Peugeot 205 T16 - best ever Peugeot Sport cars

The original hyper-hatch and one of the most distinctive Group B World Rally Championship homologation specials, the 205 T16 is the most extreme road car Peugeot Sport has ever built, and a worthy number one.

Its 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine used the block from a 205 diesel, which was linked to a unique 16-valve head with a Garrett turbocharger designed for maximum power rather than fuel efficiency. The result was 200bhp and 255Nm of torque for the 200 road cars built. Performance wasn’t electric – its 131mph top speed and 6.6-second 0-60mph time weren’t light years faster than the 205 1.9 GTi’s – but it drove like no other Peugeot or rival hot hatch. If performance didn’t quite match the looks, its chassis was fluid and grip plentiful, and once the turbo had spooled up at 3,000rpm enough energy could be generated to unsettle the chassis and bring the T16 to life. 

Heuliez cut the back off standard 205 GTi bodies, and fitted a new firewall and tubular sub-frame to sit the engine in and mount the suspension from. There was a similar set-up at the front. All 200 road cars were assembled by Simca and painted dark grey, except for chassis no.1, which was white.

Specifications

Engine: 1.8-litre in-line 4cyl turboPower: 200bhp/6,750rpmTorque: 255Nm/4,000rpmTransmission: Five-speed manual, four-wheel driveWeight: 1,350kgTop speed: 131mph0-60mph: 6.6 secsBuilt: 1986

Top 10 best ever Peugeot Sport cars

• 1. Peugeot 205 T16
• 2. Peugeot 205 GTi
• 3. Peugeot 106 Rallye
• 4. Peugeot 306 Rallye
• 5. Peugeot 208 GTi by Peugeot Sport
• 6. Peugeot RCZ R
• 7. Peugeot 309 GTi
• 8. Peugeot 308 GTi by Peugeot Sport
• 9. Peugeot 205 Rallye
• 10. Peugeot 405 Mi16