Kickin' Tires: Hot Hatch Heaven

Volkswagen single handedly defined the "hot hatch" segment, but others were quick to discover that hatchbacks are steadily growing in favor among Americans. While commonplace in Europe, Asia, and South America, they've been a sign of weakness in the states.

But not these four. Motortrend recently picked up four of the segment's best contenders. All of them are turbocharged, and none of them resemble anything weak.Among those chosen are the Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart, Subaru Impreza WRX, Volkswagen GTI, and Mazdaspeed3. The goal? To find the most versatile and fun hatchback for the money.

At 275 horsepower and 263 horsepower, the WRX and the Mazdaspeed3 respectively are the brutes of the group. The Speed3 sends all power to the front wheels, and is often criticised for it's "torque steer." The Impreza, along with the Lancer Ralliart (237 hp), send their ponies to all four wheels, providing better grip and handling.

The Volkswagen GTI was rated at the bottom of the pack in terms of horsepower. At a mere 200 horses, the GTI appeared to be out of place in this competition, yet unanimously won the favor of the judges. While not the quickest, it provided the best balance, versatility, drivability, and overall fun factor. And with all the standard features and comforts, it felt more like an Audi than a Volkswagen.

Having driven models of each of these cars (actually the STI and EVO versions of the Suby and Mitsu), I can tell you personally which one is my favorite. The GTI is the easiest and, yes, the most fun to drive. It easily makes up for it's lack of power with build quality, handling, and bang for the buck.
Thanks for reading.
-Biggs

Burnin' Rubber: Porsche Going Green

That's right folks, Porsche is coming out with their own version of the Prius. It's got three electric motors mated to a 3.4 liter V8, good for a combined 700 horsepower.

Okay, okay...so it's not like your mom's Prius, but it's still green, right?

I've written a couple of posts previously, one about a 911 GT3 hybrid and, more recently, a Ferrari 599 hybrid. This big bad Porsche is called the Spyder 918 Concept, and is set to take over the Carrera GT supercar from 2004.

With 700 horsepower, the Porsche Spyder 918 can hit 60 mph in 3.2 seconds, and tops out around 200 mph. Engineers say the car could hit a higher top speed, but it would require more downforce, which means more drag. As it stands, the concept has a drag coefficient of .34, which is considerably better than the Carrera GT at .39.At any rate, the future is clear. More and more car manufacturers are developing hybrid powertrains for their vehicles, and it's no longer restricted to commuter cars and mid-size SUV's either. The electric motors in this Porsche provide over 200 horsepower, meaning they more than make up for the weight they add.

Keep an eye on future developments. This is merely what was revealed at the Geneva Auto Show. More to come soon.
Thanks for reading.
-Biggs