Peugeot 205 GTI
Volkswagen had claimed the hot hatch crown for itself with the Mk1 Golf GTI but Peugeot snatched it in 1984 with the diminutive 205 road rocket. Based on a stiffened 205 shell, the original GTi used a 1.6 105bhp four-cylinder engine which may not sound much but was plenty in such a lightweight body particularly as it still came with rear drum brakes. The handling, while immensely rewarding in the right hands could also land owners in trouble as it had a nasty propensity for lift off oversteer which saw many pugs heading off the road backwards. The 130bhp 1.9-litre model at least had disks all round but carried more weight up front so was even more tail happy. Probably one of the cutest hot hatches, the 205 came with plastic wheelarch extensions and deeper bumpers plus attractive alloy wheels and part leather trim in the 1.9. You can pick up a MOT’d heap for a couple of hundred quid today whilst mint examples go for around £3,500. Just try and find one that hasn’t visited the scenery.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peugeot_205
http://www.peugeot205gti.co.uk/
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