Hopped up hatchbacks dominate the European automotive landscape and occupy the top five spots on this list. France, Germany and Japan have spent decades making hopped-up pocket rockets and this latest batch is quite possibly the best.
The Seat Leon Cupra 280 is the top-dog in the Seat family for now, until the even hotter Cupra R arrives sometime later. But the 280 is no slouch. With a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine making 276 HP and 258 lb-ft of torque, Seat expects this car to rocket from 0-62 MPH in 5.9 seconds with the six-speed manual or 5.7 seconds with the six-speed dual-clutch automatic.
The rest of the car is equally impressive with a mechanical locking front differential, grippy 235 mm wide tires and aggressive bucket seats. Think of it as a Ford Focus ST taken up a level.
