While waiting for the new Peugeot 208 GTi – which has just been confirmed for production – to arrive at their office, guys at Autocar decided to go and revisit its grandfather, the legendary Peugeot 205 GTi. This car is, to all intents and purposes, the hot hatch daddy. Even to this day, and even with magnificent cars like the 206 RC around, people still talk about the 205 GTi with the same passion they talk about the original Golf GTi.

The new 208 GTi has a compelling recipe of power and convenience, but we’re not sure if it will be able to capture the magic of the original car. Thanks to all the safety and emission standards modern hot hatches are all heavy and cumbersome, and no matter how much power they’ve got, they never feel as live and alive as the light and nimble ho hatches of the yesteryear.