Nice 205 Gti Story In This Week's Autocar

[johnsimister 10]

I'm biased because it's my car, but journalist colleague Andrew Frankel has done a great job of identifying why we love our 205s. A video was shot too but it hasn't appeared on the website yet. The reason for running the story now is to remind the world of what the imminent 208 GTI, which forms Autocar's lead news story this week, has to do.

 

John

[S@m 156]

Not an autocar goes by without the 205 being mentioned, at least that's how it seems to me, forever the benchmark of hatchback enjoyment! Are they going to do one of those "Meet the Ancestors" videos for the new 208 GTI then? Like they did with the RS focus and various others - always enjoy those vids.

 

Sam

Edited February 23, 2012 by Sam306

[sensualt101 31 1 Cars]

i went and bought this weeks autocar after reading this and am glad i did! its always nice to see 205 gti's in the press and it was praised highly!

its nice to see that journalists used to modern machinery appreciate a real drivers car compared to the modern versions which are all much heavier larger engined and never seem to be able to handle as well despite the technology progression and extra engine capacity and horsepower. which is a shame as peugeot have never since built a modern car to equal the 205 gti!

 

my only quibble is that they focus on the 1.9 rather than 1.6! it should always be pointed out that the 1.6 gti started the ball rolling and that many drivers prefer the smaller engined versions character though having owned and driven both i find they are both very much an enthusiastic drivers car with a slight character difference between the 2!

 

we all know that no manufacturer would be able to make a car as focused as the safety regulations and emissions standards have all changed but i am still hoping that peugeot will be able to capture the gti spirit in a new model one day!

 

maybe the new 208 gti will be that car? only time will tell but for now long live the legend that is the 205 gti!

Edited February 23, 2012 by sensualt101

[Simes 248 2 Cars]

I knew it was either going to be written yourself or Andrew Frankel.

I've got a copy of Autocar when Andrew Frankel did a write up on one of the last 1.6GTI's prior to production stopping.

[jackherer 543]

The reason for running the story now is to remind the world of what the imminent 208 GTI, which forms Autocar's lead news story this week, has to do.

 

Where have I heard that before?

 

Maybe they'll get it right this time? Third time lucky...

 

Do Peugeot actually encourage these comparisons or would they rather people forget the 205?

[Anthony 1,003]

Do Peugeot actually encourage these comparisons or would they rather people forget the 205?

Judging by the interview with one of the designers around the time that the 207 GTi (I think) came out, they are sick to the back teeth with comparisons to the 205 GTi... I imagine that I've still got the magazine somewhere so I'll try and dig it out if you like?

[Richie 32]

Just had a read of the article. Nice write up, I'm not getting my hopes up for the 208 gti, because the chances are that it will disappoint.

 

Very tidy looking 1.9 John, although you're missing your fag lighter

[macaroni 17 1 Cars]

I wish they would stop comparing them to the 205, as the world has moved on so much.

In fact, Peugeot should stop calling them GTIs!

 

Got back into my gti after a week in the Alfa, and those first few miles never fail to put a big grin on my stupid face.

 

Every input is met with a perfect response (especially without PAS), a sensation sadly lacking in any of todays cars.

[lfallgti 12]

Judging by the interview with one of the designers around the time that the 207 GTi (I think) came out, they are sick to the back teeth with comparisons to the 205 GTi... I imagine that I've still got the magazine somewhere so I'll try and dig it out if you like?

 

But then they market it as "207 GTI'm back".

 

Maybe not as sick as they'd lead us to believe.

[Anthony 1,003]

The marketing department probably love it as it's easy to advertise on the back of.

 

The designers almost certainly don't, as it's pretty much a given that whatever they do will never live up to the 205 GTi's legacy, and in many ways they're so constrained by modern tastes, requirements and the base car that with the best will in the world it'll always pale - let alone when they seemingly don't actually want to create a decent drivers car.

 

In fact, don't I remember Peugeot saying that they weren't going to use the GTi name again?

[Flozman 4]

A little Off subject, but you do get around a lot John... I was just reading your artical in the back page of Practical Classic half hour ago...

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

I read something fairly recently where apparently Peugeot said as much as they have to thank the 205 GTI for in terms of resurrecting the company, they have also made as legacy they can't replicate due to the ever changing car market & comforts people have come to expect from a modern car.

 

They 106 & 306 GTI are the closest they have come to such dynamics since the 205 but I don't think there is a car in the Peugeot range I'd currently consider worthy of the GTI tag from a drivers point of view.

 

I agree with James May on this but it's not all about power figures, the interaction with the car can make a lower powered car just as much fun, look at the original Mini Cooper, an ~1000cc engine developing ~65bhp that had you so connected to what it was doing you couldn't help but generate a massive stupid grin, even at modest speeds (or flat out in a mini).

 

In fact, don't I remember Peugeot saying that they weren't going to use the GTi name again?

Yeah, they did but I think they did a reversal after realising the market was changing back to favouring the GTI type car.

 

g

[Richie 32]

I don't think anyone realistically expects Peugeot to recapture the magic of the 205. It was made in a time before so many safety tests.

 

But what annoys me is that Renault have the Clio sports that have a little bit of what the 205 was all about. They also do the nutty megane 's. Citreon now do the DS3. Vauxhall have the VXR Corsa etc.

 

I'd just like Peugeot to take the 208 to the ring and make it go stupidly quick. Instead of a diluted warm hatch that nobody cares about.

Edited February 25, 2012 by Richie

[stefan 4]

Yes, it needs to have a 250+hp engine to start with. The competition is there for years now. And that's only to get it moving... They would need to bin the 1.6 toy, and make a proper 2.0 engine. Mitsubishi and Subaru have them for almost 20 years now, with the rest of the companies closing in on the 300hp mark (Mazda, Opel, Renault…). What’s the problem?! Well, money most probably, but like this Peugeot is just sitting at the kiddies table. Wasn’t the 205 Gti a financial success?! Why don’t they like to gamble anymore? The 1.6 THP is a nice and smart thing, but I believe the only grin it would get from me if it were in a 107. If I were on the market for a new “GTI”, I wouldn’t give money for a car that would bore me to death. I would rather buy a Volkswagen, which I hate and loathe.

[johnsimister 10]

Very tidy looking 1.9 John, although you're missing your fag lighter

 

Well spotted. Frankel removed it so he could plug in a TomTom, and he forgot to reinstate it for the pics.

 

I was tallking to Gaetan Demoulin yesterday on the Peugeot RXH launch. He is PSA's chassis chief and claims to be very aware of the need to make the 208 GTI credible to the likes of us. He owns a 205 GTI himself which is encouraging. I guess we'll have to wait and see how the 208 GTI turns out. I hope it won't be like a DS3 Racing, which has plenty of pace but wooden steering and much too firm a ride.

 

As others have said, third time lucky perhaps. I'm not holding my breath meanwhile.

 

John