Peugeot 508 SW PSE

IN A PREVIOUS LIFE THEY WERE CALLED GTIs. They were cars that defined and dominated sectors, inspired a generation and put Peugeot on the map as a company that was less about quirky design and engineering and more about creating a fully resolved product that had the widest appeal possible. Be it 205 or 309, when the GTI badge was applied it resulted in more than just a breathed-on mainstream model; these early day Peugeot GTIs set the benchmark for affordable driver’s cars.

And then, after the 106 and 306, it all stopped. The fallow years followed, excellence only briefly reprised with the recent 208 and 308 GTi by Peugeot Sport (and the unofficial