If you have a soft spot for hot hatchbacks, you probably know the usual suspects. The Honda Civic Type R, Hyundai Veloster N, Volkswagen Golf R, and VW GTI top the dwindling list for new hot hatches.
American carmakers are mostly out of the hot-hatch game these days. But let’s not forget the Mopar trifecta from the 1980s: the Colt GTS Turbo, Dodge Omni GLH, and Shelby Charger. They don’t come up for sale very often so keep your eyes peeled to eBay listings.
1984-1988 Colt GTS Turbo
The 1987 Plymouth Colt GTS Turbo that just sold on eBay Motors is a remarkably well-preserved example.
Dodge and Plymouth offered the Colt GTS, their versions of the Mitsubishi Mirage Turbo, between 1984 and 1988. The Colt GTS’s 1.6-liter MCA-Jet turbocharged engine’s 105 horsepower seems modest these days. Nevertheless, it’s enough to get the job done with a curb weight of just 1,984 pounds.
A beautiful 1987 example, with only 8,300 miles, recently sold on eBay for a reasonable $10,500.
MotorWeek tested a 1985 Dodge Colt Turbo back in the day, calling the car a “tiny sumo rocket.” The television show lauded the Colt Turbo’s “adrenaline-producing combination of turbocharged performance and economy.”
The itty-bitty Colt achieved a 0-60 mph time of 9.8 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 16.9 seconds. That’s unquestionably slow by today’s standards but quick for a mid-1908s hatchback.
1984-1986 Dodge Omni GLH and GLHS
1984 Dodge Omni GLH was a performance package based on the Omni.
How do you turn an econobox into a hot hatch on a budget? Some say the recipe is simple: bolt on a turbocharger and upgrade the suspension. But there’s more to it than that. And that’s why Chrysler turned to Carroll Shelby to tune the first Dodge Omni GLH.
Yep, it’s the little hatch that “Goes Like Hell.” The 146 horsepower from a 2.2-liter engine was respectable at the time.
Shelby rolled out the GLHS in 1986 and turned the turbo four-banger’s wick up to 175 hp. The feisty hatch caught America’s attention, with a 6.4 second 0-60 mph time.
Unfortunately, only 500 Omni GLHS models rolled off the line, along with a total of 3,129 GLH models. While bolt-ons couldn’t cure ugly back in the 1980s, these rare cars are highly collectible today.
1983-1987 Shelby Charger
1985 Dodge Shelby Charger
The Dodge Shelby Charger enjoyed a five-year run, from 1983 to 1987. Shelby’s upgrades, at first, focused primarily on handling and appearance. The early cars were not barn-burners.
A naturally aspirated 2.2-liter inline-four sat under the Shelby’s hood for the first two years, with a 107-hp rating in 1983 and 110 horses in 1984.
Forced air pumped the Shelby Charger’s numbers up in 1985, with a Garrett T3 turbocharger and fuel injection bringing output up to 146 hp. This is the same engine used in the ’84 Omni GLH—but in a more attractive fastback body. Dodge sold more than 32,000 Shelby Chargers between 1983 and 1987.
As production wound down in 1987, Carroll Shelby corralled 1,000 black Chargers and shipped them to his shop in California, where his crew upgraded the cars to GLHS status. The rarest-of-the-breed is also the most powerful, with a 175-hp rating (and without any Dodge badging).
The Shelby GLHS featured adjustable Koni front struts and rear shock absorbers, along with Shelby Centurion 2 alloy wheels wrapped with Z-rated Goodyear Eagle GT tires.
Will Mopar Get Back in the Game?
The Peugeot 308 is part of the Stellantis family that’s also behind Mopar. But hot hatches are mostly a Euro thing these days.
These vintage Mopar hot hatches had a winning formula: a low MSRP, small turbocharged engine, a manual transmission, good fuel economy, and a spacious cargo area.
Sadly, those days have come to an end in the US. While enthusiasts love their hot hatches, automakers have slowed the flow to a trickle.
That said, Chrysler-Fiat’s recent merger with Peugeot brings a glimmer of hope. So could Stellantis finally bring the five-door 308 to our shores? Close your eyes and cross your fingers.
