Believe it or not, there was a Ferrari built between 1975 and 1985 called the 308, just like this Peugeot. What's more, they are equals in performance.
The modern Peugeot hot hatch is the hero of our story, so we'll start with that. The French company built the most high-strung version of the 1.6-liter engine it co-developed with MINI. It produces 250 hp in the base configuration or 270 hp on the high-performance model.
Meanwhile, the supercar from 1975 had a 2.9-liter V8 producing 256 PS. By 1980, new emission regulations came into effect, and they replaced the carburetors with mechanical fuel injectors from Bosch, the result being a drop in power to 214 PS in Europe and 202 hp in the States.
Even though it's new, the 308 GTi is not the best hot hatch. That's a job for Renault's out-of-production Megane RS.
Peugeot's hot hatch puts out hefty 270 hp. For 35,000 euros you get 0-100 km/h time of around 6 seconds, and unbelievably hard suspension, which makes driving around town hell, especially for the passengers.
But this video is not about that. It's a comparison in performance on the Autobahn. One significant difference between the 250 and 270 model is the Torsen differential, which does magic on a beautiful twisting piece of road.
Peugeot interiors are among the poshest in the business, and the 308 GTi's is a really hot, probably the best part of the car. If the Golf GTI is the Audi of hot hatchbacks, the Pug is a Mercedes, packed with flamboyance. Fans of the hot hatch genre will appreciate the materials they used for the seats, which combine Alcantara with black leather. Sure, the rev counter goes backward, but at least it's red.
In Britain, the basic 250 model is available from £26,555 while the 270 version costs you £28,155. We'd buy the latter, considering it comes with a Torsen differential, 19" wheels, larger front brakes and sports seats. But what about you, has the autobahn video helped you make up your mind?
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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