Peugeot 308 GT THP | Shed of the Week
Warm hatches don't often outshine their hot counterparts; the 308 GT was one of the exceptions...
You're only as good as the company you keep. Shed isn't sure where that saying comes from, but given the company he keeps, he knows that it often makes him feel quite depressed about himself and his life prospects.
Sometimes, however, a bit of disreputable company isn't such a bad thing. As long as you can keep your own profile low, you'll look good if you stand next to somebody who's making a complete drongo of themselves.
Peugeot's 308 GT THP is a good example of this. When the 308 came out in 2007, public expectations off the back of the essentially terrible 307 were as low as a rattlesnake's belly. For the same reason, when the 308 GT 'warm hatch' arrived, there was widespread fear that it would be as disappointing to drive as the smaller sporting Peugeots of the time, the 207 GT and GTI, which in relation to the torch-bearing 205 were about as appealing as a Dnepr motorcycle sidecar combination.
Well, that might be overstating it a bit, but compared to the feel-free 207 with its over-electrified steering, the hydraulic-with-electric-pump-steered 308 GT felt positively athletic and much more directly connected to the road. Suspension stiffened by 35% and lowered by 10mm plus 225/40 R18 tyres meant that the GT was more than tolerable even on our cart track roads, along which it would bustle at up to 140mph with a 0-62 time of 8.3sec.
The hotter GTI model's version of the GT's 1.6 direction-injection THP turbo motor - the N14 'Prince' unit that was also used in the Mini Cooper S - produced 200hp for a 0-60 time of 7.7sec, but the GT's 175hp unit was still surprisingly OK in a 1370kg car, even if it didn't give up its maximum power until a boomy 6000rpm.
Why? Because there was a 180lb ft spread of torque from 1600 to 4500rpm, with a 195lb ft overboost available in short squirts. On top of that you had a genuinely excellent six-speed manual gearbox and a usefully soft and progressive traction control system. It all meant that you didn't have to kick its teeth in to make significant progress. And although the Mini was 166kg lighter than the 308, lack of heft isn't always desirable in a poky little front-driver. The Mini came with more torque steer than the Peugeot.
THP stands for Turbo Haute Pression, by the way. For some, that might ring alarm bells when it comes to long-term ownership, but your fears may be misplaced. 308s generically have been recalled for work on the brakes, headlights and electrics, and the cooling systems have not always been perfect, but generally speaking 308 owners seem to love their reliability. Well, the ones that go onto review sites anyway.
Mind you, Shed did find one whose engine had failed three times, twice under warranty. The owner didn't say which model that was, or whether he monitored the oil on a regular basis. That's important in THPs, not only to make sure the level is right - they do use some in the normal course of events - but also to help stave off intake valve coking, which can be a thing with these. There's also some evidence of weakness in the cam chain department, with knocking from cold and reports of tensioner fragility, either or both of which may sound familiar to Cooper owners. 308 batteries seem to blow too.
Otherwise, these Peugeots seem pretty strong. The MOT history on this particular car paints a picture of a blameless sort of life, with just a leaking rear shock this year and a busted coil spring last year standing out from an otherwise standard (and short) list of consumables.
The GT spec level was high, literally so in the case of the ginormous standard glass roof with electric blind. You also got bi-xenon lights, dual-zone aircon, parking sensors, aluminium for the gear knob and the (slightly too high) pedals, Recaro-style half-leather seats, moo on the wheel and better than expected plastics. Which leaves this question. Apart from business user-choosers looking for lower running costs and lower tax rates, why were there so few UK buyers for the 308 GT?
Shed reckons it was down to three things: misgivings about Peugeot's ability to build an enjoyable car; the price, which was a fiver under £19,000 for the three-door (the Focus ST was £750 cheaper); and the fact that even in its more attractive 3-door format, the gen-one 308 GT could never be described as much of a looker. Even so, at £1495, Shed would prefer to bang one of this car's five doors than any of the ones at home.
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