Despite formidable opposition from Audi and Lancia, by 1986 the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 had emerged as the car to beat in the World Rally Championship.

In just three years, it had taken 16 WRC wins from 26 starts and consecutive Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ titles; its progress only halted by the enforced abandonment of Group B regulations at the end of 1986.

As had rival manufacturers, Peugeot took advantage of the technical freedom and comparatively modest homologation requirements of Group B to produce 200 road-legal 205 Turbo 16s.

Bearing only a passing resemblance to the production 205, the Turbo 16 was a masterpiece of packaging; its rear-mounted, 1.8-liter turbocharged engine operating in conjunction with a complex viscous-coupled four-wheel drive system beneath a hinged, racing-style rear clamshell.

At approximately 200 horsepower, the Turbo 16’s output was barely half that of its competition counterpart, yet 60 mph was still achieved in under seven seconds en route to a top sp...