8 Forgotten Hot Hatches For Cheap 'n' Cheerful Fun

"If you want a hot hatchback," says the bloke down the pub, "get a Golf GTI. Or a 205 GTI. Or a Focus ST. Or one of them Renaultsport things."

On this rare occasion, Bloke In Pub is actually talking some sense. All the above are cracking bits of kit, and there are a handful more toasty hatches that'll do the trick too.

But, like the dog with a wonky leg and matted fur down at the rescue centre, there are always hot hatches which will be overlooked. The forgotten breeds. And just like the mildly manky mutt, they still deserve a good home before they disappear completely. So how about giving them some love?

Suzuki Ignis Sport

Can you say "rally refugee"? Okay, so the stumpy Suzuki may not have the Col du Turini cool of a Lancia Integrale, but these things dominated the lower classes a decade ago. The spec isn't bad though - 1.5 litres of revving insanity, 107 horses, and Recaro seats. Buy one and pretend you're the next McRae.

Honda Civic VTi

Later Civic Type Rs might be on your fast hatch radar, but the old VTi is as stealthy as your nan's 1.4 auto. Prices are kept moderately high by the few who still want them (a few grand nets a half-decent one), and many have been Fast and Furious'd to death. But pick wisely, and you'll have 157bhp of 1.6 under your right foot. VTEC jus' kicked in, yo.

Alfa Romeo 145 Cloverleaf

Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to own an Alfa Romeo to be a petrolhead - but it doesn't hurt. Unless it breaks down on you, then it hurts like a bitch. But none of the others here can match it for badge kudos, and the Twin-Spark engine is a peach. Get a good'un for a grand or so, look after it, and it may not even explode.

Daihatsu Charade GTti

You're more likely to slide off the road on some rocking horse sh*t and spin into a field of unicorns than find a GTti these days. But if you do, then the 1.0-litre, turbo'd three-pot is a screamer. Like the Ignis, these things used to kick ass in rallying, and they'll still surprise a few people today.

Rover 25 GTI

If your granddad has one of these, he might be more spry than he's letting on. The 25 may be as cool as incontinence pants, but under that bonnet is a 145bhp version of the 1.8 K-Series - 60 arrives in 8 seconds. And with those olde worlde Rover trimmings, the fuzz won't give you a second glance - try that in your MG ZR. Pricing starts from a monkey (£500, squire).

Citroen Xsara VTS

Citroen called the 3-door Xsara a "coupe". That's, as the French say, merde. It's a hatchback, and in VTS trim, quite a hot one. It got the 167bhp engine from the Peugeot 306 GTI-6, but dropped a gear. Like the Rover, you'd walk right past it in the car park. Even if you owned it. But it's still good fun, and cheap as frites.

Mazda MX-3 V6

Like Citroen, Mazda claimed the MX-3 was a coupe. The silhouette is sleek, but we still spy a hatchback, so it sneaks in here. With a V6, it's the forgotten rival to a VW Corrado or Golf VR6. Performance isn't great by today's standards, but as with many older, lighter, smaller cars, it'll feel quicker than it is. And you can pick one up for much less than a grand.

Volkswagen Polo GTI

And rounding off the list, we have a lesser-known VW GTI. Later on the Polo GTI became quite popular, but in Mk5 form it was often overlooked - people often bought the dinky Lupo GTI instead. The Polo gets the Lupo's 123bhp 1.6 engine and a set of BBS alloys - and if you know anything about anything, BBS rims make a Volkswagen. A couple of grand bags one.