Prius

Make
Toyota
Segment
Hatchback

The 1980s was the golden era for hot hatches. Along with the likes of the original Golf GTI, one of the most iconic was the Peugeot 205 GTI. It was a major success story in Europe and helped put Peugeot on the map. Sadly, despite Peugeot selling its cars Stateside at the time, it never came to the US due to the lack of demand for hatchbacks. Just as hatchbacks are finally making a comeback in the US, Peugeot's Design Director has uploaded some intriguing sketches on Instagram reimaginging the 205 GTI with a modern twist.

Over 20 years since its launch, the Peugeot 205 GTI is now considered a classic. It spawned many limited-edition variants, and became a formidable Group B rally car. Peugeot's current design director Gilles Vidal has designed some sketches giving his own modern interpretation of the legendary hatchback, taking inspiration from the Exalt and Fractal concept cars as well as Peugeot's current design language. Of the two sketches, the model dressed in black and white two-tone paint sporting massive wheels and an angular design was favored by the design team because it is the "most vintage looking one" and "the one that relates the most to the original."

Exactly what Peugeot is planning here is up for speculation. A revival of the 205 GTI seems unlikely at this stage, since the 208 GTI is essentially its modern-day spiritual successor. The more likely scenario is that Peugeot could be planning a new retro-inspired concept car, or it could just simply be a design exercise. What do you make of Vidal's design sketches?