Hot Hatch Restomod: Peugeot 205 GTi Tolman Edition | Henry Catchpole - The Driver’s Seat

The Peugeot 205 is 40-years young in 2023 and this episode of The Driver’s Seat seemed like a very good way to mark that significant birthday. The 205 GTi is perhaps the quintessential hot hatch and this is now perhaps the ultimate version of the car. Chris Tolman of Tolman Motorsport originally restored a 1.6 GTi for himself but lightly updated it in the process to produce more power than a 1.9. This second Tolman Edition, however, takes things a big step further. This is a 1.9 with a ported 16-valve head and new cams. There is also a new exhaust, a fly-by-wire throttle and a bespoke ECU. A competition clutch and Quaife ATB limited-slip differential help translate the resultant 200bhp and 160lb ft of torque to the road, while the brakes from AP racing help slow everything down again. The Bilstein dampers, with Tolman’s own tune, keep things fun but less unruly than the original had a tendency to be. Despite all the mechanical improvements, the look is very much standard both outside and in. No