RSS_Auto_Poster
Well-known member
Written by Jason Barlow
Not the original hot hatch, but the car that reframed the template. The GTI maxed out G rard Welter"s crisp 3dr design by the simple expedient of adding side mouldings and red go-faster inserts, while a 900kg kerbweight ensured that even 1984"s 105bhp 1.6-litre suffered little inertia. Then came the 115bhp version, and the 130bhp 1.9 in 1986, whose longer-stroke engine made the perma-thrilling 205 GTi experience less zingy and more torquey, and added disc brakes all-round and lower-profile rubber. The crummy cabin plastics gradually improved, and although early, unmolested 205s are now the most sought-after, post-1990 GTis had desirable black exterior and interior trim. While it has a reputation for being a bit flakey, the GTi is actually pretty robust, although using it to do what it was designed to do invariably leads to serious wear and tear. We love the Sorrento Green and Miami Blue "89 special editions which also featured leather trim and power steering. As always, originality is highly prized, especially with the 205 GTi because it was such a totem of the Nineties modified car subculture (and even starred on the cover of the first issue of Max Power magazine). Watch out for worn seats, worn-out gearboxes, and creaking suspension. And as lift-off oversteer was the car"s Achilles" heel, check for crash damage1984-1994Price now: 7,000- 25,000
Date written: 25 Mar 2019
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 15235
Not the original hot hatch, but the car that reframed the template. The GTI maxed out G rard Welter"s crisp 3dr design by the simple expedient of adding side mouldings and red go-faster inserts, while a 900kg kerbweight ensured that even 1984"s 105bhp 1.6-litre suffered little inertia. Then came the 115bhp version, and the 130bhp 1.9 in 1986, whose longer-stroke engine made the perma-thrilling 205 GTi experience less zingy and more torquey, and added disc brakes all-round and lower-profile rubber. The crummy cabin plastics gradually improved, and although early, unmolested 205s are now the most sought-after, post-1990 GTis had desirable black exterior and interior trim. While it has a reputation for being a bit flakey, the GTi is actually pretty robust, although using it to do what it was designed to do invariably leads to serious wear and tear. We love the Sorrento Green and Miami Blue "89 special editions which also featured leather trim and power steering. As always, originality is highly prized, especially with the 205 GTi because it was such a totem of the Nineties modified car subculture (and even starred on the cover of the first issue of Max Power magazine). Watch out for worn seats, worn-out gearboxes, and creaking suspension. And as lift-off oversteer was the car"s Achilles" heel, check for crash damage1984-1994Price now: 7,000- 25,000
Date written: 25 Mar 2019
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 15235