Same, i had faster trims ready, so much so that I even sent them to him. One had a 171 hp 2.0 V8 and the other was a 315 hp racing version of that, either would smoke the wheezy 120 hp car I sent.
the good news is, the review reads that this is the Phase One of him simply reading the Mountain Pass article. So Iâm sure thereâs other factors that will come to the fore.
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iâm pretty sure thatâs not the actual car ranking?
but just the speed ranking?
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Oh right, thank God
I sure hope so, otherwise Iâd be really disappointed.
i have little hope now. 107 hp 
My car was based on the power levels of a Golf GTi or Fiesta XR2 which were, to me, the âhot hatchesâ of the era.
Three digit number and two letters, 252 hp
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Well, I have noticed that power is sometimes vastly overrated on the Haruna Downhill, noticing how my city car could confidently beat my sports car (Zim > RAX) Despite having half the hp at most.
Yâall should rather compare cornering Gâs 
ok Iâll bite. 1.14 and 1.11.
I have, well, not very much power, but I sure as hell tuned what I could within reason. The rideâs pretty tight.
I did something similar. Iâm still a bit stumped as to how itâs a warm hatch. I kinda understand, but it has more power than, say, a 1.9 205 GTi. It just weighs a fair bit so itâs not the quickest thing on Earth (0-60 in 8.8 I think).
I tried to make it a âspecial editionâ type car with a fancier interior, sportier brakes etc etc. Doesnât seem to have paid off
1.13 and 1.05, is that good enough, Mr. Supercar?
Even if itâs Haruna, having twice as much power as I do would still make your car faster down the hill, given those kind of numbers.
1.14 and 1.10 with 160hp
.99 and .96 for the NV-X
1.07 and 1.03 for the Strava. damn you guys have high cornering speed carsâŚ
but then again. the even lower powered NV-X did 0-100 in 7.4s 
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1.08 and 1.01. ant thatâs without aero.
The reviews are relative to the rest of the field so compared to most of the rest your car was a bit heavier plus a bit less powerfulâŚ
Yup, this is the objective phase, from this list three cars will be selected and the final car will come from those three⌠And itâs all subjective so no-one will be likely to guess the final result!
The GS-E is a great car, just not as great when compared to a field full of hot hatches!
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Balthazar Quark GT: @Leonardo9613: 5:10.79
30 of 36
Taking 30th position on our leaderboard today is the Quark GT. What can I say? Safe but sporty handling? Check. Decent, no-nonsense interior? Check. Willing yet relatively frugal engine? Check. Really cheap to buy? Check, check and check!
At $12,350 the Quark GT represents incredible value for money considering your getting one of the better known brands out there, the car looks stylish and itâs also very practical. Sure, some go faster and some are more avante-garde but the Quark GT is a car that will last you a lifetime (plus the aftermarket can fix the speed issue, hahaha).
Verdict: A quality warm hatch trying to keep up with road rockets!
Megacorp CSC2 S4N: @thecarlover: 5:07.38
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Megacorp, hmmm, sounds like an evil corporation who conducts research into reanimating the dead⌠By painting their cars really loud shades of orange! Jokes aside, this is a great warm hatch that uses itâs paint to stand out of the crowd.
Specs wise, the CSC2 is firmly a pack runner and its price of $14,300 isnât particularly special either. The styling of the CSC2 isnât breaking new ground and the wing is a bit too chav for our tastes. The CSC2âs claim to fame lies in itâs exceptional usage of fuel at the rate of 6.9L per 100Km! Thatâs amazing! So if you want to save money while having fun, donât be afraid of going to the dark sideâŚ
Verdict: Loud paint and wing, bland styling, brilliant fuel economy. The automotive equivalent of a drunk accountant at the company Christmas party!!!
Saminda C3 Es-R: @Starfish94: 5:06.22
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Now hereâs a brand we donât get to review very often here at Mountain Pass, Saminda doesnât make a lot of high performance cars and the oneâs they do make, theyâre too busy selling them to bother having them reviewedâŚ
So, how can I sum up this experience? In a word: Smooth⌠This car just flows along the road, never ruffled or gearing out of place, with a sense of decorum which defies how fast itâs actually travelling! This has one major drawback and that is that the car dislikes to be hustled which results in relatively slow recorded times. Iâd blame the tyres (too hard) and the excessive safety (too heavy) but for the Saminda customer, this car is perfect as it is.
Cost: $14,950
Verdict: If youâre a Saminda customer, look no further. If you arenât there are more exciting cars on this list!
Maesima NV-X: @Rk38: 5:05.09
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Representing the first half of a joint venture between Maesima and Komodo, the NV-X is the latest attempt to one up their fierce rivals at Saminda. Packing similar power to the Es-R and with better tyres, itâs perhaps unsurprising that the Maesima out-ranks their rival, but it comes with one major caveat, itâs only a two seater!!!
This, in my mind represents a pyrrhic victory for Maesima; sure you can say that youâre faster than Saminda but hot hatches NEED rear seats to remain, by definition, a hot hatch! So, even as the Maesima fans rejoice in their victory, canny observers will note that Saminda is still ahead on pointsâŚ
Cost: $13,760
Verdict: If youâre a Maesima customer, look no further. If you arenât then there are more exciting cars on this list!
Lightning: @TheUltimateD00M: 5:04.17
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Imported by the same guy who brings in the bottom 3 cars on the list, the Lightning represents a car which doesnât add up to the sum of itâs parts. The engine is turbocharged so it has torque-steer troubles, it uses expensive 95RON fuel and the car only has two seats! Given that this car has 150Kw, the Lighning fails to live up to itâs name on the downhill, being soundly beaten by less powerful, more useable competitors.
The Lightningâs one saving grace is itâs low purchase price of $12,480 which means you get a lot of bang for your bucks and it also looks cute. But there are better cars out there and for not much extra dollars either⌠Only buy if you can afford the unreliability that goes hand-in-hand with being different.
Verdict: Too cute for goths, the Lightning makes a great emo ride!
Centauri Neutrino XiR: @nialloftara: 5:04.02
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And, as a convenient counterpoint to the Lightning, along comes the Neutrino XiR to show why it helps to buy from a well established brand when youâre looking for a B road weapon. Despite being only a 1.3L four and having under 100Kw, the Neutrino performs better than the Lightning while providing a back seat and running on 91RON fuel!
That alone makes the XiR a quality pick but it gets sweeter; 6.8L per 100Kmâs of driving plus a $13,910 sales-tag means that as far as warm hatches go, the Neutrino is one red hot deal! I have to warn you though, the XiR suffers no fools so, although the limits are high, go over the limit and youâll be in the bushes before you know it! Oh yeah, it looks great too; maybe not in 10 years time, but by then youâll have written it off and gotten a new one!
Verdict: Top pick for badasses on a budget.
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huh. Weâre still above the 5 minute mark.
Just how fast did I tune my car!?!? Did I make it warm or hot!?
Kimura Hana KRS: @titleguy1 : 5:03.51
24 of 36
Presenting the Kimura Hana KRS, a boxy softroader with a 1.3 turbo four and exceptional road manners. Yes there is some torque-steer but the chassis is really neutral so you can adapt and use the torque-steer to your advantage. Another bonus is the fuel economy; 6.6L/100Km! Yep, this thing is so frugal, the fuel in the tank will go stale. Itâs also cheap to buy at $13,780 so itâs easy on the wallet too.
Downsides? Iâd not inflict Lavender on my worst enemy and there is little storage space behind the rear seats so itâs either a very roomy two seater shooting-brake or a very cramped five seater hatch. Iâd also say that the design needs more va-va-voom but maybe Kimura is holding out on us and thereâs a Type R in the KRSâs near future!
Definitely worth a look if youâre looking for a soft-roader with actual handling abilitiesâŚ
Verdict: Donât buy it in Lavender and your golden!
Whirlwind: @lordvader1: 5:02.00
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My first impression of the Whirlwind is â80âsâ closely followed by âMercedesâ. This thing is fully stacked with a sweet interior, fiddly but crisp stereo and a design that Darth Vader would be proud of. That Mercedes vibe gets stronger when I check under the bonnet; no four banger here, just a sweet V6. Powerful too, at 157Kw, and doesnât abuse the fueltank either, at 9.2L per 100KmâŚ
So far, so good, so whatâs it like to drive? Unfortunately it drives like a Mercedes as well, at 8/10ths itâs a rocket but suffers from too much push through the front end; itâs either tyres or wheel size (or both!) but it isnât sporty. Combined with the extra weight of the luxury additions this results in slow cornering and quickly overheated tyres giving up the ghost, as well as grip! So, considering you have to pay $18,070 for the privilege of ownership, youâd be better off buying something elseâŚ
Verdict: The perfect car for recalcitrant 80âs Europhiles.
Monsoon L160: @CamKerman: 5:01.74
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Coming in at No. 22 is the Monsoon L160, a conservatively styled wagon with pretensions of sportiness. The biggest drawback in using a wagon is weight, extra storage room and practicality, granted, but lots of extra steel to haul about. The L160 does a good job of dragging its lardy butt about but you can feel its effects everywhere you turn. The chassis is razor sharp to control the extra rear weight, the engine uses 95RON and a lot of it (9L/100Km) and the car isnât overly comfy insideâŚ
But, and the Monsoon has a big butt, this wagon is a fun drive and if you need the extra space then you could do a lot worse than the Monsoon. The L160 also represents a lot of tin for yer dollar at $14,950 so itâs not like youâre being short-shifted, plus you could keep this car beyond the âjust marriedâ stage to the âEww you spawned a baby!â stage if you so desired. But as a hot hatch the Monsoon makes for a great Sportswagon and youâre better off looking elsewhereâŚ
Verdict: A perfect repmobile for the driving enthusiast.
Target GTiE: @TR8R: 5:01.54
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Another quality entry, the Target GTiE uses a 1.6L four to propel itself faster than its competition so far. The suspension is tuned to be neutral rather than razor sharp and boasts one of the few sports interior of the bunch, making the GTiE a really cool interior to be in. This is topped off by 7L/100Km fuel economy and a full suite of safety gearâŚ
And that is where the downfall of the GTiE is found. It costs $17,030, which in this market is suicide, and there are faster cars available at this price point, making the GTiE a poor value proposition. Iâm also not a fan of itâs design language so for me the GTiE falls short of the, wait for it⌠Target!
Verdict: Too slow to be a hot hatch and too expensive to be good value; a niche product.
Brivio Condurre Finale: @CadillacDave: 5:01.44
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Hailing from somewhere in Europe, the Brivio Condurre Finale is a nice alternative to some of the more established brands, without having to visit âHonest Joeâs 20 Marque Emporiumâ. A sweet 1.5L four is powered up by a turbo which provides, along with the torque-steer, 120Kw and nicely compliments the predictable chassis. The car is styled somewhat conservatively but itâs proportions are handsome and the blue the test car came in, divine!
The biggest downside for the Finale is price; $19,760 and there is nothing in the interior to justify the expense. So if you want a competent, mediterranean flavoured, warm hatch with boost then this is the car for you. If you want value for money, though, keep reading this article!
Verdict: Place the dealerships smartly and a Brivio dealer can become very wealthyâŚ
Velox: @thegermanbeamer: 5:00.6
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Another of Honest Joeâs micro-brands, the Velox is the product of an Austrian fellow who builds retro-bodied concepts and sells 'em in limited numbers world-wide. It seems Honest Joe ainât so honest after all as this car is fitted with a 5 spd auto, NOT the self-shifter we asked for and so we record the downhill time for shits and giggles⌠Which promptly regretted when we tried to run this thing! Turned the key, nothing. Pumped the accelerator, nothing. Wound on the key, it splutters then starts⌠DCOE carbs! I like retro when it works but in a new car? Not. Happy. Jan. The visibility over the scoop is awful and there are only two seats inside.
Iâd love to report that it was a bucket of fun but Iâd buy the Storm Knight before Iâd buy this over-designed turd. The slushbox didnât help but $13,600 buys you so many cars that are better than this car it isnât funny. DO NOT BUY!!!
Verdict: Buy one only if you want to seem like youâre metal but youâre secretly Brittanyâs bitch!
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