Alpine A290, close to the family of bombinettes over 200 hp

The Alpine A290B concept car, unveiled at the beginning of May, very clearly announces, with few details, A future Alpine based on the electric Renault 5 that will join the range in 2024. A suspended bomb whose power will gently exceed the model bar of 200 hp. We can even expect 220 hp if the little Alpine takes the more powerful Renault Mégane E-Tech engine. Volkswagen’s future identity.2 GTI eagerly awaits. At any rate, The Alpine A290 will enter the very closed club of city cars over 200 hp today. A field in which we only find Toyota GR Yaris, Volkswagen Polo GTI and Mini Cooper S JCW, but which, until recently, brought together many car manufacturers. A must exercise for brand image.

Abarth thin…

Rebalanced with just 190 hp under the hood, the Abarth 695 Biposto still deserves a mention if only for its feathery 997 kg curb weight. But it was the Abarth Assetto Corsa, produced in just 49 units (referring to the year the Abarth company was founded) that pushed the small 1.4 turbo to its limits with 200 hp and 300 Nm respectively that enters our space.

On the contrary, there is no need for a small version of the Ford Fiesta ST whose small EcoBoost 1.5 three-cylinder engine reaches 200 hp on all sides with a torque value of 290 Nm. Or even 320 Nm after reconfiguration.

There was a time when the French were working…

Among the three colors, it is the Citroën DS3 Competition with a 1.6 THP four-cylinder block claiming 202 hp at 275 Nm that opens the ball. If its predecessor rose to 182 hp, The third generation Renault Clio RS, in turn, crosses the 200 hp barrier and even up to 203 hp for the modified version with a key and 215 Nm of torque. It was the last to choose the naturally aspirated 2.0 engine. In spite of the sports trend intensified by the 275 hp Clio RS 16 prototype that was not tracked, the Clio 4 from the Renault Sport workshops drops to 200 hp but continues in terms of torque with 240 Nm, it is the turbo effect of its 1.6 engine.

The only Korean on our list, the Hyundai i20N has a powerful 204 hp 1.6 four-cylinder engine with 275 Nm (calculate to 304 Nm with overboost function).

The first German to be mentioned in our ranking, but rest assured it is far from the last, the Volkswagen Polo GTI, has a power of 207 hp, which is owed to its “big” 2.0-liter turbo engine that provides a comfortable torque value. 320 Nm. Let’s stay on the other side of the Rhine with the Opel Corsa OPC that entered this fraternity in 2015 with, like the Polo GTI, a power of 207 hp and 280 Nm of torque. Its predecessor was satisfied with 192 hp, except for the rare 210 hp Nürburgring Edition released in 2011. But today, the fastest Corsa is an electric model that delivers 136 hp, power that will soon increase to 156 hp, times change. .pictures

Successor of my legendary 205 GTI, Peugeot 208 GTi and Peugeot Sport known for its claims of two clean cut colors of 208 hp and 300 Nm.. A car shortage if any, sold almost under the hood, only between 2001 and 2003, the Volkswagen Beetle RSI (see our photo gallery) had a V6 3.2 block with a power of 225 hp. The Golf 4 R32 was completely undamaged. With the Renault Clio V6, which began its career in 2000 with a power of 230 hp, we entered another world. Later, during the restyling in 2004 and further technical development, the power increased to 255 hp and 300 Nm.

A rare 256 hp Audi

The Audi S1+ excels with its quattro all-wheel drive. Its 231 hp 2.0 TFSI engine offers a very good torque value of 370 Nm. Last being the Audi A1 Quattro, this limited version of 333 units was launched in 2012, with 256 hp and 350 Nm. from us in time, Toyota GR Yaris packs a powerful 261 hp 1.6 three-cylinder engine with a torque value of 360 Nm. Riders who pass down through the all-wheel drive.

Finally, if the basic Mini Cooper S remains outside this classification because of 192 hp, it does so on the one hand, with the help of the JCW version – short for John Cooper Works – which up to 231 hp, and On the other hand, a turbulent version of GP JCW that makes everyone agree. The latter reaches 306 hp with a torque value of 450 Nm.