Friday 8th August 2008

SOTW: Peugeot 106 GTI

One of the best handling cars ever - and it was a Peugeot

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Once upon a time there was a carmaker in France called Peugeot and they made really good fast cars. They don’t do that anymore, they make small heavy cars with Star Trek doors that no one will buy. But many years ago people who were more interested in cars than their hair used to go to their dealerships and buy hatchbacks with illustrious names like 205 GTI and 306 GTI. So confident of its cars’ sporting credentials was Peugeot that it even called them ‘Rallye’ sometimes and it wasn’t even a joke.

But those days are sadly gone and all we have to remember these happy times are the memories of half-leather seats and dodgy graphics. That and cars like the 106 GTI. It is very small but very, very good. Google it and you will find terms like ‘best handling small car ever made’, ‘better handling than any supercar’ (steady on), ‘excellent handling’. You get the picture – this car could go round a corner. I don’t care if it is made of tin foil and my head would stick out the sunroof, the 106 GTI it is one of those cars you just have to drive.

It had a 120bhp 1.6-litre 16-valve engine that was enough to give the 950kg Pug 128bhp/ton. The interior was made of recycled Evian bottles but that didn’t matter because it drove brilliantly. As Evo once put it: ‘The car is so focussed it’s almost on fire.’ It was hardcore, hyperactive and supplied so much lift-off oversteer that you’d think it was rear-drive.

The 106 GTI took on and beat pretty much every new hot hatch even when it was past its sell-by date. Not long ago these couldn’t be had for less than a few thousand pounds but recently they have dipped into Shed territory. It doesn’t even seem that long ago when they were making them new and Peugeot managed to do a good job of keeping the age-old 106 design looking fresh.

The one we found here on Autotrader is a 1998 and has 110,000 miles on the clock. There’s not much info about it and the pictures have been taken using a mobile phone wrapped in cling-film but who cares? I would love to have this car in my drive. Just a shame it hasn’t got sliding doors.

Ad says: '1998 PEUGEOT 106 1.6 16V GTi 3dr Hatchback, 110,000 miles, 3 door hatchback, blue, petrol, manual. £999 ono.'

[davidcharles]

...great little cars...don't see many about anymore...

would love to be able to have one as a 2nd car runabout.....

[rfn]

I miss my 106 Quiksilver and will endeavour to own a GTi at some point.

It's a bit of a shame that they have become owned by a load of people who neither care about the cars nor know how to drive, judging by the amount that end up in ditches, crashed or just generally badly maintained on the Peugeot Forums I am still a member of.

Nice choice though - I like .

[lawyerman]

great little car, but did tend to smell like week-old curry under heavy braking

[varsas]

Allways prefered this to the Savo VTS, for some reason. Jerremy Carkson goes on about them at length in his 100 greatest cars video.

[pbirkett]

Pity the one in the pic has been spoiled with Saxo VTS wheels.

[Turbobanana]

Original 106 Rallye was even more hardcore: I had one as a demo in 1994, did 12,000 miles in 6 months in it.

No PAS, ABS, central locking, electric windows, alloys, foglights or sunroof but a 1.3 8-valve that would routinely go to its 7200rpm redline and produced 100BHP. Doesn't sound like a lot today, but it weighed fractionally less than me...

Couldn't hear the radio over 30mph mind.

Almost forgot the white steel wheels!

Edited by Turbobanana on Friday 8th August 12:32

[sean19]

I've just sold my Saxo VTS (same car, just bad image) for an MG ZR160, thinking I was upgrading.
How wrong was I!

I can honestly say its more fun than the XK's and 330's I drive in work. And the lift-off oversteer is GREAT fun, especially in the wet!

A major regret!

[cowellsj]

rfn said:

I miss my 106 Quiksilver and will endeavour to own a GTi at some point.

It's a bit of a shame that they have become owned by a load of people who neither care about the cars nor know how to drive, judging by the amount that end up in ditches, crashed or just generally badly maintained on the Peugeot Forums I am still a member of.

Nice choice though - I like .

Yeah, the only time i've been in one I was a passenger and it still felt like we were going to spin into a ditch at any moment.

If it's anythng like the Saxo VTR to drive, i'd love to have one someday tho.

[wab172uk]

I owned a 106 GTI for 3 years from new.

By far the best handling car I have ever owned or will probably every own. Smiles per pound, nothing comes close.

Still miss that car some 8 year on.
Thinking about that car brings back great memories of my life at those times.

[rfn]

cowellsj said:

rfn said:

I miss my 106 Quiksilver and will endeavour to own a GTi at some point.

It's a bit of a shame that they have become owned by a load of people who neither care about the cars nor know how to drive, judging by the amount that end up in ditches, crashed or just generally badly maintained on the Peugeot Forums I am still a member of.

Nice choice though - I like .

Yeah, the only time i've been in one I was a passenger and it still felt like we were going to spin into a ditch at any moment.

If it's anythng like the Saxo VTR to drive, i'd love to have one someday tho.

I've driven a couple of GTi's (of friends) and they handle brilliantly.
Now, for the 2003 Sundance Yellow ones to get a bit cheaper and we might be onto a winner .

[H2DaE]

I drove my mates old one a couple of times and it was an awesome little thing

[Beefmeister]

pbirkett said:

Pity the one in the pic has been spoiled with Saxo VTS wheels.

They are the standard 106 GTi wheels...


Also:

article said:

Once upon a time there was a carmaker in France called Peugeot and they made really good fast cars. They don’t do that anymore, they make small heavy cars with Star Trek doors that no one will buy.

[rfn]

Luca1973 said:

pbirkett said:

Pity the one in the pic has been spoiled with Saxo VTS wheels.

It hasn't. Those were the standard alloys.

Nope, they are Saxo VTS wheels.
These are 106 wheels:

[RobCrezz]

Really liked the 106 GTI and intended on buying one a few years ago, but I just couldnt get used to the pedals being so close together, and didnt find the driving position very nice, shame because it was nice to drive. Ended up getting a puma 1.7i, but still like the 106 GTI.

[xaero1]

Am I right in thinking that one of the major problems with the 106 is that the pedals are REALLY close together? So much so that if you have a shoe size of anything over 8 you'll be hitting all 3 pedals at once?

As the Saxo VTS is practically the same car, is this an issue on these too?

I ask because I'm considering either as my next car.

Cheers

[theboymoon]

xaero1 said:

Am I right in thinking that one of the major problems with the 106 is that the pedals are REALLY close together? So much so that if you have a shoe size of anything over 8 you'll be hitting all 3 pedals at once?

As the Saxo VTS is practically the same car, is this an issue on these too?

I ask because I'm considering either as my next car.

Cheers

i had a VTR for a couple of years (same pedal box). Granted i am no giant but it was no bother and heel n toe was very easy

[rfn]

xaero1 said:

Am I right in thinking that one of the major problems with the 106 is that the pedals are REALLY close together? So much so that if you have a shoe size of anything over 8 you'll be hitting all 3 pedals at once?

As the Saxo VTS is practically the same car, is this an issue on these too?

I ask because I'm considering either as my next car.

Cheers

Yes, the pedals are quite close together, but I have size 10.5 feet and very quickly got used to them. It never bothered me at all yet some people I know really struggled - best to have a go! I believe that the Saxo has the same pedal box as the 106.

[Oli S]

rfn said:

Luca1973 said:

pbirkett said:

Pity the one in the pic has been spoiled with Saxo VTS wheels.

It hasn't. Those were the standard alloys.

Nope, they are Saxo VTS wheels.

Crikey they are very similar aren't they

[rfn]

Oli S said:

rfn said:

Luca1973 said:

pbirkett said:

Pity the one in the pic has been spoiled with Saxo VTS wheels.

It hasn't. Those were the standard alloys.

Nope, they are Saxo VTS wheels.

Crikey they are very similar aren't they

Yeah, except the Saxo VTS wheels are 15" rather than 14". It's a common swap.

[Fume troll]

My Bro has one of these, which he's about to sell. What a great wee car. The handling is just brilliant. Didn't it almost win the top gear handling shootout?

Cheers,

FT.