On paper, the 362bhp Audi RS3 has got the 297bhp Volkswagen Golf R trumped. But on track, can the underdog Golf reign supreme?  The new Audi RS3 was, for a brief period, the most powerful hot hatch ever built. Now topped by the 376bhp facelifted Mercedes A45 AMG, it no longer can rely on stats alone to sit at the top of the table. 

That said, it was bested by a Golf R on track during testing, a car significantly down on power. It's a practical and usable car, but sadly it just isn’t as much fun to drive as a hot hatch should be on an engaging stretch of road.