The Peugeot 205 T16 is the legendary Group B turbocharged
four-wheel-drive rally car produced by Peugeot between 1984 and 1986.
Between 1984 and 1986, 205 T16s won 16 World Championship rallies in the
hands of Ari Vatanen, Timo Salonen, Juha Kankkunen and Bruno Saby, and
lifted both the manufacturers' and drivers' titles in 1985 and 1986 in
the hands of Timon Salonen and Juha Kankkunen, respectively, against
strong opposition from Audi, Lancia, Ford and Austin-Rover.
The car was used to extraordinary effect by Peugeot as a marketing tool
for the 205 road car, and the project lifted Peugeot to become a
mainstream manufacturer to rival the established brands worldwide. The
original 205 T16 appeared on the rally stages in 1984, while the revised
'E2' was introduced partway through 1985. The 'E2' incorporated various
revisions raising power output to 550bhp.
After the cancellation of Group B at the end of 1986, Peugeot modified
three 205 T16 cars to compete in the famous Pikes Peak Hillclimb, and
later cars were modified to compete in the Paris-Dakar rally, winning in
1987 and 1988. The car also formed the basis of the '405 T16', which won
the Paris-Daker for Peugeot in 1989 and 1990.
Today, the appearance of 205 T16s is always eagerly anticipated at
historic rally events, and motorsport retrospectives such as the
Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Peugeot 205 T16 Group B Rally Car Enthusiast's Manual chronicles the
design, anatomy and operation of the 205 T16, with input from many of
the drivers and engineers involved.
