Toys For Tots

Of all the companies you'd expect to come out with a genuinely good little hot hatch concept, it sure as heck isn't GM. Have they ever even made a decent subcompact? This is, after all, a domestic car manufacturer, who all seem to have the same reputation these days -- decades of building boring, sloppy cars that nobody wants and patriotically foisting them off to stem the gaping financial bleeding . . . which is a byproduct of careless management to begin with.

This Aveo RS concept, though, is a bit of a shocker. Not the power necessarily -- the turbo 4-cylinder makes about 140hp -- but the overall execution. It actually looks quite good, without the tackiness or overexuberance (stated nicely there) that GM has been known to put forth. The interior is even better: striking design, high-quality materials, and general user-friendliness.

Put that fizzy little powerplant (which handily outguns the proposed Fiesta engine by 20hp) with the concept's 6-speed manual, and what you have is a mini Focus RS. This is a good thing -- half the power of the monster Focus for less than half the price . . . and what we predict will be way more than half the fun!

Back Streets Option

It's ironic that our main feature is a Chevy built by Kia, because our cheap and cheerful version is a Ford built by Kia. Yes, we know you wanted to read about an early Golf GTI right about now, but that song is overplayed. We take the road less travelled, and today it's driven in a Ford Aspire.

Granted, most folks saw these for what they were -- anemic little shoeboxes -- rather than what they could be. Which is where we come in. Think of an Aspire RS, and you'll see where we're going here. What really helps is that first, Aspires can be had for pocket change, and second, Ford's bedmates include Mazda and Mercury.

Toy car in hand, you now need to steal a 1.8L BP-code engine (cheaper than importing an entire BPT from overseas) from a early-90s Escort or Protege owner while they are looking the other way. You will also need the manual transmission from a Mercury Capri XR2 Turbo. Once you are accustomed to the newfound wealth of power, it's time to upgrade with a turbocharger. Add better wheels, suspension, brakes, and sportier seats, and you have an Aspire RS . . . the hot hatch that should have been.