Along with the original Volkswagen Golf GTI, the Peugeot 205 GTi caused a giant stir among driving enthusiasts. In fact, it was so good that people still rate it highly, more than 30 years later.
The simpleness of the design, combined with a lower ground clearance than the regular 205s, stiffer suspension and a peppy (for the time) engine are all key ingredients of the 205 GTi.
By today’s standards, having a 105 horsepower, 1.6-liter mill in a car is considered as not enough. However, the French hot hatch tipped the scales at under 2,000 lbs (900 kg), and this made it very agile: 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 8.7 seconds and a 116 mph (187 km/h) top speed.
Also Watch: Peugeot 205 GTi 1.6 Is The Iconic Retro Hot Hatch
Officially, the 205 GTi never made to the U.S. market; a fewwere, however, imported from Europe by enthusiasts. Some chose to swap the engine for something more modern and powerful, which had the downside of making the car loose a part of its special character. Others decided that the original XU5J is more than enough and everything it really needs, aside from putting the throttle down, is TLC and some polishing every now and then, And they’re not wrong.
But what good is to talk about a classic hot hatch when we cannot see it in action? Luckily, we can, with the video review, filled with facts and a video game-like entry, coming from RegularCars. So, if you’re a petrolhead, you know you want to scroll down and click the play button.