WITH ITS RED PAINT ALMOST glowing in the supernaturally clear light, the 205 GTI 1.9 looks so perfect it feels like I've stepped into a Peugeot brochure shoot, circa 1988. Up close, the impression of perfection is maintained, the finish of the Rouge W Vallelunga paint exceptionally smooth and glossy, the trim and detailing spot on. Press your nose against the glass and the interior looks brand new too.
There are a couple of clues that this is not some time warp' car that's been found shrink-wrapped in a hermetically sealed barn with only delivery miles on the clock (though its odometer does show barely 1000 miles). First, the factory paint was never this good, and second, the boot badges read *205 Tolman Edition'.
Regular readers will be familiar with Tolman Engineering and its 205s. We drove a Tolman 205 GTI 1.6 in evo 292 and it was superb. Not cheap at £45k but that's about the going rate for a full nut-and-bolt rebuild with many improved parts and a near-concours finish. In fact, due to increasing energy costs, parts price rises, and a higher specification, that car now costs £65k, plus a donor car.
The Tolman Edition takes things a fair bit further. Instead of the eight-valve 1.6 engine, it has a bespoke 1905cc 16-valve, created in-house using the cylinder head from the later 306 GTi 6. It has taken some clever work to get it to fit but the result is a reputed 193bhp zinger that revs to 7500rpm. Does it feel like almost 200bhp? You bet it does. Can the 205 handle it? Turns out that's the wrong question. The correct question is can you handle it?
There will be just 20 Tolman Edition 205s, each costing £125k. Yep, £125k. You can debate 'value for money' until the cows come home, but I reckon for people who can afford it, what the Tolman Edition needs to do is drive better than any other 205 GTI ever. That's certainly what I'm expecting.
This story is from the April 2023 edition of Evo UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 2023 edition of Evo UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
BEST BUYS BMW M CARS
THE PERFORMANCE CAR LANDSCAPE WOULD HAVE looked very different over the last five decades without BMW. Its M division, founded in 1972, has produced some of the best driver’s cars ever to hit the road, and in the process has provided a stream of benchmark models for its rivals to chase. In recent years, stricter emissions regulations, downsizing and electrification have seen some of those rival cars falter, yet by and large BMW’s M machines have remained strong. In fact, some rank among the greatest the department has made think of the eCoty-winning M2 CS and M5 CS while others are the only options worth recommending in their respective segments. Price tags have risen with performance, however, putting those latest offerings out of reach for many, but the marque’s popularity means there are numerous earlier M models available on the second-hand market for far more attainable figures. Here are four of our favourites.
TYRE 2024 TEST
Want to fit the very best tyres to your performance car? The annual evo Tyre Test identifies the cream of the current crop
HONDA ACCORD TYPE R
A liberal sprinkling of Honda Type R fairy dust on the late-'90s Accord produced an unlikely evo icon and a genuine performance bargain
TOY STORY
Where best to store some of Toyota’s most prized and valuable racing superstars? Under the wind tunnel at its Cologne HO, of course...
POWER PLAY
It develops 819bhp. It has no turbochargers, no hybrid assistance. Ferrari describes it as the most complete GT it's ever made. And it’s so proud of its mighty V12 engine it’s named the whole car after it. This is the 12 Cilindri
THE FIRST SAMURAIS
Japan has been responsible for many of our favourite driver's cars of recent decades, but their ancestors are often much less well known. We take a look at where the big manufacturers began their performance car journeys
DEFINITELY. NO MAYBE
Three Japanese performance icons - Lexus LFA, Subaru Impreza 22B and Nissan GT-R. Over three days on some of our favourite roads we explore what makes each uniquely thrilling, but also the car culture that unites them
1V3.0
F1, P1... and now W1. The next chapter in McLaren's Ultimate Series is the British firm's challenger to the forthcoming new Ferrari hypercar and a £2million, 1257bhp, hybrid-powered, technical tour de force
Thornley Kelham European RS
One man’s dream to build the perfect Porsche 911 has resulted inthis aaticMously restored and enhanced classic. We delve into the details and take it for a drive
Bentley Continental GT Speed
The new Continental GT is the most powerful Bentley ever, and the beginning of anew plug-in hybrid era for Crewe. But is it still a benchmark grand tourer?
