Just when it seemed like both manufacturers and buyers had lost their enthusiasm for the homologation special, so emerged the GR Yaris. Toyota wanted to make the most of its rallying exploits and customers have been only too keen to embrace that. There's quite a wait to deal with now for those ordering a new one...
But, really, the enthusiasm shouldn't have been a surprise. The Group A homologation cars like the Impreza and Evo were loved over here because they were compact, fast, tough - and four-wheel drive suited British buyers down to the ground. With British roads no bigger (and the weather no drier) 25 years later, the enduring popularity makes total sense.
Inevitably the success of the almighty Yaris has refocused attention on those old cars; and, well, made us all realise how expensive they now are. Legendary though it may be, this Tommi Makinen Evo VI is for sale at £75,000. And there's no way you're going to drive an Evo like it's meant to be driven when it's worth that much. So, what's the point?
Help is at hand, however. Those after a hot hatch designed to excel in the heat of competition, one with motorsport provenance, prodigious turbocharged performance, a manual gearbox and a clever four-wheel-drive chassis should look to Nissan. Remember the Pulsar GTI-R? Like the Yaris now, it was derived from a very humdrum hatchback, yet boasted remarkable performance. Indeed, this 1990s Nissan is about as fast as the new Toyota; 230hp from the 2.0-litre SR20DET meant a claimed 0-62mph of 5.4 seconds and 144mph flat out. The GR is rated at 5.5 seconds and 143mph...
Sadly, the Pulsar didn't achieve the rallying success that Nissan had hoped for it, with a best result a third at Sweden in 1992. Moreover, the quirky little hatchback was odd-looking even by the standards of road-going rally cars - that bonnet really is how they all were - and expensive, too, costing £20k back in the early 1990s.
Finding a Sunny GTI-R (as they were called in the UK) is fiendishly difficult nowadays. But the odd Pulsar GTI-R from Japan does occasionally surface, and that's exactly what's on offer here. Just imported and somehow having only ever covered 63,000 miles with one owner (in almost 30 years) it looks a fantastic example. Or, to most people, a dodgy bodykit on a boring old Nissan, but what do most people know?
The Pulsar's - how to be polite - sub-icon status and dorky look does at least mean it's affordable for those after a homologation curio. This one is up for £15k, which doesn't seem a great deal for a rally rep in such immaculate condition. Certainly that won't buy you an Impreza, Evo, Escort Cossie or Delta Integrale that's quite so nice, and it's less than half what a Yaris costs. For something just as fast, don't forget; keeping up with everyone's favourite hot hatch (in a straight line, at least) with the weird old Nissan might just be worth the asking price alone.
SPECIFICATION | NISSAN PULSAR GTI-R
Engine: 1,998cc, 4-cyl turbo
Transmission: 5-speed manual, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 230@6,400rpm
Torque (lb ft): 197@4,800rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: 279g/km
First registered: 1993
Recorded mileage: 63,000
Price new: £20,552 (UK)
Yours for: £14,995
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