A sensible restomod?
11/22/2022
When people talk about so-called "restomods", they are usually referring to Porsche 911 models, or perhaps Ferrari sports cars. They are intended to combine the old "look" with newer technology and usually cost hundreds of thousands.
The company Tolmanin the UK, known for restoring early Lotus Elite models among other things, took on another car, the Peugeot205 GTI.
Initially, the 1.6-liter purchased in 2014 was to be restored true to the original, but it was soon decided to improve a few parts and gently bring the fast French GTI into the modern era. It was given a more modern engine management system, LED headlights, a DAB radio, improved suspension/brakes, modern tires and a few other refinements, but remained true to its core. Visually, it still looks like the original Peugeot 205 GTI, only the interior has been "improved" with leather and higher quality materials. Perhaps they even went a little too far here, as the original fabric seats were actually very nice to look at.
The 1.6-liter version produced around 130 hp after the cure, but for a series of up to 10 cars, Tolman would then go for the more powerful 1.9-liter model.
Of course, the cure is not cheap, Tolman is talking about around £50,000, i.e. around EUR 60,000 or a similar number of Swiss francs. On the other hand, it can be assumed that much of the lively character of the Peugeot 205 GTI, which weighs less than 900 kg, is retained and the car is just as much fun today as it was back then. The little Peugeot has just made an appearance in Top Gear, where it was able to make a good impression as an alternative to the new (and similarly expensive) Honda Civic Type R.
Perhaps even some purists could do with such a rest-mod GTI? According to the people at Tolman, it would even be possible to restore it later!
