Peugeot 208 GTI by Peugeot Sport: Spotted

The Peugeot Sport 208 comes highly recommended new; but when it's lost a third of its value in a year...

It's a little irritating if you think about it. If you have forked out for a hot hatch, you'd hope that it would be the hottest version - but no. Manufacturers are now making you pay more for performance packs to 'unlock' the potential of their quick hatches. Fortunately, things are much more reasonable on the used market; take this 208 GTI by Peugeot Sport, which has lost over £8,500 in a year.

So what is the 208 GTI by Peugeot Sport? It's a car we're big fans of on PH, so much so that we're running a long-term car. Compared with the standard GTI you get four-piston Brembo front brake calipers and larger discs, the ESP system has been recalibrated to be less intrusive, the suspension has been lowered by 10mm and the tracks have been widened, and you also get sticky Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres around your 18-inch alloy wheels.

The normal 208 GTI isn't a bad car, but the Peugeot Sport version is so much better and the one to look out for. After a prolonged period away, the regular GTI showed that Peugeot really could make a good hot hatch again; the Peugeot Sport then proved that it could make a great one. While in future the standard GTI will be much more easily available, the 208 by PS is much more engaging to drive and worth the extra.

And let's not forget that it comes with a limited-slip diff, unlike the Ford Fiesta ST, which uses its brakes to replicate some of what a mechanical limited-slip diff would do. This should help you out in wet conditions and prevent you from spinning away all your 208hp (or 205 imperial bhp; coincidence much?) in tight corners.

This example has thankfully been painted in one colour instead of the rather odd two-tone option Peugeot offered. You could have had the rear end of your 208 painted in a different colour, which made it look like a baboon's backside. Fortunately, this one is all orange, as you can probably see. Except for the brake calipers, which are red. Predictably. But that is at least how it came from the factory, and not done with some Halfords spray paint.

When you look at it, this 208 GTI is certainly worth a shout. OK, you can't get it in five-door form - like like you can with the Ford Fiesta ST - and it doesn't have the naturally aspirated engine or beautiful handling balance of the Renaultsport Clio III, but the 208 is a fine all-rounder at a very tempting price. Plus, this being an early 2017 car, you save £25 on your annual road tax compared with one registered after April 2017. We're all about saving money with this Spotted...

SPECIFICATION - PEUGEOT 208 GTI BY PEUGEOT SPORT

Engine: 1,598cc, 4-cyl turbocharged
Transmission: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive, limited-slip differential
Power (hp): 208@6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 221@3,000rpm
MPG: 52.3
CO2: 125g/km
First registered: Jan 2017
Recorded mileage: 15,000
Price new: £23,550
Yours for: £14,991