RE: Peugeot 306 GTI-6 | Spotted

[Rod200SX]

Wouldn't be my first choice of colour but looks mint. That dealers local to me and often has interested stuff in, can be quite expensive but mostly for good reason.

[rewild]

Not my cup of tea, but I'll vouch for the dealer. Nice chap.

[dunc_sx]

TheMilkyBarKid said:

I’d had a 1.9 205 GTi before it and for me the 306 was a much better all round car. :

Completely agree,the 306gti6 is the most underrated car I can think of.

I guess on paper it's not that exciting and the looks aren't as cool as the 205gti so this must put people off. The reality is Peugeot downplayed the performance stats and these are absolute screamers, great turn in, lift off oversteer and an engine that loves to rev.

I sold mine to a mate who liked it so much he bought another in case one broke so he wouldn't have to drive something bland

Motoring's best kept secret?

Dunc.

[LordHaveMurci]

Code Black said:

Love the colour of this one and seems good value. I will hang my head in shame and admit to never driving one but always wanting to. Went in a DTurbo though and thought that was great!

My DTurbo Estate is probably the only car I regret selling, such great fun to drive it got used more then the (then new) classic scooby I also had at the time.

[toasty]

Loved my GTI-6 but £10k??? You're having a Giraffa camelopardalis

[popeyewhite]

Turbobanana said:

DriveSnowdonia said:

Used to own a 205 Gti for 5 years and then due to the mileage I was doing at the time, and an accident in the 205, moved on to a 306 DTurbo.

Controversial comment, but the DTurbo was every bit as good as the 205 to drive, just different in terms of power delivery. Felt plenty rapid at the time and I believe that an intercooler could easily be added to tern up the wick a little. Drove both a 306 Gti and a Rallye on test drive but neither car convinced me to part with the DTurbo. Those who know, know.

I'd agree.

I was a Peugeot sales exec for the last of the 205s, first of the 306s. The DTurbo was probably the pick of the range at the time, achieving way more than its 90-odd bhp would suggest. And 50+mpg, all at Group 5 insurance (old ratings of course).

They had a standard intercooler, by the way.

Not sure an uprated intercooler would be worthwhile anyway for a car that lives in Snowdonia.

[Retro.74]

Dombilano said:

Not sure I'd call the civic vti ordinary, as a young teen sat in the passenger seat of my cousins new company car, it was a rocket ship.

Totally agree, I dont know where the 'wipe the floor' comment comes from. I know from 1st hand experience that this was not the case, there was very little in it performance wise either but the VTI (eg6) had a slight edge in the odd drag race I had.

Not to say the 6 wasn't a very good car, it was I just don't buy into this nothing else is worthy of a Peugeot argument

Edited by Retro.74 on Wednesday 22 March 13:31

[Bracken]

Aaaaahhhh.... the 90s...

Had loads of 306s (a couple of 1.8s, a DTurbo, a HDi Meridian) culminating in a GTi-6 at the back end of 2010. Cracking cars all, and I bet the GTi would still *feel* quick(ish), as long as you rev the knackers off it!

I want this but know that despite my best intentions of keeping it nice and clean, and only using it on high days and holidays, it'd end up getting used all the time and will finish up falling apart in 6 months and worth next to sod all...

[TheMilkyBarKid]

dunc_sx said:

TheMilkyBarKid said:

I’d had a 1.9 205 GTi before it and for me the 306 was a much better all round car. :

Completely agree,the 306gti6 is the most underrated car I can think of.

I guess on paper it's not that exciting and the looks aren't as cool as the 205gti so this must put people off. The reality is Peugeot downplayed the performance stats and these are absolute screamers, great turn in, lift off oversteer and an engine that loves to rev.

I sold mine to a mate who liked it so much he bought another in case one broke so he wouldn't have to drive something bland

Motoring's best kept secret?

Dunc.

Yeah probably not a secret for those that have owned them but I do think the long shadow cast by their smaller, older brother keeps their reputation in the shade a bit. Don’t get me wrong I loved my 205 too, and it’s the prettier car for sure, but I felt the handling of the 306 was just as exciting but less edgy than the 205. As you’ll have seen above though that comment has to be caveated in my case by the fact I wrote my 306 off but didn’t crash the 205, though that was probably more through luck than judgement in fairness!

What I can also dispel as a result of that mishap though is that the 306 has the crashworthiness of a biscuit tin. I stuck mine through a barrier, embedded it a hedge arse end up in the air, and got out and walked away unharmed. I was young and daft in those days and I did learn an important lesson that day! I also ride motorbikes and road bicycles though so it’s all relative.

As you say I think Peugeot’s official acceleration figures for these were deliberately downplayed, I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that that was due to the super high insurance premiums being attached to hot hatches by the mid 90’s? Whether that’s true or not 0-60 in the mid-7’s, as most of the magazines were achieving at the time was plenty quick enough back then, probably quick enough now truth be told with our traffic choked, camera infested roads.

I do think these will have their day in the sun, after all it’s not that long ago that you’d have been called mad for paying £10K even for a mint 205 GTi or Mk 2 Escort RS2000, and look where those are now.

[Downward]

Blaze Yellow Phase 3 isn’t it ?

Will come up nice with a polish


Although I’m sure the strips on the side and bottom of the boot weren’t on phase 3’s.

Edited by Downward on Wednesday 22 March 15:50

[Downward]

NGK210 said:

Behold! The Most Overrated Hot Hatch, Ever. (Maybe..?)

Sampled several GTi-6s in 2003, all with c.45k miles.

Yes, they looked cool, the 6-speed ‘box was a great USP and the handling / ride was great. But…

The steering felt inconsistent, bodyshells flexed, the cabins were self-disassembling, and despite pukka FSHs, all the engines generally felt shagged.

Then tried some Mk3 16Vs (ie, the real GTI w/ 150bhp). Sure, they’re fugly inside and out, only has a 5-speed ‘box and cheapo OEM springs / dampers. But…

Engines with 70k still felt fresh and revved sweetly, bodyshell stiffer, steering consistent, cabins rattle-free, and the so-called ‘lardy GTI’ was actually c.80kg lighter than a GTi-6.

FWIW, I went for a Mk3 16V. But fitted a Bilstein kit that was more supple with less roll compared to OEM.

They did have their Head Gasket issues.
But yeah stick a ram air induction kit on them and they sound great.

[gruppeb86]

GreatScott2016 said:

Was close to ownership back in the day. Looks like a great example but I'd pass at £10k. Not my favourite colour either but great to see an unmolested one in such great condition.

I concur/agree on all counts.

[Ray_Aber]

What a great car!

I had 5 8v XSis in quick succession in the 1990s, handing back four and writing one off (lift-off oversteer? Oh yes - and then some). Magnificent handling cars. I never got round to the 16v. They weren't the best built cars in the world, but nothing fell off any of mine (apart from my "prang") so I'm happy with the build quality trade-off. What was underneath was a terrific chassis.

It's still a real looker, with perfect proportions.

£10k is toppy, but it's still tempting.

[otolith]

I had an eight valve XSI, lovely little car.

[GTRene]

nope, never owned a 306 GTI-6 but owned many 205 GTI in many sorts from 1.6 to most with 1.9 and 2 with Gutmann tuning/kit and so on.

I did owned a 306 though, it was a trade in car which I then used to hunt for another sportscar, it was a 306 XSI with the 1.6

ah, here it is, long time ago though.

[adambcvg]

Downward said:

Blaze Yellow Phase 3 isn’t it ?

Will come up nice with a polish


Although I’m sure the strips on the side and bottom of the boot weren’t on phase 3’s.

Edited by Downward on Wednesday 22 March 15:50

It's a phase 2 with crystal headlights. Not a vast difference between them and they tended to be a bit random with trim anyway.

[adambcvg]

They rust in strange places and mileage rarely makes it automatically a good car with these. Massively don't like being stood still and can do big miles without many problems.
Easily clocked (clocks are interchangeable) so make sure they have full history. Cambelts are 3 years, 30k max. Otherwise very cheap to run (bar the 32mpg).

Some lovely 120-130k cars have sold recently for £4500-5000, for reference. Rusty ones with blown engines are now over £1000.

[alfabeat]

Loved my 306 Gti-6. Had it for 4 years before I part exchanged it for a grown up car (BMW 328 Touring). I regretted that move deeply.

Would love to have a drive in a good one now to see if they are as great as I remember.

[anonymous-user]

As per the previous posts, the Dturbo was ace.

Great looking car, still - and another opportunity for me to state the 306 cabrio is one of the best-looking soft-tops ever.

[rallycross]

bumskins said:

'Saffron' is the one colour I don't think I would have..!

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.

Great to drive had many of these back in the day, still looks a very fresh design even today.

Have to say this was probably the worst colour when selling them they had to be cheaper and even then were hard work to shift - yuk is one word I'd use for this colour!

Phase 3 car in moonstone grey would be the one to get (not sure of the real name for that colour).

Or, find a really clean late model Xsara 16v phase 2 pretty much the same car but better suspension and should be a whole lot cheaper (lacks 6th gear but found the xsara better on track.