2000 Peugeot 306 GTi 6 – Classified of the Week

Some things we’re just better off without. Certain phenomena lost to the sands of time that should stay exactly where they are. Keelhauling for example. And Mullets. Although for reasons we can’t fathom the latter appears to be making something of a comeback. Crap hairstyles aside though, one thing we’ll never get over, one loss we will continue to lament long into the future, is that of the hot hatch. Now solely the reserve of the wealthy due to the prices of classic examples continuing to rise, owning a once humble hot hatch, especially those particularly esteemed ’80s heroes, has become prohibitively expensive for most of us. But there is still a way to scratch that particular itch, should you wish, by picking something a touch more modern. Like the Peugeot 306 GTi 6, for instance. Still a bona fide hot hatch but at a fraction of the price.

You just have to look at its big brother – the 205 GTI – as well as the likes of the Mk1 Golf and Renault 5 GT Turbo to see what we mean, with the most expensive of these on site at the time of writing being £44,995, £45,000, and €39,950 respectively, which is nuts, quite frankly. Add to that the fact that most car manufacturers’ output these days, generally speaking, is about as interesting as being stuck in traffic while listening to a debate by Alan Shearer and Paul Burrell on the merits of ironing, and there’s not a lot of choice for old school rapid runabouts, especially on the cheap.

Well, dear reader, do we have just the remedy for that particular automotive ailment with this Peugeot 306 GTi 6 from the year 2000. Back then we never knew we were living in a world with a mind that could be so sure that the hot hatch would always be a staple from the likes of Ford, Peugeot, VW and Renault, among others, but sadly that too would go the way of fifteenth century Dutch execution methods. And Pat Sharp’s Barnet.

But back then we could still believe, the future was unwritten and the 306 GTi 6 was a gift. Beginning life, like most hot hatches, as a standard small family car way back in ’93, it was very much a continuation of those classic models like the 205 and 309, the DNA of which was clearly carried across to Peugeot’s new model, and even the boggo 306 was inherently fun to drive. The bones of a good car were already there, but when the French manufacturer applied its GTi jiggery pokery to the thing, well, we had a new heir to the hot hatch throne.

Shortly after launch, Peugeot would tease us with spicier version of the 306, beginning with a turbo diesel, then the 2.0-litre, 8-valve petrol-engined Xsi, closely followed by the 16-valve S16, and with our whistles suitably whetted, Peugeot then unleashed the GTi-6 in ’96. Featuring the same 2.0-litre 16-valve as the S16 but significantly reworked, the GTi 6 was a lot more spritely, with peak power being 167bhp compared to the S16’s 155. The chassis was improved, too and the GTi 6 also featured a six-speed, close-ratio manual gearbox (generally the reserve of much more exotic fare at the time), hence the ‘6’ in the name, all of which instantly promoted the car to legit hot hatch status.

Two facelifts came in the form of the Phase 2 in ’97 and the phase 3 in ’99 but both were limited to exterior and interior updates for the GTi 6, with the mechanicals remaining untouched. Phased out just a couple of years later the Peugeot 306 GTi 6 remains one of the last bastions of brawny but agile family hatchbacks, as these models began to get bigger and heavier moving into the 2000s, losing a lot of the characteristics that made them such a blast to drive in the process.

If you can’t afford a 205 GTI, and let’s face it, that’s most of us, then the 306 GTi-6 is arguably the next best thing. With plenty of usable power it’s still small and light enough to provide more than enough chuck-it-about-with-wanton-abandon thrills for not a lot of money. If older hot hatches are anything to go by though, those prices will no doubt only be going one way. You have been warned.

That’s why you should jump at the chance to grab this 2000 phase 3 306 GTi 6. At just £5,750 it’s laughably cheaper than those cars we mentioned at the beginning and will provide you with just as many smiles per mile. Perfect to hoon about in on the old B-roads it’s also plenty practical enough to use every day.

This particular car has just three previous owners and has been well-maintained, with a recent spend including a fresh timing belt and head gasket. Oh, and it also benefits from replacement Bilstein suspension. This is a tempting one ladies and gents. Very tempting.