The Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 Is the Mid-Engine Hatchback That Won Group B

Look at a Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 and you would swear it was a hot version of the humble hatchback that shares its name. It is not. Almost nothing carries over between the two beyond the lights and the outline of the body. Everything else was thrown away and rebuilt for one job, which was to go rallying at the highest level the sport had ever allowed. What Peugeot ended up with was a mid-engine, four-wheel-drive competition car hiding inside an economy-car silhouette, sold in tiny numbers to satisfy the rulebook and priced like a Porsche. It went on to beat the best that Audi and Lancia could field. This is the story of how a small French hatchback became a Group B champion.

Born From the Ultimate Era of Rallying

Group B arrived in 1982 and was gone within five seasons, killed off because the cars had become faster than anyone could reasonably control. The formula asked almost nothing of manufacturers in the way of restriction, and they answered by building some of the wildest competition machines the sport has ever seen. Crowds loved the spectacle. Then came a run of tragic accidents, ending with the death of Henri Toivonen and his co-driver at the Tour de Corse in May 1986. Organizers cancelled the category before the season had even finished.