Skip advert
Advertisement

evo Magazine May 2014 - best hot hatchbacks ever

Hot hatch! Five decades of affordable speed - driving the best ever, from mk1 Golf GTI to BMW M135i

Try evo Magazine's new app on iPhone or iPad

Try evo Magazine's new app on Android devices

Buy a copy of evo 195 in our online shop

Subscibe to evo electronically on Zinio here

NEWSAn all-new TT heads up Audi’s sports car future, there’s a new Maserati, and someone finally names a car ‘Explosion’. Geneva motor show highlights are here

Advertisement - Article continues below

COLUMNSMeaden’s talking speed limits. We’ve prepped the postie for extra bags of angry letters next month…

LETTERS…speaking of which, moans aplenty sparked by Dickie’s column last month, in which he worried about the youth of today

FIRST DRIVESThe Jaguar F-type Coupe, Tesla Model S, BMW 435d xDrive and Porsche 911 50th Anniversary Edition are among the cars reviewed this month

GREATEST EVER HOT HATCHESThe hot hatchback is as important to us as the supercar. It’s not merely the accepted entry point into performance car ownership, the genre also contains some true automotive icons. Here, the 15 greatest hatches of the past 40 years three-wheel and lift-off oversteer their way around the evo Triangle in one of our biggest and most fun group tests ever

VW GOLF R v RIVALSIf that isn’t enough hot hatches for you, the new kids on the block – the 297bhp, four-wheel-drive Golf R and Ring-conquering Leon Cupra 280 – tackle the class best from BMW, Renault, Vauxhall and VW EXTREME HATCHESDoesn’t a hot hatch need back seats and a parcel shelf? What the heck… Here’s a battle between three of the most hardcore offerings – Mégane R26.R, Civic Mugen and Mini GP KOENIGSEGG ONE:1Meet the world’s first ‘megacar’ – the 1000kW (or 1341bhp) Swede with a smörgåsbord of tech

LAMBORGHINI HURACÁNAfter ten years in production, the Gallardo accounted for very nearly half of all Lamborghinis ever built. Needless to say, its Huracán successor has some pretty big suede driving moccasins to fill…

LAMBO BAMBINOSA potted history of baby Lamborghinis, from Urraco through to Gallardo

EAGLE E-TYPE LOW DRAG GTThe most beautiful car ever to appear in evo magazine? LONG-TERM TESTSThe most hard-worked car on our fleet – the group test veteran Mini GP – finally torque-steers into the sunset. Cue a sombre office

EVO KNOWLEDGEPromised yourself a new sports car just in time for the summer? Go hardcore – get a Vauxhall VX220

ART OF SPEEDThe greatest car design flourishes celebrated. This month, the double-bubble roof featured on the Aston Martin V12 Zagato

Try evo Magazine's new app on iPhone or iPad

Try evo Magazine's new app on Android devices

Buy a copy of evo 195 in our online shop

Subscibe to evo electronically on Zinio here

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Volkswagen Golf Mk8.5 review – still the hatchback benchmark?
Mk8.5 Volkswagen Golf
In-depth reviews

Volkswagen Golf Mk8.5 review – still the hatchback benchmark?

The Mk8.5 Volkswagen Golf is a better offering than the original, but it’s still not quite the no-brainer the model once was
24 Feb 2026
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Jaecoo 7 review – impressive in ways, not great in others
Jaecoo 7
Reviews

Jaecoo 7 review – impressive in ways, not great in others

Is what is now one of Britain’s best-selling cars actually any good? We got one in to find out
11 Aug 2026
Unpopular opinion: Why fast estate cars are almost pointless
BMW M3 Touring (E46)
Opinion

Unpopular opinion: Why fast estate cars are almost pointless

The ‘spork’ of the car world – do-it-all, but two cars each dedicated to their specific job would be better
11 Aug 2026
Jaguar Type 01 interior revealed – futuristic and luxurious to make German cars look old-fashioned
Jaguar Type 01 interior
News

Jaguar Type 01 interior revealed – futuristic and luxurious to make German cars look old-fashioned

Unsurprisingly the Jag’s cabin is as bold and futuristically luxurious as its exterior, if not entirely clear in terms of ergonomics…
11 Aug 2026