Guide: Peugeot 205 T16 - a Historical & Technical Appraisal
BACKGROUND
For 1982, the FIA introduced a simplified motor sport framework designed to attract a new wave of manufacturers.
The existing regulations split vehicles into one of six main categories.
Group 1 was for models that had achieved a production run of 5000 units in a twelve month period.
Lesser production totals were required for Groups 2 and 3 (1000 units each) and Group 4 (400 cars over 24 months).
Group 5 was for highly modified ‘Special Production Cars’ that had already been homologated into Group 2 or 4.
Group 6 was for Prototype racing cars and had no minimum production requirement.
Vehicles homologated in Groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 were all eligible for the World Rally Championship.
By contrast, the new regulatory framework for 1982 comprised just three categories: Group A (5000 units in twelve months), Group B (200 units in twelve months) and Group C (no minimum production figure).
Group C was for racing Prototypes, Group B was for GT racing and rally cars and Group A was for rally and touring cars.
With Group B now the premier rally category, firms that wanted to participate saw the production requirement halved from 400 to 200 vehicles. As a result, a raft of increasingly extreme purpose-built Group B specials were created by major manufacturers for whom building a couple of hundred production examples was not a problem.
One of the organisations attracted to Group B was Peugeot who were looking to shed their rather sombre image.
In 1979, the PSA Group (which at the time comprised Peugeot and Citroen) had acquired Chrysler Europe. Part of Chrysler Europe was Talbot who had won the 1981 World Rally Championship with their Sunbeam Lotus model.
With this expertise at their disposal, development of Peugeot’s new Group B rally car began in England. It was subsequently transferred to France as company Chairman, Jean Boillot, understandably felt the project should be handled domestically.
To this end, a new organisation was established: Peugeot Talbot Sport (PTS).
Based on the outskirts of Paris, PTS was headed by Jean Todt who had at his disposal a 90-strong team along with a practically unlimited budget to take on the likes of Audi, Ford and Lancia.
For the new Peugeot Group B rally car, a mid-engined layout with four-wheel drive was settled upon.
In order to commercially benefit from any competition success, the new Group B contender had to resemble Peugeot’s forthcoming 205 GTi scheduled for release in April 1984.
The resultant 205 T16 was presented in prototype form in February 1983. The production-ready variant made its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1984. It cost 290,000 FFr which was around six times the price of a standard 205 GTi.
CHASSIS
The T16 was based around a purpose-built steel central monocoque reinforced with a steel subframe at the front and a tubular steel spaceframe at the back. A 2540mm wheelbase was 120mm longer than the 205 GTi (2420mm).
Suspension was via double wishbones all round with a single coil spring and telescopic Bilstein damper at each corner. An anti-roll bar was fitted at either end.
273mm disc brakes with singe piston calipers were installed (vented at the front, solid at the rear).
White-centred Speedline ‘Pepperpot’ wheels mimicked those of the 205 GTi and were originally shod with Michelin’s metric-sized TRX tyres (210/55/390).
A 110-litre fuel tank was installed underneath the seats.
ENGINE & GEARBOX
Space restrictions meant it was decided early on that the engine would be mounted transversely. Such a layout also meant servicing could be carried out much faster.
The T16’s XU8T engine was a heavily uprated version of Peugeot’s existing all-alloy water-cooled inline four cylinder XU power unit. The T16 motor featured a dual overhead camshaft 16 valve head, Bosch K-Jetronic multipoint fuel-injection, a KKK K26 twin-scroll turbocharger set at 0.7 bar and an air-to-air intercooler.
Displacement was carefully engineered to take advantage of Group B’s lower minimum weight requirement for vehicles with a swept volume of between 2 and 2.5-litres. Group B applied a 1.4 multiplier for turbo engines which meant the T16’s 1775cc displacement (achieved with a bore and stroke of 83mm and 82mm respectively) translated to a swept volume of 2485cc.
The 200 road cars built for homologation had a semi dry-sump lubrication system.
Compression was set at a conservative 6.5:1 which yielded a peak output of 197bhp at 6750rpm and 188lb-ft at 4000rpm.
A much-modified five-speed gearbox derived from the Citroen SM was bolted directly behind the engine for a low centre of gravity.
The most challenging technical aspect of the T16’s design process was how to install a four-wheel drive system into such a small package. Peugeot opted for an FF arrangement with epicyclic centre differential and viscous coupling that gave a 33:67 front-to-rear torque split under normal conditions. A ZF limited-slip differential was installed for each axle.
BODYWORK
Visually, the T16 resembled a Frankensteinian 205 GTi thanks to its rather ungainly proportions and abundance of cooling solutions.
Massive wheelarch extensions were fitted at both ends. Those at the front stood proud of the doors while the rears housed enormous air scoops to feed the engine radiators. A huge vent was carved out from the front lid and the tail fascia was opened up between the lights.
Discrete spoilers were added underneath the front bumper and at the trailing edge of the roof.
Fibreglass was used for the bonnet, bumpers and single-piece rear clamshell. Steel panels were used elsewhere.
French coachbuilder Heuliez was responsible for body fabrication. Cars were then shipped to Peugeot’s Poissy facility for final assembly.
Aside from the prototype (which was finished in white with PTS decals) nearly all the T16s built for homologation were painted Winchester Grey. However, a handful of lucky VIP customers were able to specify other colours.
Red bumper inserts and side stripes were added to mimic the mainstream GTi variant.
Size-wise, the T16 was 105mm longer, 18mm lower and 128mm wider than the 205 GTi.
INTERIOR
Although at first glance the T16’s two-spoke steering wheel, clock, ventilation controls and ashtray gave the interior a familiar feel, little else was imported from the 205 GTi.
A totally new dash spanned almost the entire width of the cockpit.
Directly behind the steering wheel were large read outs for road and engine speed with a small boost gauge mounted in between. Located in the centre of the dash were more small instruments for fuel level, oil temperature, oil pressure and water temperature.
T16 seats were unique to the model and normally came upholstered with leather bolsters, two-tone grey fabric centres and a prominent Peugeot logo stitched into the backrest. A small number of cars came with full leather seats. The top of the dash, the door panels and gear gaiter were always upholstered in grey leather. The gear gaiter and door panels came with red stitching.
Drilled aluminium pedals were standard.
As a result of the T16’s mid-engine layout, the GTi’s rear seats were deleted and the front seats were mounted hard up against the rear bulkhead. This bulkhead panel, along with the rest of the floor, was upholstered in dark grey carpet.
Creature comforts extended to electric windows and a radio but little else.
WEIGHT / PERFORMANCE
The T16 weighed in at 1145kg and had a 47:53 front-to-rear weight distribution.
Top speed was 130mph and 0-62mph took six seconds.
OPTIONAL PTS CLUBMAN PACK
Only one option was officially available: the PTS Clubman package, which almost doubled the car’s list price. It was created for those customers that wanted to bring their cars towards Evolution 1 trim and turned the T16 into a fire-breathing monster that even the fastest supercars of the day struggled to match.
Many of the upgrades focused on the engine which was converted to full dry-sump lubrication and equipped with heavy duty pistons and sleeves. Intake and exhaust valves were adjusted, Champion BN 60 spark plugs were fitted and the turbo boost was cranked from 0.7 to 0.85 bar.
A new exhaust system was also installed along with a second radiator fan, a centre-mounted ZF limited-slip differential and shorter gearing.
Output jumped from 197bhp at 6750rpm to 300bhp at 6500rpm.
Other improvements included a reinforced chassis and beefed-up suspension mounts with multiple pick up points. Brake discs were enlarged from 273mm to 298mm and the single-piston calipers were exchanged for four-piston items.
Clubman bodyshells were seam-welded and normally fitted with an aluminium roll-cage. Racing seats and harnesses were installed. Thanks in part to lighter composite body panels, 110kg was saved.
Unlike the Evolution 1 (reserved for works use), Clubman T16s retained the original air-to-air intercooler and standard Bosch K-Jetronic fuel-injection. The DPV anti-lag system was another feature of the Evolution 1 not available on Clubman cars.
PRODUCTION
Of the 200 T16 homologation units manufactured between late 1983 and early 1984, less than 20 are believed to have been equipped with the PTS Clubman kit.
Otherwise, all the road cars were built to identical specification in left-hand drive.
For the FIA inspection, Peugeot lined up 200 production cars to demonstrate no trickery was afoot.
Homologation was approved on April 1st 1984 and the T16 debuted in Evolution 1 trim at the Tour de Corse a month later.
COMPETITION HISTORY
Ari Vatanen and Terry Harryman looked set to give the Evolution 1 a victorious debut at the 1984 Tour de Corse, but having led for much of the opening two days, they aquaplaned off the road and into a ravine. Team-mates Jean-Pierre Nicolas and Charley Pasquier brought the sister car home in fourth.
Peugeot went on to contest four of the remaining seven WRC events in 1984 and after a double DNF on the Acropolis Rally, the T16 took victory in its final three outings: the 1000 Lakes, Sanremo and RAC rallies (all thanks to Vatanen / Harryman).
For 1985, Timo Salonen and Bruno Saby joined the driver line-up as Nicolas retired.
The new season saw Peugeot contest eleven of the twelve events on the WRC calendar.
Timo Salonen and Seppo Harjanne recorded five wins (Portugal, Acropolis, New Zealand, Argentina and the 1000 Lakes) and Salonen became the 1985 Drivers’ Champion while Peugeot took the Manufacturers’ crown.
Ari Vatanen and Terry Harryman won twice (Monte Carlo and Sweden) which took Peugeot’s tally to seven victories for the year, but Vatanen had a terrible accident on Rally Argentina which ruled him out for many months.
Peugeot introduced the further uprated T16 Evolution 2 mid-way through the ‘85 season and went on to use it during the course of the entire 1986 campaign when Salonen and Saby were joined by Juha Kankkunen as Vatanen’s replacement.
Peugeot won six of the twelve WRC outings contested in 1986, but there were mitigating factors that likely cost the French team two other victories.
Juha Kankkunen and Juha Piironen collected three wins (Sweden, Acropolis and New Zealand) while Salonen / Harjanne took a brace (1000 Lakes and RAC). Bruno Saby and Jean-Francois Fauchille pitched in with a win on the Tour de Corse.
However, the 1986 Tour de Corse was infamous for the deaths of Lancia pair Henri Toivonen and Sergio Cresto whose accident ultimately caused the FIA to ban further car evolutions for the remainder of the ‘86 season and scrap Group B altogether for 1987.
Toivonen and Cresto’s accident was one of many during the Group B era and proved the final straw for the FIA.
Earlier in the year, all the top manufacturers (to include Peugeot) had withdrawn from Rally Portugal after a car ploughed into the crowd, killing several spectators, and there had been several other fatal incidents over the past couple of seasons.
In addition to Rally Portugal, Peugeot had missed out on victory at the 1986 Rallye Sanremo when they were controversially excluded from the event, a decision later overturned which led to points from the event being scrubbed from the final standings.
This ultimately saw Juha Kankkunen claim the 1986 Drivers’ title while Peugeot became Manufacturers’ champions for the second year in a row.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Peugeot - http://www.peugeot.com
