If small cars can be the stuff of legends, the Volkswagen GTI is certainly one. But it has not always stayed true to the concept, at times being little more than a tarted-up Golf. Not so, the all-new 2007 GTI. In his test for thecarconnection Conor Twomey tells us "the Mk V captures the essence of the original and best GTIs but reinvented for the modern age where customers have different safety and comfort expectations than before. In that context, the GTI really is an excellent little car and arguably one of the best all-rounders on sale in America today."

With a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine producing 200 hp and 207 lb-ft of torque, I'd say the original hot hatch is definitely back.