Guide: Group B Optimised - a Historical & Technical Appraisal of the Peugeot 205 T16 Evolution 1
BACKGROUND
Peugeot produced the 205 T16 with the sole intention of delivering Driver and Manufacturer titles in the World Rally Championship. At the time, rallying was even more popular than Formula 1 with huge crowds drawn to watch spectacular machinery piloted by some of the world’s best drivers.
The arrival of Group B regulations in 1982 had spawned a new generation of cars designed exclusively for competition. Previously, entry to Group 4 (the prior top flight rally class) had required a production run of 400 identical road cars within a 24 month period. In an attempt to stimulate participation, Group B halved those figures to 200 units in twelve months which inadvertently led to a raft of extreme purpose-built vehicles arriving on the special stages.
Given its prosaic back catalogue and rather dull image, Peugeot’s board was convinced that success in the World Rally Championship’s Group B era with a car that resembled the forthcoming 205 GTi could help reinvigorate the brand.
To achieve this, a whole new department was bankrolled at vast expense. What emerged was Peugeot Talbot Sport, a crack works team led by Jean Todt from state-of-the-art headquarters in Bois de Boulogne near Paris.
Peugeot Talbot Sport (PTS) was where the works T16s were built, developed and maintained. Meanwhile, production of the 200 base cars required for homologation took place at the Poissy factory 30km away.
In addition to very low production requirements, Group B permitted manufacturers to develop more extreme Evolution variants for competition use so long as at least 20 were built.
The first Evolution could be taken into competition as soon as the base car had been homologated.
Thereafter, one additional batch of 20 further uprated Evolutions was permitted every twelve months.
The base T16 was homologated into Group B on April 1st 1984, by which time PTS already had 20 Evolution 1s assembled and ready to go.
The model made its WRC debut at round five of the 1984 season: the all-tarmac Tour de Corse which took place between May 3rd and 5th.
For this event and the rest of the ‘84 campaign, the T16 most notably went head-to-head with Lancia’s 037 Evolution, the Audi Quattro A2 and later the Quattro Sport.
CHASSIS
The T16 Evolution 1 was built around an uprated version of the base car’s central steel monocoque. It was reinforced, seam-welded, drilled for lightness and equipped with a hefty fully integrated aluminium roll cage. As normal, a steel subframe was installed at the front and a tubular steel spaceframe at the back. Extensive underbody protection was available for gravel events.
Heavy-duty suspension had multiple pick up points to accommodate gravel and tarmac configurations. Beefier double wishbones were used all round with uprated coil sprung Bilstein damper assemblies at each corner. Thicker anti-roll bars were fitted at either end. Spring, damper and anti-roll bar rates were fully adjustable.
The original 273mm brake discs and single-piston calipers were switched to 300mm discs with new AP Racing four-piston items.
The ‘Pepperpot’-style Speedline wheels were given a subtle redesign and always shod with Michelin tyres.
Various types of long and short-range competition-grade fuel tanks were available depending on the nature of any given event. As per the T16 base car, fuel tanks were installed under the seats.
ENGINE / TRANSMISSION
Peugeot’s Evolution motor was based on the same all alloy water-cooled inline four cylinder engine used in the base T16. Displacement was an unchanged 1775cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 83mm and 82mm respectively. However, the Evolution motor had a host of competition upgrades.
It was now fully dry-sumped and ran a higher 7.0:1 compression (up from 6.5).
The pistons, sleeves, crankshaft, intake and exhaust valves, spark plugs, flywheel, intake system, exhaust, fuel-injection and cooling systems were all uprated.
A KKK K26 twin scroll turbocharger was retained, along with air-to-air intercooler, but boost pressure was hiked from 0.7 bar to between 1.4 and 1.5 bar. There was also a new ‘Dispositif Pre-rotation Variable’ anti-lag system (DPV) similar to the type used on Renault’s Formula 1 engines.
When running the turbo at 1.5 bar, peak output was 350bhp at 8000rpm.
For comparison, the 200 cars built for homologation produced 197bhp at 6750rpm.
There was more torque on offer as well: 332lb-ft at 5000rpm for the Evolution 1 compared to 188lb-ft at 4000rpm for the base T16.
Transmission was via a five-speed ‘box with shortened gearing, a ventilated twin-plate clutch and FF four-wheel drive system with ZF limited-slip differentials for both axles.
BODYWORK
Externally the Evolution was not radically different to the standard T16 base car.
Quickly detachable, simplified and lightened body panels were fabricated from a mix of Kevlar and carbonfibre.
The single-piece front clam shell incorporated a reworked apron with larger intakes and a chin spoiler. The front fenders (like those at the rear) were subtly flared for a 26mm wider stance.
The single-piece rear clam shell featured a wide roof-mounted intake to feed the engine snorkel and a fixed rear spoiler was angled at a more aggressive rake than on the base T16.
All glass bar the windscreen was switched to plastic.
INTERIOR
Inside, the Evolution 1 was stripped to the bone.
Instead of the regular T16 dash, PTS installed a basic polycarbonate unit complete with half a dozen gauges, a variety of flick, rocker and rotary switches, a fuse board and digital trip meter.
The base car’s door trim was junked and replaced with simplified opening catches and cargo nets for storage.
In a similar vein, the distinctive part leather seats were switched to single-piece Recaro buckets trimmed in fire retardant cloth. Sabelt harnesses were installed.
A conventional, small diameter three-spoke Momo Prototipo steering wheel replaced the regular T16’s avant-garde two-spoke item.
No carpet of other upholstery was fitted, nor any soundproofing of heating system.
WEIGHT / PERFORMANCE
T16 Evolution 1s tipped the scales at between 940kg and 980kg whereas the standard T16 weighed 1145kg. Weight distribution was also more even on the Evolution 1: 45/55 front-to-rear compared to 47/53 on the road car.
Depending on gear ratios, 0-62mph could be achieved in a little under under three seconds.
Top speed was around 140mph.
PRODUCTION
As per the Group B production requirement, 20 Evolution-spec. T16s were originally built which bore chassis numbers C1 to C20.
One additional car was also completed to Evolution 1 trim for Bernard Darniche who was instrumental in the T16’s development. This car was numbered M1.
PRODUCTION CHANGES
The first homologated updates for the T16 Evolution 1 followed three months after the car made its debut on the Tour de Corse on May 3rd 1984.
On August 1st 1984, Peugeot got approval for a reinforced steering rack link and column, a reinforced transmission shaft and tube and reinforced pivot points.
On January 1st 1985 uprated dampers were approved.
The final batch of parts got rubber stamped on April 1st 1985. They comprised an uprated dry-sump system, reinforced wishbones, a hydraulic handbrake without master cylinder, uprated brake discs and improved calipers.
COMPETITION HISTORY
Peugeot used the T16 Evolution 1 for just over twelve months, during which time it came to be regarded as the ultimate Group B rally car.
Having entered the fray mid way through the 1984 season, the Evolution 1 picked up three wins from five outings thanks to a hat-trick of victories
The season ended with Audi as Manufacturers’ champions on 120 points. Lancia placed second with 108 and Peugeot were third on 74.
Despite a limited campaign, Vatanen took fourth spot in the Drivers’ standings with 60 points while team-mate Jean-Pierre Nicolas (who retired at the end of the year) was 14th with 18 points. Audi’s Stig Blomqvist finished champion on 125 points.
Moving into 1985, having given Peugeot an almost unassailable lead in both the Driver and Manufacturer standings thanks to four wins from five events, the T16 Evolution 1 bowed out from works involvement in the WRC.
Using the Evolution 2 for the rest of ‘85, Timo Salonen secured the Drivers’ championship with 127 points. Had it not been for a terrible crash on Rally Argentina (the last event for the Evolution 1), Salonen’s team-mate Vatanen would most likely have been the closest challenger. As it transpired, Vatanen’s pre-Argentina points tally of 55 points meant he finished fourth in the standings again (behind Audi’s Stig Blomqvist and Walter Rohrol on 75 and 59 respectively).
Peugeot also won their first Manufacturers’ title scoring 142 points to Audi’s 126. Lancia were third on 70.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Peugeot - http://www.peugeot.com
