Top speed is a faintly ridiculous metric for a hot hatchback, which is probably why it remains so irresistible. In normal road driving, it is almost completely irrelevant: you are far more likely to notice throttle response, traction, gearing, braking stability and how eagerly the car gets from 30 to 70mph than whether it can eventually nudge 140, 155 or 170mph. But as a snapshot of intent, top speed still tells you something. It hints at power, gearing, drag, stability and how seriously the engineers took the business of making a family hatchback behave like something much less sensible.

There is also the small matter of bragging rights. No one needs a hot hatch that can run deep into autobahn territory, but there is undeniable appeal in knowing that it can. On a track day, outright top speed will usually matter less than corner exit traction and braking confidence, but on longer straights it becomes part of the theatre: the point where power, aero and courage all start arguing with each other. So while this list should not be mistaken for a buying guide based purely on real-world usefulness, it is a pleasing way to separate the merely warm from the genuinely unhinged.