It’s June 1992, you have £2k to buy a hot hatch…..

[Macscrooge]

Visa takes first place for me, followed by Uno. 
I think I only ever drove the Uno and the Metro. 

[GeordieInExile]

I think I would be into the Renault. Or maybe the Uno. Something small, light and with comedy turbo lag.

[SEATMad]

Daihatsu Charade Turbo for me, followed by the Delta and the Cherry

[Metal Guru]

Probably the XR3. I didn’t own anything other than Fords until 1995.

[Spottedlaurel]

In 1990 I did consider buying the Civic off that list, from memory it was around £2500. Thought it would be a bit small so got an early 309 instead.

In 1989 I looked at getting something of similar ilk not listed there, a Mazada 323 GT. They advertised it for £2650 and that was a bit more than I could afford so I ended up with a Sunny coupe for £2250. The following week the ad for the 323 was there again, but it had dropped to £2250 - aarghh!

Jumping back to 1992, I did buy myself a 'new' car that year. After writing off the 309 I had a beautiful but rusty and not-very-reliable Manta A, which wasn't viable long-term. I don't remember hot or even warm hatches being within my sub-£1k budget, though I did momentarily consider a fancy Visa (TRS?). A 1-litre Starlet that I nearly got was barely tepid and I bought a 1983 Sunny 1.3 saloon instead. That was neither hot nor a hatchback, so pretty irrelevant here.....

As my preference has generally been for saloons, coupes and estates, ideally a little larger than average, I don't think I've had anything that could be considered a hot hatch. Datsun 160J SSS maybe?! It did have twin carb's and a hatchback.

[warch]

I’d like the Mk 1 Golf Astra or Uno Turbo I think. The latter was an absolute rocket.

A mate of mine very briefly owned a Cherry Turbo. The previous owner had dogs, so you had to smoke in it (mate’s rule) to try and get rid of the wet dog smell. 

[brownnova]

About that time (maybe slightly earlier) my Grandad had an XR3i and my uncle had an XR2… so I think for nostalgia reasons I’d have to go with one of those! 

[Markeh]

XR3i or the Delta, but I wouldn't kick most of them out of bed. Could be tempted by the 5.

[Metal Guru]

Shame the Delta’s not an Integrale. That would be a useful pension fund now.

[EyesWeldedShut]

18 hours ago, sierraman said:

The Civic looks a bit out of place, picking it would be like going to an Indian restaurant and ordering a chicken omelette. 

+ chips. shirley?

[Joey spud]

Mk1 Astra GTE in red for me please.

I was a 1st year apprentice at Vauxhall when these came out and they were lovely cars,the thinking man's hot hatch and also surprisingly long legged too.

I was also there when the Mk2 version appeared and it was agreed by all the mechanics in the workshop that it wasn't half as good as the MK1.

[andy18s]

This was right at the end of my Sunbeam Ti and Avon Lotus days,with a 130tc Strada thrown in the mix just because they were so much more fun to drive. 

Mantas were getting used quite vigorously too,'cos everyone had a fecking Escort.