On topic again:
The Volkswagen Golf / Golf GTI (1970s-present)
Not the first 'hot hatch', but certainly the first one to perfect the recipe since the Mk. 1 Golf GTI, and today with the Mk. 6 is still the one people think of when they think of the perennial hot hatchback. It might just be the most important car of the last 40 years.
The Golf started as a family hatchback by German automaker Volkswagen A.G. in 1974. Almost immediately, to compete with French maker Renault, they made a more powerful version, the Golf GTI. Yes, the Renault equivalent was faster by a negligible margin, but the quality of the German Golf GTI, coupled with its interior space, frugality, economic price, and then-impressive-for-its-class 108 brake horsepower made it an instant winner. A star was born. Ever since the early 1980s, the GTI has been the very last word in versatility. The same car could take you to the grocery store and carry all your stuff home, take your kids to school, be fun to drive, not use up a lot of gas, look unassuming and inoffensive, and be an absolute blast if you wanted to take it for a romp somewhere other than daily commutes.
The formula worked, because today the GTI is considered one of
the cars to judge all others against. Today's Mk 6 Golf GTI produces 210 horsepower through an inline, 4-cylinder turbocharged engine, and features an interior that's essentially that of a midrange Audi (Audi and Volkswagen are in essence, the same company). Its extensive cache of safety features, technology, comfort options, and absolute versatility when it comes to passenger travel and cargo space make it the near-ideal car for a family of 2-4 people, but still an excellent car for a young, urban bachelor or bachelorette on the go. It can do 0-60 in 7 seconds, handles excellently, and gets excellent fuel economy.
And it's not just safe and posh, it's easy to drive too. Having driven the manual version, I can say, gear changes are smooth, the clutch is light but with enough feel, and it's genuinely pleasing to weave through average traffic, and then stick the loud pedal to the carpet when there's no one around, even in the rain. The car just feels planted and poised, never heavy or bulky. Satellite navigation is standard these days, and the interior is absolute quality. It even sounds good on the over-revs. Now, if you want to fancy it up, you can get it with the same flappy-paddle drive, semi-automatic dual-clutch DSG gearbox found on Lamborghini's supercars for an extra $1800-or-so. Is it worth it? Maybe, maybe not. It does make the car faster to 60mph though, but adds weight...and in reality, isn't as fun as a manual gearshift. But, it's probably the best DSG gearbox on the market aside from Ferrari's F1-superfast....and this is equipped to a family car!
Why do people love the Golf and Golf GTI? It offers excellent value and ISN'T boring. For $23,000, you get a car that's safe, spacious on the inside, comes in 2 or 4 doors, is good on gas, and is an absolute delight to drive. It might just be my all-around favorite car. If I could only drive one car for the rest of my life, and it couldn't be more than 30 grand...well, a lifetime with a GTI wouldn't be too bad.