Hot hatches

Toyota is going on a massive performance car offensive. The Japanese giant is rumoured to be bringing back the Celica and the MR2, but now it is believed the Starlet will be reborn as a rally-bred GR pocket-rocket.

If there’s one thing French carmakers do well, it’s front-drive hot hatches.  The Peugeot 205 GTi and Renault 5 GT were cars for the car-loving people, and the two brands would go on to duke it out for front-wheel drive driving supremacy for nearly 40 years. 

Mini has announced pricing for its fully-electric John Cooper Works (JCW) Cooper and Aceman. Set for a local release in the first quarter of 2025, pricing for the JCW Cooper will commence at $63,990, while the JCW Aceman will start at $65,990, both before on-road costs.

Renault revealed an epic, all-paw concept car at the 2022 Paris Motor Show that's visually related to the new 5 hatchback.

A wide-reaching recall has been issued by Honda Australia concerning 16,001 vehicles sold between 2021 and 2024. 

Following the first ever electric John Cooper Works models, Mini has revealed combustion counterparts in hatch and convertible guise. 

The Hyundai i30 N is one of Australia's most popular hot hatches for good reason. It represents exceptional value for money, and it's part of a dying breed - genuinely capable petrol-powered performance hatchbacks. But how does it handle one of the world's most famed and gruelling racetracks? Read on to find out.

A mysterious camouflaged Toyota GR Corolla has been spied testing at Germany’s Nurburgring Nordschleife. Initially thought to be a mid-like facelift (like the GR Yaris just received), more images shared by CarScoops reveal this could be an even more hardcore version of the rally-bred hot hatch. The word on the street is that it is a GRMN version, which stands for ‘Gazoo Racing Meister of the Nurburgring’.So far, the GRMN name has only been rolled out once on a previous-gen Yaris but Toyota is understood to be developing more focused versions of some of its GR models. A GRMN Supra with swan-neck wing and bigger wheels was spied testing in March this year. Toyota is yet to reveal if this is a ‘GRMN’ GR Corolla but the thinly-disguised modifications hint at extra focus. At the front there are few styling changes evident — at least not the sort you’d expect from a facelift. Like Australian cars, it has vents on top of the bonnet though it being camouflaged may nod to a higher bonnet bulge or perhaps carbon fibre construction. The front guards look a little different — possibly wider to hide thicker rubber — and feature more cooling openings. There are vents above the front wheels and an additional outlet for hot air ahead of the wheel arch. Of course, the two most obvious changes are the black, or perhaps carbon fibre, roof (like the GR Yaris) along with a generous rear wing, likely to reduce lift. It appears to use the same multi-spoke alloy wheels as the high performance GR Corolla Morizo model with red calipers behind. Finally, a closer peak inside reveals what appears to be a half roll cage in the back of the GR Corolla. It is possible this is a safety precaution for the test driver, but the neat integration suggests a factory item. Toyota developing an even more track-focused version of the GR Corolla is unlikely to be a huge surprise to hot hatch fans. It is basically customary, with Renault releasing similar special editions of its now-defunct Megane and Clio hot hatches over the years. While more power is always nice, the GR Corolla’s 1.6-litre turbo-petrol three-cylinder is already a pretty high output piece of kit, developing an impressive 221kW and 400Nm in facelift guise. Perhaps a minor 10-20kW increase is on the cards but we’d expect Toyota to focus on shedding weight and adding grip for a GRMN version. The GR Corolla updates were confirmed for Australia last month, with both six-speed manual and new eight-speed auto versions due to arrive before the year is out. 

Toyota is rumoured to be prepping another feisty little hot hatch.

BYD has revealed the first official images of its 2025 Seal 06 GT. Although the name is familiar, this fully-electric hatch is expected to come in hotted-up guise to challenge the likes of the Cupra Born and MG4 Xpower.