Peugeot 205 GTI
1984
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The car that, above all others, epitomises and defines the hot hatch. It wasn’t the first, it wasn’t the fastest, but back in the late 1980s, it was the greatest. Pretty, light, with a lusty 130bhp 1.9-litre engine (yep, we rate that over the 1.6), wonderfully engaging steering and a chassis which entered into legend, the 205 GTI remains perhaps the most iconic hot hatch of all – even today, some 40 years since it first appeared. Such a pretty car, and driving one today with its fabulously slim pillars, light cabin and tinny doors is a reminder of just how far safety has come. Just 860kg people, and not an airbag in sight.
Renault Clio 182 Trophy…