RE: SOTW: Peugeot 306 GTI-6

[HurryUpAndWait]

B Huey said:

Baz Tench said:

I thought the GTI-6 was low 7's to 60?

The main run of BX's was before the dreaded power-sapping Catalytic converters too...

Parkers quote 8.5s. The 306 is surprisingly lardy.

The 135bhp 2.0 xsi is quoted at over 10s to 60

I seem to recall that Peugeot deliberately quoted a (substantially) higher 0-60 than what was achievable such that the insurance group would be lower for potential owners - didn't they do it 4-up with luggage IIRC?

Low 7's is very achievable, believe me.

[Brian309]

I currently have a 306 Rallye, and it's fantastic! It's not as fast in a straight line as my 206 gti 180, but these things absolutely love corners!

[Esprit]

BarnatosGhost said:

Was it on slicks? Running on 3 cylinders?

Come on, the Peugeot is nice, but a Skyline-baiter?

Yeah it was, and over 500kW means I was trying to hang on for dear life to get a box seat view of the awesome 4 wheel drifts! The GTi6 is my second track car after my Exige and often surprises a fair few people with its pace... It's not the fastest thing out there but quicker than many suspect... Especially here in NZ where the GTi6 is a complete unknown entity.

[Pommygranite]

collateral said:

HereBeMonsters said:

Baz Tench said:

B Huey said:

Parkers quote 8.5s. The 306 is surprisingly lardy.

The 135bhp 2.0 xsi is quoted at over 10s to 60

I think Parkers are pretty wide of the mark there.

As confirmed above, I remember the gti-6 achieving 60 in 7.2 seconds in all the reviews at the time. I'm also certain that the 135bhp xsi was around the 8.5 secs. mark.

The official figures around that time were massaged to allow Peugeot's hot hatches to fall into lower insurance brackets.

I didn't believe this until I gave my Dturbo some stick - book 0-60 was a glacial 13 seconds, but I seem to remember it arriving in under 10

Seems like even the manufacturers tell porkies to the insurance bods

I had a 306xsi 135bhp modelfrom 10k-25k miles so fresh yet run in. 8secs to 60 was about right. 10 secs is just bullst.

[ciaranthemurph]

Love these cars. Bought mine in 2005 with 24k on the clock. Sold it 32 years later with 48k for the same price. Wish I still had it, was nile blue like the one in the advert, but with the (IMHO) nicer plain black interior. Lad flew up from London to buy mine in Inverness.







When I stop having to commute so much in the summer, I'd love to get rid of my TDI daily and get a Rallye.

[Bogracer]

A magnificent car, and surprisingly reliable over 100,000 miles. The only car to make me step out of a BMW product for a while. Golf GTi's had become fat and slow and sloppy. Ford and Vauxhall Gti fodder was equally rubbish at the time. I was torn between a William Clio and a Fiat Coupe Turbo, the Peugeot just pipped them for me.

Memories.

[Bruski11]

I'd agree with an earlier poster, 306 GTI-6 was a follow up to the 309GTI, mainly as the 306 xsi was not IMHO and according to the mechanic bloke at the Pug garage back in 1996 (when I had a 309GTI). Was the 206GTI a lame follow up to the 205GTI, probably.

[Iggle Piggle]

ciaranthemurph said:

Love these cars. Bought mine in 2005 with 24k on the clock. Sold it 32 years later with 48k for the same price.

[ciaranthemurph]

Iggle Piggle said:

Doh, meant 2 years later, good old fat fingers.

[Chicken Chaser]

Never owned a 306, but the styling is pretty timeless, much like the 205. They dont so much age, as mature. Those Rallyes posted earlier are just beautiful. Loving the leather interiors too.

Could still see myself owning one of these, if I didnt have such a soft spot for estates.

[stegt4]

Chicken Chaser said:

Never owned a 306, but the styling is pretty timeless, much like the 205. They dont so much age, as mature. Those Rallyes posted earlier are just beautiful. Loving the leather interiors too.
Could still see myself owning one of these, if I didnt have such a soft spot for estates.

Agree with this, same for the facelift 106, great little car's and brilliantly engimeered too.

[jackal]

had one and never liked it that much

not nimble and light enough to be anywhere near as good as a 205GTi or clio williams
not grown up enough or properly modern like a good Cliosport

sort of a halfway house


nice engine/box though

[LeeThr]

I really wish I could go buy that now. As much as I enjoy driving my 206 GTi ive allways wanted to get my hands on the older pug GTi's especially either a 205 GTi 1.6 or the 306 GTi-6. Hopefully by the time I finish uni and have some disposable income & insurance isnt quite the same issue it is currently, the value's of these wont have gone up too much and I can begin to build a nice collection of them.

[doolie]

This takes me back. R152 LUT, where are you now?

I had a blaize yellow (gold to the rest of us) GTI-6 from new in March 98, drove it for 50k/2.5 years and traded it for a 206GTI. A bad day that was. The 206 was kept for 6 months and given the boot.

I loved that car (almost as much as I loved my old ZX volcane).

Terrible turning circle though.

And some nicked my spare wheel.....a common occurence I'm led to believe on 306's.

Edited to stick in the correct plate....

Edited by doolie on Monday 27th February 16:44

[350Wedge]

doolie said:

Terrible turning circle though.

Only if turning right though Because of the sixth gear and slightly different gearbox the steering lock had to be limited when turning right. You get more lock when turning left and hence a better turning circle.

[900T-R]

MadDog1962 said:

Only an average shed IMHO. Although completely understand why this model appeals to some folks, I'd much prefer a similar vintage Golf GTi.

Surely there are better sheds than this?

Only if you'd like to restrict your options between 'understeer' and 'more understeer' when negotiating bends, or have an unhealthy affection for damped grab handles...

[wal 45]

Bruski11 said:

I'd agree with an earlier poster, 306 GTI-6 was a follow up to the 309GTI, mainly as the 306 xsi was not IMHO and according to the mechanic bloke at the Pug garage back in 1996 (when I had a 309GTI).

I'd disagree with this, as posted earlier we had both at the same time and the XSI was soooo much better. My Goodwood was the full fat 130 BHP leaded fuel version but believe the last cat (K and L plate) versions had the same engine as the XSI.

The GTI-6 would have been in a different league to the 309 in all respects IMO.

[Kitchski]

wal 45 said:

but believe the last cat (K and L plate) versions had the same engine as the XSI..

More similar to the early ZX Volcane. The 309 used the 1.9 alloy block 8v - the cat version was just detuned to around 120bhp. 306 XSi used a 2.0 8v iron blocked engine, as fitted to all manner of Pugs and Cits in the early 90's.

[BarryGibb]

Kitchski said:

wal 45 said:

but believe the last cat (K and L plate) versions had the same engine as the XSI..

More similar to the early ZX Volcane. The 309 used the 1.9 alloy block 8v - the cat version was just detuned to around 120bhp. 306 XSi used a 2.0 8v iron blocked engine, as fitted to all manner of Pugs and Cits in the early 90's.

Didn't the XSI moved to the 135 bhp 16 valve at some point?

[Kitchski]

BarryGibb said:

Didn't the XSI moved to the 135 bhp 16 valve at some point?

It did, around the time the GTi-6 was launched IIRC. PSA dropped all the 8v XU petrol engines at the same point (aswell as the S16), with the exception of the CT Turbo.