In 1984, Triton released the Lexion, a small, affordable family car for the British public. The 2.4m wheelbase made it very nimble and agile and became an instant hit with young drivers wanting some fun in their car. The Lexion was offered as both a coupe and saloon, in both FWD and RWD configurations
In 1986, Triton released a sportier version: the T-RS Turbo. Under the bonnet, it featured a 1.9L twin-turbo Boxer 4, producing 190hp, more than enough for a small car like the Lexion. The T-RS Turbo was the only trim to feature an AWD system as its one, and only, drivetrain option, with a 45/55 fixed torque split (Front/Rear). It was also only offered with a 5-speed manual gearbox. Triton purposefully tailored it to the little hoonigans and automotive purists in everyone. As with the rest of the Lexion lineup, the T-RS Turbo was offered in both coupe and saloon variants.
The T-RS Turbo was now the hottest trim in the Lexion lineup. It was also the most sought after, being snatched up quickly from all the dealers, mainly by young teens who had just acquired their licence. All the young automotive enthusiasts loved it for it’s small wheelbase and agile handling, powerful Boxer engine, simplistic manual gearbox, and grippy AWD system. The same year the T-RS Turbo was released, Triton equipped one for rallying. This was using the coupe version. To tie-in to this, Triton made an option for a pair of rally lights to be fitted to the front bumper, mimicking the spot-light setup on the rally car.
For many years after its release, the Lexion proved its own in the rallying scene, with the works-backed one acquiring various wins and podium finishes, until Triton stopped production of this first generation of Lexion in 1989. Since then, the Lexion T-RS Turbo has become very sought after, with pristine examples selling for over £10,000 at auction, sometimes over £20,000. The coupe has become a very rare sight, with Triton having produced less of the coupes than the saloons. Few examples are still left on the roads, with most having been imported to the US by collectors seeking little gems like the T-RS Turbo.
To this day, the Lexion T-RS Turbo can be found participating in historic rally events with great success, often beating Mk2 Escorts that would usually dominate, due to its superior AWD drivetrain, while excited youngsters look on in awe, wishing they could own one of these lovely little sports cars someday.