As Guilherme Costa said in the article dedicated to the AX GTI — and that I can't omit here… — this analysis will not be impartial either, as I'm also going to write about a car that says a lot to me: the Peugeot 205 GTI.
My first car… there is no car like the first one, is there? And it is as owner of a Peugeot 205 GTI that Ledger Automotive asked me to write these lines.
The pocket-rockets of this generation, for the benefits they offer and the delicate behavior they have, are not for everyone "either we are up to the occasion or it is better to hand over the folder to someone else" Guilherme told me shortly after having made a private road near Vendas Novas in “racing” mode with my “lion”.
Several GTI models came out, even with different engines, and the 1.9 GTI and the CTI model (cabriolet, designed by the famous atelier de Pininfarina), were always the most sought after and coveted. Even today we can see this demand, but it is already quite difficult to find a car like this in conditions. Which is a shame, because despite being a car with two decades of existence, it still hasn't lost its charm, making it one of the most notable pocket-rockets of the time.
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Starting to describe this little beast with a lion's claw in more detail, I can tell you that visually from the plastic kits, the red trim, the front grille to the small details like the plastic model indication (where we can read 1.9 or 1.6 GTi ) everything fits like a glove and gives a very aggressive air. The car exudes adrenaline at first sight!
Inside the cabin the thing also heats up, that steering wheel saying GTI in red, that red carpet, the sports seats with leather sides (version 1.9) and the red stitching make us even more I want to make this little feline roar like a real wild lion, and that's where the conversation really is…
The roars of this PSA group pearl are very real and can even get frightening. Both in the 1580 cm³ and 1905 cm³ engine the accelerations are spectacular and the behavior on the road causes the delight of those who really like to drive. I'll never forget the first time the rear took off the asphalt and the manual traction control (the so-called “nail kit”) came into action…
It's really amazing to realize that these pocket-rockets from the past are really infernal machines and that their driving has nothing to do with a current car. Despite having equally fantastic performances and an out-of-this-world power, it's all done in a simple and manual way, where the driver is the one who has the reins in his hand and with the slightest failure the result may not be the most pleasant.
Also praise the excellent gearbox that this car has; it's pretty intuitive. The car almost asks us to take it to 6000 rpm, and only then invites us to move to the next gear. The acceleration is simply fantastic and the car up to 190 km/h roars like a savanna lion in its wildest and most dangerous state.
But there is no acceleration without a minimum of safety, and unlike the "evil German" (understand Volkswagen Polo G40) which only has a slowdown system, the so-called "Abrandometer", and some tiny 13″ BBS wheels with sidewalks some tires that seemed to be removed from a cart, the 205 already came with another type of equipment.
Originally, in the 1.6 version came 14″s wheels and 185/60 tires, in the 1.9 version we could still find some magnificent 15″ Speedline wheels that adorned an imposing 195/50 tyre. This is not to say that it had four-wheel disc brakes (version 1.9) as well as an independent suspension in the back, something that many cars at the time still didn't even dream of having.
For the time, he was a true king, even in the World Rally Championship with the spectacular 205 Turbo 16 Talbot Sport , Peugeot has won, winning the constructors' championship two years in a row with those no less spectacular drivers, Timo Salonen and Juha Kankkunen.
I could write what I wanted, say it badly, say it well, whatever, but as others have said in the past, I say: “While others just drive… the 205 is piloted”. Never forget this when you are close to one, or even when you have the opportunity to try it… it's worth it!
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Special participation: André Pires, owner of a Peugeot 205 GTI.