By now you'll hopefully be up to speed with how much our Ben is enjoying his time using a
Peugeot Sport 208 GTI
. And we make no apologies for bleating on about the fact: it really is great for hot hatch fans to have a decent Peugeot again. For the whole of the 21st century Renaultsport has been dominating all things fast and French, and now there's some competition once more.
Of course, as you'll well know, things weren't always that way. While somehow still not as revered as the 205, there's no doubt that the 306 GTI-6 was one of the hot hatch greats. Then, 20 years ago this year, it became that bit greater...
Yes, it was 1998 when the 306 Rallye was launched for the UK, hitting our roads the year after. Only fractionally lighter than the GTI-6 but a substantial £2.5k cheaper, the Rallye was an instant hit. With only 500 ever produced, it's was always a rare car, but absolutely worth seeking out if you can. Just, er, be mindful in the wet.
Here, to celebrate, is the original Top Gear review from the last century. It features Vicki-Butler Henderson, some wheelspin and even more oversteer - what more do you need to know? Watch it now!