Peugeot 306 GTI-6 | Spotted
Standard, low mileage, the best colour and £10k - which way to Aberdeen?!
Hot hatch legends don’t come cheap, do they? From Focus RS to Civic Type R and Renaultsport Megane to Golf R32, the icons of the 21st century (and V6 Golfs) now command a pretty penny. Which is a pity when the very essence of the genre should be about affordable fun. But then they’re hardly alone; plenty of even vaguely interesting fast cars have very optimistic price tags currently attached to them.
Help might be at hand, however, in the shape of this very lovely Peugeot 306 GTI-6. You may have noticed this wasn’t in our recent PH25 hot hatch vote, but only because the Rallye got the nod instead. Regardless, this is one of Peugeot’s finest. If you were feeling particularly kind, you could even say that the hot hatch glory days we enjoyed from the late 1990s began with this car. Before there was a Clio 172, a good Golf GTI or a Ford Focus of any kind, the GTI-6 was wiping the floor with pretty ordinary cars like the Bravo HGT, Almera GTI and Civic VTI. Using the formula that served so many subsequent hot hatches well - a brawny 2.0-litre engine, six-speed manual and agile chassis - the 306 was Peugeot at its very best. Pert good looks did the GTI’s appeal no harm, either.
We all know what happened next. If the 1980s and 1990s represented Peugeot at the peak of its hot hatch powers, the GTIs and Rallyes still rightly revered as icons, then the start of the 21st century was its nadir. The 206 GTI was crap, the 207 was even worse, and let’s not even mention the 307. It wasn’t until the 208 GTI 30th and 308 GTI, almost 15 years after the last 106 GTI was made, that Peugeot remembered how to make good hot hatches. For fans of the brand, it felt even longer. Seldom has a manufacturer fallen so far, so fast, in the estimations of enthusiasts. Only Citroen managed its hot hatch heritage worse.
It was during the time of rubbish Peugeot hot hatches that people were enjoying the great ones, back when they were dirt cheap. And, as can happen when enjoying a great hot hatch a little too much, a few were crashed. They were cheap and disposable and available, people thought little of it. Then the good Peugeot hot hatch returned, people remembered how much they loved the old ones, went to buy one again… and found that dwindling numbers had pushed the prices way up. You don’t need us to remind you what a good 205 GTI now costs.
However, while all the heroes have enjoyed some appreciation, the GTI-6 still looks vaguely attainable. Which we’ve been saying for years, it seems, so perhaps they may just stay that way. But for a car of the 306’s reputation and rarity, standard down to the tape player and peashooter exhaust, with 60,000 miles and a great colour, £9,995 doesn’t seem daft at all. ‘The last GTI-6 for £10k!’ sounds hyperbolic, but having watched them slowly but surely climb over the past few years there won’t be many left advertised at four figures. Not in the world of the £45k Rallye, at least.
This one needs an MOT soon, and while its fabulous condition is not up for dispute, this is a 27-year-old example of a car launched, in standard form at least, more than 30 years ago - a GTI-6 is going to need caring for like a classic. And not the cheap and cheerful pocket rocket we remember it as. Don’t forget about regular cambelt changes, too. But with miles under those glorious Cyclone wheels, this could definitely still be used and enjoyed as intended. All for less money than a 106, let alone a 205 GTI. Told you there were still canny buys out there.
SPECIFICATION | PEUGEOT 306 GTI-6
Engine: 1,998cc 4-cyl
Transmission: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 170@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 142@5,500rpm
MPG: 30.1
CO2: 224g/km
First registered: 1997
Recorded mileage: 60,000
Price new: £17,258 (1996)
Yours for: £9,995
Peugeot 104 S tick
Peugeot 205 gti tick
Peugeot 306… nope. the holy trinity of sporty Peugeot hatches will have to wait for a lottery win.
Excuse the odd iffy mod on the phase 2, I was younger then
Very nice. I went for a test drive in one of these at a Pug main dealer back in around 2003. Whilst it was excellent to drive and had the novelty of a 6-speed 'box, I just could not get comfortable in it.
The dealer told me that the 306 GTI-6 all had standard sunroofs in the UK market (not sure if that is actually the case) which for me, made headroom a little tight. Shame as I really liked it. Went on to buy a Golf GTI 20V turbo which was also very nice but not a patch on the 306's ride and handling.
Interesting that a 306 like this with low mileage and original condition is up for £10K, (£17K new was a lot of money in 1997) while a Focus ST170 which is very similar in terms of power, ride and handling etc. in this condition could be picked up for half that at least. Good clean ST170's are still a bit of a bargain and the 306 for £10K also looks very reasonable.
I hankered after a 2.0 XSi at the time, but this would do nicely.
They were even pretty reliable despite all the French car jokes. Interior let them down a bit - ropey seat fabric and rattly trim.
I never drove a gti-6 but would have loved one. Too rare and expensive for me at the time though.
The mid-corner lift/re-apply to trip up the clever rear suspension meant they handled superbly with no risk of reversing off the road.
Mind you, the passenger-seat ride could be awfully jiggly (a trick the Evora also strangely pulled!) so I'd imagine the 306 rode somewhat better - Peugeot still had that, back then.
I dunno which would now win in the rear tin-worm competition...
I only drove a cooking 306 and that was a very good basis for the featured car.
The dealer told me that the 306 GTI-6 all had standard sunroofs in the UK market (not sure if that is actually the case) which for me, made headroom a little tight. Shame as I really liked it. Went on to buy a Golf GTI 20V turbo which was also very nice but not a patch on the 306's ride and handling.
Interesting that a 306 like this with low mileage and original condition is up for £10K, (£17K new was a lot of money in 1997) while a Focus ST170 which is very similar in terms of power, ride and handling etc. in this condition could be picked up for half that at least. Good clean ST170's are still a bit of a bargain and the 306 for £10K also looks very reasonable.
Couple of the 306s got spun on the narrow and heavily cambered estate roads ( used for the RAC Rally Sunday stages years back )
Not keen on the colour of this one to be honest but a great drivers car - had the 309 GTi and that had the same handling fluidity.
As above, also worth considering an ST170 if you can’t stretch to one of these - the gearing blunts initial acceleration but once you’re up and running they handle beautifully. Friend has had a couple as cheap dailys but they’re starting to creep up too for good ones
Mate had one back in the day and it easily kept up with my GM 900 turbo.
As a side note these old HHs are great but I would worry about crashing into anything more substantial than a wheelie bin. And before someone says 'don't crash' remember it's not always your fault. I've seen what happens when people crash in cars with little structural integrity.
My cousin had a 306 GTi-6 from new. Was a great drive. I remember the rear axle had passive steering which took getting used to and the Brembo brakes were rather bitey. But for 10k GBP, I think that´s not too bad a proposition. And it has the right colour!
The last year of ownership was the worst, I managed to hydrolock the engine when the ford I was driving through turned out to be a bit deeper than it looked. The engine was rebuilt, but they didn't do a great job and shortly after picking it up the sump plug fell out just as we left the M25. Luckily I only had to keep it for a few more months.
Driving wise, for me, it never quite lived up to my expectations. It was fun enough but nowhere near as good as reviews claimed and the engine (even before the above incident) never seemed that powerful - maybe I just got a "bad" car though?
Sure it's nice to see nowadays amidst a see of monochrome, in the same way it's nice to see a Phoenix Yellow E46 M3. Would I own one though? Never.
Would like to try out the car, looks a lot of fun, but not in this colour. Glad it exists for variety though.
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