw.

Overall v.happy with it, obv there isnt the same build quality or finish I got used to in the zed and then to an even greater degree in the 6-series but its nice to get back to basics, I feel I can play with this car and not feel guilty, been checking out the abarth forums and already being tempted by a TMC tuning box, will probably just end up leaving it alone for the time being and enjoy it for what it is.

Red zed, i know your fair local so if you wanna have a catch up or go for a blast out somewhere gimme a shout, iv not had the pleasure of having a look at your new coupe yet?