Technically the first mass-market hot hatch, the Golf GTI MK1 (1976) predates this car by a decade

Thanks for bringing back the momeries! I missed my R5...

I remember before the R5GT Turbo, there was a R Gordini Turbo. :)

Soran: Somehow many don't see the Mk 1 GTi as a hot hatch or pocket rocket because it was not that fast. Try to compare both cars. Although there are a lot of differences in terms of power, weight and etc, Not many are willing to call the Mk1 GTi a pocket rocket unless they are a die hard VW fan.

The Renault 5 GT Turbo simply "wow-ed" people at that time. and I strongly believed the same thing happened when VW released the Golf GTi Mk 1. To come out with 110bhp from a 1.6 litre unit during the 1970s was pretty impressive.

The Renault 5 GT Turbo just simply replaces the Golf GTi Mk 1 as a so called title holder for pocket rockets. It is just something that people do.

While Euro marques are releasing a new hot-hatch at every new motor show, the Japanese have been scaling back. I can only think of 2 Jap hot-hatches still in production at the moment - Swift Sport and WRX STI.