Words: Craig Cheetham
Everyone knows the Golf GTI and 205 GTi – but what about the forgotten ones?
GTI – three little letters that define a hot hatchback, and that have done since VW first applied them to the Mk 1 Golf back in 1976.
But while they’re steeped in legend as far as the likes of the Golf and the Peugeot 205 are concerned, those two weren’t the only ones. Think of them as the good-looking kids, the popular ones at school or college that everyone wanted to date.
The rest of the class might not be as handsome, but – as in life – many of them are arguably more interesting…
Citroen Visa GTi
Citroen decided to cash in on the hot hatch fad with the Visa GTi, which was also developed for rally homologation. Based on the tinny and basic Visa supermini, the GTi got a new twin headlamp front end and purposeful wheelarch extensions. It only mustered 105bhp, but thanks to the Visa’s light weight that was enough to propel it from 0-60mph in under nine seconds.
Citroen BX Gti
The BX is one of the forgotten heroes of the GTi world. Powered by PSA’s 1.9-litre XU engine in fuel-injected guise, it shares its powerplant with the legendary Peugeot 205 GTi 1.9, but in a more mellow and better riding package. The original GTi came in 1986, but was supplanted in 1988 by the GTi 16v, with 160bhp. 0-60 in 8.2 secs and a top speed of 137mph were impressive figures. There was even a 4×4 version.
Daihatsu Charade GTi
Daihatsu’s first dalliance with hot hatchery came in the form of the turbocharged GTti ‘Kei Car’ of 1987, with a 1.0-litre turbocharged engine. It was an instant and much-loved legend.
But in its shadow lives the little heard-of Charade Gti; the performance model from the next generation of Daihatsu supermini, this time with a normally aspirated 1.3-litre 16v unit developing 90bhp. It was still far better to drive than it had any right to be, despite its plain appearance. Japanese domestic customers were also offered a warmed-over ‘De Tomaso’ model.
Ford Escort Gti
If ever there was a car that didn’t really deserve the GTI badge, it was the Ford Escort Mk6. However, Ford chose to avoid its more traditional XR and RS badges to keep insurance premiums down when it launched a ‘sporty’ version of the Escort in 1996.
It had half-leather sports seats, alloy wheels and a body kit but that wasn’t enough to make it a drivers’ car.
Mitsubishi Colt GTi-16
The Colt was one of the most smartly styled superminis of the late Eighties, with handsome looks and an unusually upmarket feel that’s absent from its successors. A real hidden gem is the 140bhp 16v GTi-16, capable of 0-60mph in just eight seconds. Rare but terrific cars.
Nissan Almera GTi
Arguably the blandest car to ever wear the GTi badge, the British-built Almera’s Plain Jane looks hide a wonderfully sweet chassis and terrific steering. It was a true Q-car of its generation – with a 2.0-litre 16v engine developing 140bhp and a 0-60 time of just 7.9 seconds. The difficulty today is finding one as they were disastrously rot-prone.
Peugeot 505 Gti
Peugeot’s 205 GTi is a legend that needs no introduction, while the 106 GTi and 306 GTi-6 are similarly put on pedestals. But Peugeot’s first GTi was none of these. It was a fuel-injected version of the huge 505 saloon or estate. Its 2.2-litre 8v engine developed 130bhp, which was pretty impressive for 1979, when it made its debut. There was a turbodiesel version as well, known as the GTD.
Proton Satria GTi
Stop sniggering at the back. Yes, it’s a Proton, but the Satria GTi was also one of the finest-handling hot hatches of the late 1990s and early 2000s. It was developed by Lotus, no less, which owned the Malaysian brand at the time. Coupled to a revvy 1.8-litre twin cam engine, the Lotus-honed chassis had tenacious grip and the Satria was a great below-the-radar performance car. The 140bhp 1.8-litre 16v Mitsubishi engine was lively enough, but it was the wonderful chassis that made it a true driver’s car.
Rover 416 GTi
Rover used the GTi badge almost as much as Volkswagen, but with an element of licence. The 416 GTi was one of the more unlikely recipients, but it was a great car to drive, with a 130bhp version of Honda’s D-Series twin cam engine buried under the bonnet, giving rapid performance without losing any of the R8’s inbuilt refinement. More a sports saloon than a performance car, it was nevertheless very pleasant to drive, and surprisingly quick.
Rover Montego GTi
There were performance versions of the Montego (who could forget the MG Turbo, for example?), but the GTi wasn’t one of them. Indeed, it was probably one of the biggest motoring misnomers ever. Launched in 1988 when the Austin badge was dropped and Montego became a brand in its own right, there were two Montegos developed to appeal to ‘sporty’ fleet customers – the GSi and the GTi. The GTi didn’t even have alloys wheels, just ‘windmill’-style hubcaps. For added incongruity, you could even order your Montego GTi as a seven-seater estate.
Rover 25 GTi
The Rover 25 GTi was always quite a rare car, even more so today, but it’s actually quite an interesting one. Developed to replace the 200 Vi when the 200-Series evolved into the 25, it got a 1.8-litre VVC 140bhp engine, which was both torquey and responsive – 0-60 took less than eight seconds. More importantly, the chassis engineers had been busy and the 25 GTi was the precursor to the 2001 MG ZR range, which used its revised suspension package. It was dropped when the ZR appeared in 2001 after less than 1,000 had been made – but they’re great cars.
Toyota Carina GTi
The Carina E was Toyota’s first British-built car, with production starting at the Derby factory in 1992. It was a decent motor, too, with a very European feel and extremely tidy handling.
To exploit that, Toyota spoiled us with a Carina E GTI, complete with 150bhp 16-valve engine. It might be a car that sends Golf GTI fans scuttling for the hills, but among fans of Japanese tin, it’s quite a cult car. Minuscule survival numbers make them hard to value – and find!
Volkswagen Lupo GTI
The founder of the original GTI has applied the badge to many of its cars over the years, with the Golf the most notable. But there were also GTI variants of its smaller models. The Polo GTI was hit-and-miss, but the 2001 Lupo GTI was definitely worthy of the badge. The baby VW was an absolute riot to drive. The 1.6-litre 16v engine developed 125bhp, which was more than enough for it to light up the front tyres if prompted, while its cheeky looks and surprisingly grippy chassis make it a thoroughly enjoyable B-road companion, as well as being a perfectly decent city car.
Which of these lesser known GTis would you add to your collection? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
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