Volkswagen G91 Ford Pocus ST1 Mazda LaSpeed3

"Vicente Esteve" (vicente-esteve)
04/30/2014 at 16:00 • Filed to: None

After reading this title you might think that my Chihuahua stepped on the keyboard while I wrote about hot hatches, or wiped cream fell on the computer and I tried to clean it. But no, the title is what how I portray the 3 highest competing hot hatchbacks with the 3 highest competing Hyper-cars.

You might also be thinking: how the hell do you dare compare the trio of the most awaited, insanely engineered, amazingly complex and so unreasonably perfected Hyper-cars of the 21 century with 3 hatchbacks with a tossed weasel in their underwear. After extensive research it has come clear to me that they share so much in common it had to be revealed.

Porsche 918/Volkswagen GTI

This was the first car to be able to be driven by car magazines and Chris Harris. It was the first to portray the beginning of a new era of the Hyper-car, the usage of batteries. Something so unrelated to performance or sportiness is now the headline of each of these cars. The word we instantly related to the Prius and eco-mentalism can now also be related to the most awaited cars of the year.

Yet as much as this car meant, it really didn't caused such massive a shock to the people. It doesn't look to come out of Sci-Fi, nor as a transformer that stayed in half a conversion. What it looks like is classically Beautiful. Its curves, hall back to the past and embrace the heritage of the brand. It is a new car, but you would never call it a step too far from the company that built it. Just exactly what they try with the GTI every time a new one comes out: Yeah, it is from the new generation of the Golf but lets keep the Tartan, the Red lip on the grille, and the GTI font.

The Porsche 918, as the GTI, looses against its rivals when it comes to numbers on paper. 4.6 V8 875bhp at 8500rpm and 944lb ft. of torque. Also, like the GTI it is the heaviest against its enemies coming at around 180kg more than the P1 and around 290kg more than the LaFerrari. But out on the road, these numbers can be slightly toned down by Porsche just as VW does it with the GTI. When referring to the batteries, the 918 is the hyper-car most concentrated on efficiency achieving the lowest C02 (70 g/km) and the highest MPG (94.1 combined). Guess what Hot Hatch is the most fuel efficient.

To finish it off, the 918 could be seen as the lamer car of his trio. A car that is no question the easiest to live with, including the nicest interior, just how the GTI stacks against its trio. But opening the taps in both gives you the true underrated performance it has and you end up the best all around vehicle of the 3. And, it can be optioned up as insanely as only the germans know how to do it. The way they do things at Porsche has really come down through the family of VAG group, making this GTI seem like a car made with the same thought as the 918.

McLaren P1/Ford Focus ST

What has McLaren always have been known for doing? Racing. What has Ford done in all its years that neither Chevy or Dodge or other small car maker done? Race. You name it, touring car, rallying, gymkhana, Nascar, RS2000Ford has taken part in each and it shows in their performance cars for the roads. Here the McLaren as well as the Focus is mid-pack in lethalness of its trio, offering a similarly sized V8 as the Porsche, its set battery packs, and a turbo. Power is 903bhp at 7500rpm with Torque being at664lb ft. Similar 0-60 and top speeds as the others.

This though,as the Focus, is the most drivers oriented machine. Everyone at McLaren makes sure that this is the purest expression of driving. In the reviews it shoes a rawness and anger that begs to be pushed hard and hard. It is a car that wants to be at its full potential all of the time. To help with Lap Times it is fitted with better brakes, and isn't AWD like the Porsche. In a word, it is the most engaging. The car design to make racing drivers feel right at home.

Price of the McLaren is middle of the pack being closer to the Porsche. Its design isn't for everyone, and you have to see at least admire at the different details that go around the car. The taillights that surround the bumper, or the taillights of the Focus with the weird shape are both either like them or not. The spoilers and faces of both cars are to be discussed, but in the end there are always some people that will find them ugly and others utterly beautiful.

At last, just consider it funny that both their launch colours were Yellow.

Ferrari LaFerrari/ Mazda Mazdaspeed3

Raw. The best way to define both Mazdas Hot Hatch, and Ferraris finest road vehicle. These 2 cars show just what companies are able to do when they let go of and are up to the task to make something as outrageous as they possibly can. Both of these have the Highest horsepower coming from the biggest engines: LaFerrari's 6.3l V12 (950 at 9,000 RPM; 715 torques) Mazdaspeed 3's 2.3 4 cil. Turbo (263 HP at 5,500 RPM; 280 Torques). While delivering the worse fuel economy: La Ferrari at 330g per kilometre, and the Mazda at 18/25 MPGs. Both are a handful to drive as we see their reviews with Mazdas muscle bending torque steer, and Ferraris over happy Oversteer. Both offer the driver probably not the most exquisite drive, but the Biggest Thrills.

In the looks department these 2 cars could be more alike. Both of the trio are the most outlandish. Both shout out and about to the people that they are the Alfa-males, and that they would like you to come over to the back parking lot if you think otherwise. Just the Gaping horror-movie-clown-like grin of the Mazda and the axe-murderer im going to get you when you sleep look of the Ferrari causes terror to any pedestrian going by. If they have a dog, it would shat itself

In the inside it is the same mix of bright red accents that may have gone too far and could be perceived as vulgar. But who cares? Who cares if it is the most over the top because the people who buy them want just exactly that. The highest amount of everything, and nothing else will do. The interiors of these cars compliment their exteriors like a glove. Both of them having hard materials to be touched when taking your hands off the steering wheel. In the LaFerraris case, carbon finer composite; In the Mazdas case, cheap ass plastic. And hey! What a surprise, the LaFerrari offers Look-at-me red as their official color and so does the 3.

And the last, but not at all least fact that makes these 2 really similar is the fact that their own companies names are written in their names.

Ferrari La Ferrari ; Mazda Mazdaspeed 3. This is Epic.

Conclusion

So there you have it. The best demonstration of how even the most unrelatable cars in the market can relate in some way. And, in both these trios case, in a large large number of ways. Thanks everyone for taking your time and reading the article.