you'd be surprised what you can thrash in a 1.0 polo ....... mostly because other people can't drive or are scared of putting the pedal to the floor, but sometimes because of sheer bad performance and the surprising perkiness of the engine when you get it right (it's got a poor power-per-litre, but it's not anywhere near as peaky as many others)
1.2 novas and corsas are pretty naff performers as it happens (even worse power per litre), i think even the modern 1.0 corsa (newest shape) can outrun them (*just* leaves a mk3 1.0 behind). still its a good feeling to outrun a chav trying it on in one of those
is yours the 1043 or the 999? if it's the former in the heavier shell then you can up your boasts further on each "kill" in comparison as you're 5hp short
a mk2 1043 should be able to neck and neck with a 75bhp pug 1007 (just released - seeing the performance on top gear, its shocking), the mk4 will be slower but shouldnt be *too* far behind.
for the record, mk3 1043 (probably similar power-to-weight as a mk4 999), has killed: Several white vans and mini-vans (escort, astra, etc), though generally got *just* pipped by merc sprinters. Those things are FAST (for vans!). A surprising number of Volvo T5s, and i dont mean cop ones (the one that
was a cop proved impossible to outrun). A few corsas, saxos and the like being twattily driven (not trying to race, just leaving the nob behind as i didnt fancy being near them), and even a Sierra Xr4x4i ... guy behind the wheel did look like he'd been sniffing glue however.
And though I didn't often keep much of a kill tally, it loved to play with Beemers in the outside lane of the M6, M1, M42, etc.. Holding its own until the embarrasing points where some 69mph dawdler pulled over to the middle lane right at the bottom of the hill, passing the role over.
The A55 was good as well, even if just because most people passing along there were sightseeing - flying past so many in the left lane with such a dinky engine was quite a buzz. As was scraping the doorhandles round all the roundabouts (hey, they're still technically under a 70mph limit..)
Mind you as i've stated too much, that behaviour was the near death of it. I can't beleive how much crap i've removed from the pistons (including the sides, from blow-by) and the head... or the state of the big end bearings. To get any speed from it unfortunately requires full throttle and the top 2k of the rev band...
...and in busy motorway situations, an assload of undertaking and occasional combative driving, which for some reason i'm doing a whole lot less of in the 'tray. Not sure why. Might be because i don't need to conserve momentum quite so much as before

(anyone who causes you to drop below 4500rpm is, naturally, a complete bastard and deserves to die)
edit: Aw, groovy, and you with the 5-speed box too...... (mind you according to the official specs, 5sp is slower to 60 than the 4!)
the mini's power is, a bit like the 1043, in the torque more so than the peak BHP... but even more so. it's almost a diesel.. get it into 2nd gear as soon as you feel the power falling off and dont redline it

..... or ever, ever lift off.