Just £2k nabs a Peugeot 106 GTI
Peugeot’s 106 GTI and Rallye models offer real-world entertainment and exceptional driver appeal for very little outlay. John Evans finds out more
Can’t find a Peugeot 205 GTI for sensible money? Fortunately, the car maker has a garage full of other equally talented hot hatches from yesteryear that are cheaper. How about a 306 GTI-6 for £4500? The 1999 T-reg car has done 93,000 miles and has a good service history and a fresh cambelt.
Other hot Pugs for normal money include the subjects of this week’s guide: the 106 GTI and 106 Rallye. Prices start at £2000 for the GTI but a smidgen more for the Rallye, while at the other extreme they peak at around £13,000.
They may both be 106s but the GTI and Rallye are quite different from each other. In fact, there were actually two Rallyes. The first, called the S1, was launched in 1994. A pared-down homologation special with raw driving appeal at its heart, it was designed to qualify for sub1400cc rallying and is powered by a fuel-injected 1.3-litre, eight-valve engine producing 99bhp. That doesn’t sound much today, but this is a car that weighs just 825kg. A close-ratio five-speed gearbox, a sparkling chassis with stiffened anti-roll bars and non-assisted steering, a stripped-out cabin, lairy graphics and purposeful-looking steel wheels complete the picture.
Only around 1000 were sold and very few examples have survived. However, seek and ye shall find. As this was written, a very tidy 1994reg with 150,000 miles was being auctioned. With a week to go, bidding had reached £5000, a figure below the seller’s reserve.
In 1998, the S1 Rallye was followed by the S2. Based on the facelifted Phase 2 106 of 1996, it too was a homologation special. It was powered by a 1.6-litre version of the S1’s 1.3-litre engine, with 103bhp. Again not much, but with a kerb weight of just 865kg, it didn’t need to be. The S2 shares its suspension with the 106 GTI and, unlike the S1, which has drum brakes at the rear, it has discs all-round. The steel wheels, strippedout cabin and racy colours remain. Of the two, purists prefer the S1 for its revvier engine and feather-light weight; on the other hand, the S2 feels quicker through the gears. Both offer a level of driver involvement that few modern cars can emulate.
So that’s the Rallyes. The 106 GTI, launched in 1996, is a more rounded affair. Like the S2 Rallye it’s powered by a 1.6-litre engine but this time with 16 valves and an output of 117bhp. At 950kg it’s the heaviest of the three models, but its greater power means it’s also the fastest. At the time it was also the most expensive, the extra dosh buying that more powerful engine, power steering, smarter alloy wheels and a bodykit. The first Phase 1 cars had cloth seats but Phase 2 models enjoyed a mix of Alcantara and leather. Fortunately, despite its sundry creature comforts, the GTI is just as much fun to hoon down a B-road as its Rallye siblings. That said, today, Rallyes are the more sought-after, but if you find a good GTI for decent money, don’t hesitate.
❝ Prices start at £2000 for the GTI, a smidgen more for the Rallye. They peak at £13,000 ❞