The Limited Edition is the pinnacle of the FK8 though, with a 47kg weight saving, revised steering, reworked damping and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres to add focus and trim lap time. The brilliant FL5 is essentially a development of the old car, sharing the same fundamental engine, gearbox and chassis. In Limited Edition guise, the FK8 is a full six-tenths clear of the Mégane RS Trophy-R – and a smidge quicker than a Porsche 718 Cayman S.ĭig beneath the edgy, bewinged exterior and it's easy to see why. It's all the more impressive, then, that it’s the previous-generation FK8 model that occupies the top spot in our list of hot hatch lap times. The latest FL5-generation Type R blew us away with its tactility and speed, but we're yet to test it around Bedford. Some hot hatches are more powerful, others have more advanced technology, but none have the poise of the Honda Civic Type R. The top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks we've tested at the Bedford West Circuit > Best hot hatchbacks 2023 – the best everyday performance cars you can buy Here’s a list of the fastest hot hatches we’ve ever tested – some of which could make a great used buy. There are variables of course, not least weather, track conditions, and OEM tyre spec, but the cream usually rises to the top. The 1.8-mile lap of the West Circuit is a stern challenge for any road car, but particularly a hot hatch, due to its power-hungry straights, low-speed traction zones and long, steady-state corners. Over the years, we’ve tested numerous hot hatches against the stopwatch at our home circuit, Bedford Autodrome, to separate the good from the very best. Platforms are being pushed right to the edge, and there’s arguably never been a more exciting period for the genre. It seems unfathomable that a front-wheel-drive family car could lap faster than a two-seat, mid-engined Porsche around a track, but that is the way of the modern hot hatch. There’s no set formula for hot hatches in 2023, but one thing is clear – new heights for power, performance and sophistication have been reached in recent times.
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