If you’re into hot hatches, there may never have been a better time than now to buy one. The current hot hatch market is positively dripping with great cars from all over the price range, so there are plenty to choose from no matter your budget. Admittedly, this group of cars that Carwow put together are all quite expensive but they all provide great combinations of hot-hatch fun an daily usability. So let’s check out which one is fastest.
This latest drag race pits the BMW M135i up against the Mercedes-AMG A35, Volkswagen Golf R, Audi S3, and the latest, most exciting hot-hatch on the market, the Honda Civic Type R.
Four of the five cars are all extremely similar because they’re all German and there seems to be very little imagination coming from the the German auto industry at the moment. The BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, and Audi all have 2.0-liter turbocharged engines with around 300 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque. They all have automatic transmissions—the Mercedes, Audi, and VW all have dual-clutches, while the BMW has an eight-speed auto—and they all have front-wheel drive-based Haldex all-wheel drive systems. You essentially just pick which body style you want because they’re all the flippin’ same. Even the Honda Civic Type R uses a 2.0-liter turbo-four with 315 horsepower. However, it shakes things up by being front-wheel drive and using a manual gearbox. It’s also more of a sedan-like hatchback, Gran Coupe-style.
But which one is fastest? Well it’s no surprise that the Honda was the slowest. Not because it’s the weakest engine but because its front-wheel drive/manual transmission combo is more difficult to launch, compared to the automatic/all-wheel drive/launch control Germans. Though, none of those Germans want to see the Type R on a track with corners because they would not enjoy that competition. Out of the quick-launching Germans, can the BMW keep up with the rest? Check out this new video to find out.