With the obsession with hot hatchbacks growing worldwide through the ’80s, the Japanese motor companies stepped forward and created some classic small hatches with big performance — and guess what, they are cult cars now

As the Japanese moved towards even smaller chassis than the European manufacturers, their motors favoured forced induction in order to get the most from small capacity motors, as opposed to the time honoured ‘small car, big motor’ design philosophy of the hot hatches one size up. For serious collectors, be aware there are several other makes and models that fit in this category which we have never seen on NZ roads: the following is a selection of those you may find on the NZ market.

Honda City Turbo + Turbo 2

The City Turbo was initially worked up as a Mugen project by Hirotoshi Honda, son of Soichiro Honda. To prove his worth as a performance specialist for Honda, Hirotoshi took the company’s economy car and comprehensively modified it.

The body remained similar to a normal City, bar a bonnet bulge and some Turbo decals. Previously, Honda had sought high performance with high-tech engine design, but this time it plumped for a turbo installation on the 1237cc single-cam City motor, hence the moniker.

It produced a solid 75kW and healthy amounts of torque throughout the rev range, in a car that weighed very little (Turbo 1— 700kg, Turbo 2 — 730kg); this gave it an unexpected turn of speed. Ventilated disc brakes on the front helped pull up the City and a sporting suspension set-up improved the handling. It was perhaps a bit crude, but nonetheless very effective and a lot of fun to drive. An interesting feature of the car was the digital speedometer surrounded by the tachometer that was shared with later models, only changing to a conventional set-up for the very last Turbo 2s. There were also a limited number of City Turbo convertibles built.

The City Turbo 2 followed the City Turbo late in 1983. A rally style body-kit with huge flared wheel-arches, a spoiler on the roof and a big bonnet bulge meant the sleeper factor of the first Turbo was lost, but it gave the little car a hugely aggressive look, and it was nicknamed ‘The Bulldog’ in Japan. An intercooler, modified intake, higher compression ratio and modifications to the turbo gave 82kW, though top speed was down a little — too many spoilers and bulges! The City Turbo 2 retained the fun handling of the original City Turbo and, these days, is still a cult car. You are more likely to come across one of these than a Turbo 1, due to the longer production run, but they still remain uncommon. There are a few cabriolets around too.

Daihatsu Charade GTti

The Charade GTti was released in 1987 to rapturous applause from motor journals worldwide. The styling was not groundbreaking but was tidy and very efficient aerodynamically (with a Cd of 0.32) and has aged well. The three-cylinder, 993cc twin-cam EFI turbo banged out 75kW, cracking the traditional 100bhp per litre mark. It may not sound like too much, but matched to a quick-shifting five-speed gearbox and a competent all-independent suspension chassis with disc brakes on all four corners, the GTti was quick enough to bother proper sports cars and hot saloons. The dynamic abilities of the GTti were praised and, combined with its turn of speed, it was a successful car for Daihatsu and was even seen on the international stage in rallying. The GTti was also sold as the GTxx in Japan, essentially the same car with some trim differences. This little car sold surprisingly well, 227,790 during its six-year lifespan.

Suzuki Swift GTi/ Holden Barina GTi

The Swift GTi was first sold in NZ and Australia in 1986 (also as the Holden Barina GTi). It used a 1298cc twin cam EFI motor that gave 75kW at 6500rpm. It was not quite the quickest car in its class — though quite light, it lacked the torque of its turbocharged rivals, but its responsive, willing engine rewarded owners when spinning past 6000rpm (peak power was delivered high in the rev range). The chassis set-up, stiffly sprung and tending toward understeer, was communicative and fun, designed with driving enjoyment in mind. Ventilated discs at the front, with drums at the rear, were enough to slow the progress of this lightweight car. The face-lifted GTi that was released in 1988/9 (not sold as a Holden this time) featured a new body style with more rounded and cohesive styling and an improved chassis, co-developed with GM. The new series engine was a more reliable unit, and the new model benefited from disc brakes all round and independent rear suspension (as opposed to the torsion beam of the earlier car). All these extras tipped the scales up to 830kg. The acceleration was slightly slower but the changes improved the later GTi dynamically. In 1993 it had a small update, some styling changes including a redesigned interior and a different taillight design. Also, with the addition of standard power windows the 1993 onwards car became a little heavier again.

Toyota Starlet GT/Glanza V

The first go-faster Starlet, the Turbo-S, appeared in 1986 while the first Starlet GTs rolled off the production lines in 1990. The GT sported different bumpers, a small roof spoiler and bonnet scoop, but outwardly was a fairly unassuming car, with less over-the-top styling than the City Turbo or the GTti. The Starlet GT walked softly but carried a big stick in the form of a 1331cc four-cylinder twin cam EFI turbo that punched out a vigorous 97kW, enough to hustle the GT to 100kph in 7.5 seconds. An interesting feature of the Starlet GT was that it was fitted with a switch that toggled the turbo boost level between high and low, an innovative feature that helped economy when the full 97kW was not required.

As standard the Starlet GT had a five-speed gearbox, but from 1992 onward an automatic was optional, as were ABS brakes. In 1994 the Starlet had a slight styling update and the previously single ‘brick’ headlights were replaced with new twin round lights.

The largest change to the Starlet came in 1996, when the GT model was replaced with the Glanza V model. It was slightly more up market with its new, sharper styling and the addition of power steering and windows, climate control air conditioning, airbags and ABS brakes. Power was boosted slightly to 99kW and weight increased to 920kg. Even with the extra weight over the previous model the Glanza V was still a great-handling small hatch, and still fast enough to be a formidable point to point weapon that was also sufficiently civilized for the daily grind through traffic.

Buying Tips

Honda City Turbo 1 and 2

The trouble these days just lies in finding one, since the body shell is not strongly built, and they tend to give in to rust easily. Also, many have been crashed, thrashed, and trashed. Prices range from around $500 for tired cars to $2.5-3K for tidy examples, again, depending on availability. These 1980s small hatches built in Japan are not exactly known for their exemplary safety record, but Citys are among the worst. All we can recommend is avoiding an accident! If involved in an accident they were often written off, so the ones that remain on the road are more than likely undamaged, but as always, it pays to have an expert check it. They are often modified, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but check the engine for smoke, especially from the turbo under load. Increased performance is easily extracted from the City Turbo motor with simple modifications, and can be done without sacrificing reliability. There is a question mark over the gearbox — a well-treated one will last, but ham-fisted drivers will kill the ’box. Parts supplies for these cars are now difficult to come by; the best thing to do is get in contact with other enthusiasts (www.cityturbo.com).

Daihatsu Charade GTti

These cars are fairly difficult to find as the good ones are still very much cult cars and devotees try to hold on to them. However, if they come up for sale these days they can be well cared for, as the owners are enthusiasts. Prices range from $2K for average condition cars up to $4.5-5K for good condition examples. They can rust, though not to the degree of City Turbos and most of the other early ‘80s Japanese cars, but checking for rust is still important. All these vehicles started life as simple, low cost cars and the interiors reflect this, with low quality materials that will likely be showing their age. Mechanically they are fairly reliable and simple. The fact that the engine and other parts are bespoke to the GTti means parts are getting hard to come by. Despite its small size, the engine is regarded as being somewhat overbuilt, sporting semi-forged pistons from the factory. Perhaps because of this, some owners have wound excess boost into them and this can damage the motor. Get a thorough check done on the engine to make sure it is in good condition.

Suzuki Swift GTi/Holden Barina GTi

As with the other cars, these were designed to be used every day, and the main componentry is simple and reliable when well maintained, with the Swift GTi possessing a simpler, naturally aspirated powerplant.

The bodies are lightly constructed and do not age well. The early model GTi, built from 1986-1988 (Suzuki or Holden), is hard to find as it had a much shorter build run than the later model car. Many would argue that the later face-lifted model is the best choice anyway, because of the superior chassis and further refinement, unless you are in the search for pure speed when the lighter, earlier model may still score.

Toyota Starlet GT/Glanza V

Typical of Toyota, the Starlet GT is a reliable little car. They sold very well and were produced in various forms until 1998, so the cars themselves are easy to find and parts for them are common. Because they are a reliable small hatch many are used as daily drivers, and clock up big distances. With enough around that you will likely have a choice, avoid modified ones and ones sporting high odometer readings. The engine and gearbox are solid units but not so the turbo, so it is important to check the turbo oil seals.

Specifications

Daihatsu Charade GTti
Production: 1987-1993, total 227,790
Engine: 993cc three-cylinder 12 valve twin-cam turbo, 75kW (101bhp)
Performance: 0-96.5kph (0-60mph) in 7.9 seconds. Top speed c.186kph (116mph)

Suzuki Swift GTi/Holden Barina GTi
Production: 1986-1996, total n/a
Engine: 1298cc four-cylinder 16-valve twin-cam, 75kW (101bhp)
Performance: 0-96.5kph (0-60mph) in 8.6 to nine seconds. Top speed 180-186kph (112-116mph)

Honda City Turbo
Production: 1982-1984, total n/a
Engine: 1237cc four-cylinder sohc turbo, 74kW (100bhp)
Performance: 0-96.5kph (0-60mph) in 8.5 seconds. Top speed 179kph (111mph)

Honda City Turbo 2
Production: 1984-1987, total n/a
Engine: 1237cc four-cylinder sohc turbo, 82kW (110bhp)
Performance: 0-96.5kph (0-60mph) in 8.5 seconds. Top speed 175kph (109mph)

Toyota Starlet GT/Glanza V
Production: 1990-1998/99, total n/a
Engine: 1331cc four-cylinder 16 valve dohc turbo, 97-99kW (130-133bhp)
Performance: 0-96.5kph (0-60mph) in 7.5 seconds. Top speed 192kph (119mph)

Words: Phillip and David Cass