Hot hatchbacks used to be slower, but a lot more bonkers in appearance. They had big wings at the back, massively flared wheel arches and wheels that made you feel dirty inside just by looking. If you ignore the quad exhaust, the Golf R could pass as a regular car, even though it packs over three times more power than a base 1.2 TSI model.

Even the German auto industry has stopped trying to mess with the appearance, knowing the customers …