(14)

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Supercars are great aren't they? Fast and handsome-looking motors which announce to the world you've made a success of your life. But for every little boy who gives a passing glance of admiration at your mid-engined 190mph-plus Italian stallion there's a woman who thinks you're ostentatious and a man who wants to punch you. Or steal your car.

You don't really get this sense of hatred with hot hatches. Today's GTis, STs and Type-Rs have around 200bhp, four seats and a big boot and offer performance and practicality at a fifth of the price of the supercar.

However, progress is progress and as businessmen will say: "let's look at what we do well and what we can improve on". In performance car speak, that means power, braking and handling. And this ladies and gentlemen means turning a hot hatch into a mega hatch.

(14)