If you’re from the UK or mainland Europe and were born some time before 1990, then the name ‘Dimma’ probably tugs at a nostalgic thread tucked away at the back of your mind. You’ll probably already appreciate what you see before you.
If not, then you’re probably wondering what the heck this is, and why it stole my attention away from the recent Players Show 10 for a good amount of time.
Let me offer a bit of a backstory. When the Peugeot 205 GTi was first launched in 1984, Michel Baudouin of Dimma Design penned a widebody kit like no other.
The little car originally came with a 105bhp 1.6-litre engine, before being followed up by a 130bhp 1.9-litre version, and with lively performance and great handling straight out of the box, it was the benchmark for European hot hatches for years to come.
Dimma’s widebody design was actually so widely accepted that Peugeot itself gave the kit the official seal of approval and offered it as a special edition 205 GTi. Cars were shipped from the production line to Dimma Design, and five or so weeks later back to Peugeot to be sold as brand new machines.
Since then, Dimma and Peugeot have worked closely on several of the automaker’s rally projects, but it’s these early widebody kits with their Testarossa-style side slats and deep dish split rims that are the primary thought for many people when they think of Dimma.
The options list for many modern cars is pretty extensive, with manufacturers and the aftermarket now intrinsically linked. At the time however, the notion of being able to buy a brand new, pre-modified widebody hot hatch on three-piece split rims would’ve been pretty wild.
I’m not sure how many of these original ‘factory’ Dimma 205 GTis exist nowadays, but I’d imagine they’re pretty rare. That’s not what this car is, but it does represent Dimma revisiting its roots in spectacular fashion.
Some 20 years later, Dimma UK decided that it wanted to create 10 new Dimma 205s, using only very good condition 205 GTis. Anthony Kelly’s absolutely pristine 1990 example is one of them.
After deciding that his GTi needed a revamp, Anthony set about restoring the car to its original and factory glory, with a full grey leather retrim and a trip to the bodyshop for a respray. He then laid eyes on a Dimma 205 and his plans changed.
The car was booked into Dimma UK and work began; wider front wings, rear wings, side skirts, front and rear bumpers, a slatted tailgate panel and three-piece rear spoiler were all seamlessly grafted onto the car before a coat of Miami Blue paint was applied, an original 205 GTi colour.
The GTi sits on a set of genuine 16-inch Compomotive Dimma three-piece split rims, which look incredible. They’re also remarkably similar in style to some wheels offered by modern manufacturers. It’s funny how trends come around full circle (pun fully intended), isn’t it?
Suspension-wise, control is provided by a rebuilt rear beam with Gaz adjustable rear shocks, front adjustable coilovers and adjustable top mounts. Next to the slammed static and air-ride show cars at Players it looked positively off-road, but this stance fits exactly with how I remember the original Dimma cars.
I’m not sure how much this car will appeal to our overseas readers, but as an ’80s baby from the UK whose interested was piqued around the height of Dimma’s popularity, I can’t get enough of this unexpected dose of widebody nostalgia.
Jordan Butters
Instagram: driftagram / jordanbutters
Jordan Butters Photography
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I love an aggressively lowered car, but the possibility of attacking city streets in anger and not banging all over the place does appeal to me. #alittlefendergapneverkilledanyone
I KNEW THIS DAY WOULD COME!!
*Goes looking for a Mattig-kitted Astra GTE*
#alittlefendergapcankillsomeone
Holy Sh#t that takes men right back! I have more excitement about this feature than anything else the past few week!!
Looks so remarkably similar to the 205 T16! Was the T16's design done by Dimma?
SoCal native here, but I've always had a thing for foreign rides. I dig the hot hatch look...it's perhaps even more visually aggressive than the actual homologation 205 T16. Just without all the expense of being a 1 of 200, mid-engined AWD hatchback with a useless hatch. Like anybody bought one for "trunk space".
jay8393 A quick scout online tells me the T16 was penned and produced by Heuliez. Dimma had a hand in the 206 Super 1600 and 306 Maxi as well as some of Citroen's Maxi cars.
CJC_Matty If you find one let me know!
Im Euro and before I had pc I was buying Max Power with my allowance. I remember first time seeing an r34 on its covers with title 1000 bhp, at the time it blew my mind. I never thought such power was made by cars somehere. It was like a paradigm shift for teen me.
There were a lot of pugs and vw as u would expect from euro scene. I remeber a yellow bi engined 306.
I miss Max Power.
Jordan_Butters jay8393 as Jordan says, while Dimma didnt design the original kit I think they can still produce T16 Rally kits for 205's. Although sadly their business is mainly vehicle wrapping now and their bodykits are mainly for BMW's....
CJC_Matty Now that takes me back!! I remember one being local to me when I was a kid, red with huge deep dish wheels in black, it looked so cool!
Now that is a seriously cool car, amongst air dropped financed cars that thing stands out like a sore thumb but for all the right reasons!
Mechanophile Max was a revolution in the publishing industry. I can't believe some of the stuff they got away with (although a lot of it they didn't get away with too).
Jay_TrackAddict CJC_Matty Now I'm not so sure that's aged quite as well as the 205…
Great article Jordan, gutted I couldn't make it to this players. I mentioned Dimma a while ago in the Liberty Walk Mclaren article and was suprised that so few knew who I was talking about. Aside from grabbing a rare Gutmann 205, a Dimma kitted one is still the way forward!! Great car
My Uncle Ian got an awesome gold Mercedes GL-Class Diesel by working parttime off of a home computer. visit homepage new clanices and very diffrent so cool shop in the very beautiful
Do love a Dimma - Here is a special one we've been working on for a little while : https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/13723934_831400500330539_6297986685362811889_o.jpg
Work being done at lloyds specialist developments - complete custom 4wd conversion with the engine and running gear from an evo!
ricostuart Now that is cool! Keep us posted on the work.
Jordan_Butters ricostuart unfortunatly, we have stopped work on it for a while till the owner can afford the next stage - the electrics. So very very close to running as well! You should check out some of our other work - all of them are fun projects! Not bad for 4 guys in a big shed
Jordan_Butters ricostuart although this is a bit of a favorite project :
https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/13925933_843320595805196_6664010959604774040_o.jpg
old skool Celica which we have put in a 350Z running gear into! Full chassis seam welding, full adjustable suspension, etc etc. This will be running in a couple of months!
Jordan_Butters Jay_TrackAddict CJC_Matty Oh my word, I cant believe it.... the 80s/90s flashbacks have started! The final stage for my RS Turbo Fiesta is a PSG wide body kit that I spent a number of years trying to track down as they stopped being produced around 2000.
I since managed to find one on eBay and aside from having to drive to Wales (from Surrey) to get it it is now sitting at home waiting till I have the money to get it fitted
I think an article on retro body kits may be in the pipeline????
I just love how they used the same design of the regular 205 GTi wheels to keep a stock look.
Dimma still produce this kit as this car was recently converted got to love a good dimma thats mine below.
"using only very good condition 205 GTis." hehehehe that will of taken them a while to find!
I Jest, sort of.
This is the era of cars I grew up with. R5GTT's, RST fiestas, RSEscorts, 205GTi's.... oh lord- Williams Clio's... Talbot Sunbeams... the MG Metro Turbo. I have memories of making the Maidenhead run in sub seven minutes up the back roads of the county with friends in better cars then my own, quite a few accidents and cars got written off but still, good times indeed. Just wish more examples were saved like the one above.
Enjoyed this article very much. Thank you.
Oh lord, here we go again...
Agreed, more of this.
heres my original 1987 D reg phase 1 205 Dimma which is running 315bhp
MattDay1 You sir win the comments section for today.
ricostuart Jordan_Butters Following this on Facebook now – can't wait to see how it turns out.
haha thanks chap lol
Jordan_Butters ricostuart you and me both! Its got a long way - the customer is getting us to build it as a road/drift car! Hopefully he doesnt ever crash it. we all want it ourselves!
love the dimma 205s
i was at time attack Uk (oulton park) and actually spoke to the man behind dimma, he was the original man who ran dimma back in the day and still owns it, he was showing off his EVO with a 205 dimma shell grafted onto the 4wd running gear incredible car.
need a spotlight on that!
My Uncle Carter got an awesome six-month old Lexus ES 300h Sedan by working part time online. published here
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Now, I was born in 1999 and I absolutely love Dimmable 205's. The look is never gonna go out of style and will stay for years to come. Damn I love the 80s
My Uncle Michael just got Chevrolet Spark read the article
http://tinyurl.com/onlinework-uk
tommyzoom99 I spotted this car too back at Race Retro earlier in the year – http://www.speedhunters.com/2016/03/party-park-rally-legends-race-retro/
TarmacTerrorist Is there a route of this Maidenhead run?
Great article all the nostalgia
Remember this thing?!
Are you sure you spoke to the owner of Dimma? I didn't know that Mr Michel owned a car with English licenseplates, since he is Belgian, from the Luik/Liege region. Or was it someone from Dimma UK, who had and have nothing to do with designing or producing any of the iconic bodykits, but only sold the Dimma parts in the UK?
It's been decades but There used to be, from Binfield (ice rink) to Maidenhead via.... wait, I'm not going to get in trouble for encouraging people to run their own rally night stages through the hamlets and back roads of Berkshire via holyport avoiding the m4 and finding the hidden church opposite the pub where you would normally turn left for Maidenhead and right for Windosr on the outskirts of priestwood, Bracknell am I?
Or that where that church is leads to a bunch of back roads down through farmers lanes between a bunch of fields?
tommyzoom99 Saw this set up at in the rally paddock at the Donington Historic Festival earlier in the year. Cool as
Probably the article that surprised me the most, here on Speedhunters. I really wasn't expecting to see a small 205 GTi spotlight, and a Dimma one at that! I love how speedhunters, even if that's not what people usually thinks when not reading regularly, doesn't only make drifting article. Thanks
Here you see the 205 Dimma prepared for the testdrive on the
Nürburgring to get the German TÜV papers.
Yo this thing is fkn rad, like I always say lol. I live my car enthusiast life vicariously through other people's cars on internet blogs, and this is one of those cars that makes me regret not getting to see stuff like it in the flesh.
Those wheels are mesmerizing.
Bren1 I think I remember seeing that in a Max Power magazine. Didn't it burn itself down to nothing while it was being transported somewhere?
My Uncle Dylan just got a stunning green Volkswagen Jetta from only workin part time on a pc at home
http://tinyurl.com/onlinework-uk
I cringe when i write this now but i have the first copy of MAX POWER magazine from 1993 and on the cover was a purple dimma kitted 205!!!
Such a cool car owned by simon merrit.As i was in my late teens at that time and lusted over cars like that but could not afford one.
Sadly max power went all chavy,but the dimma 205 has grown old very gracefully.Thanks for the trip down memory lane..
my best friend got a fantastic yellow BMW Coupe just by part-time work from a home computer.
see more at----------->>> http://tinyurl.com/Usatoday01
wetutoziri No jetta can be stuning. except if its coverted to Rwd with at least 500 horsepower
More things like that boys!
Wow I saw car like that in one yard,it sets sooo much long. I did not what it is. Thanks guys!
my Aunty Ruby got a nice 12 month old Mercedes-Benz only from working parttime off a macbook. go
Great article, the Dimma kits are absolutely legendary, especially the 205 one ofcourse. Really like the wheels too, a 3 piece version of the "normal" 205 alloy wheel design.
I never thought I will ever look at 205s twice, never caught my attention to be honest. I've always prefered the 306 GTi.
However, this Dimma 205 GTi is something special.
MattDay1 your Peugeot is well sorted, and that power is insane
them wideness...SEXY!!!!
my step-dad just bought a very cool Chevrolet Express Van only from working part-time off a laptop
turbom
My Uncle Julian recently got an almost new Acura TSX Sport Wagon only
I had a Dimma modified 1.9 in the late 80's, painted Porsche red with Campagnolo 7.5x16.
Sure brings back some good memories
Have to admit that MattDay1's looking even better than mine though, just awesome!
my parents in-law recently got
a 2012
Buick LaCrosse Sedan
just by working online with a laptop.See it here====http://fave.co/2cZolmIᴵᴵᴵᴵᴵᴵᴵ
TarmacTerrorist thats it dude, you are in for it now. I wonder if your Stagea would fit down those roads?! lol!
TarmacTerrorist oi!!!
TLDR: it doesn't
my Aunty Peyton got an almost new Lexus RC 350 Coupe from only workin part time on a pc... see it here=====net.pro70.ℭomllllllll
@DimmaForum my god....those wheels...
Hello
How about the oldest?
My Uncle Adam just got Fiat 500e Hatchback just by some part-time working online with a macbook. Check This Ou
❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ➥ ➥ ➥ http://tinyurl.com/ztkz6fy
My Uncle Jordan got a new white Infiniti QX70 SUV by working part-time from a macbook air..
Hell yeah! Great cars - I've always had a soft sport for them. I'm from Australia and Dad worked for the Peugeot importer in the 80's so we had a couple of 205 Gti's when I was growing up. I've never seen a Dimma conversion in person (I don't think there would be any here) but I remember seeing them in Max power mags in the 90s
what Sarah replied I am surprised that someone able to get paid $5917 in one month on the computer . you could try here
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**American over here** .......... kinda looks too much like a Turbo T16 - barking loud without that real WRC bite
it looks good though - definitely give it that - but I love hatchbacks..... which is probably a rare thing for Americans to like
my Aunty Lillian got Lexus GS 350 Sedan just by some parttime working online... f
just as Shirley responded I am amazed that a person can make $8220 in a few weeks on the internet .See it here====http://fave.co/2cZolmIᴵᴵᴵᴵᴵᴵᴵ
Don't really like Peugeots, or hatches and never heard of Dimma. What do you expect, I'm American. But man that's a really nice ride. Love the wheels too.
'90 1.9 8V SPRINTEX Supercharged
'87 1.9 8V SPRINTEX Supercharged
RoK1981 Terry Pankhurst (who is also a rally driver) has always owned Dimma - I know the guy personally
tommyzoom99 Also for sale now too! At a cool £50k!
as Ruby said I am startled that a mom can make $8489 in four weeks on the internet .
http://fave.co/2d8h5YM
I was never a fan of the Ferrari style slats, but the look other than that is perfect!
205 Dimma, one of the most beautiful kitcars ever