Peugeot 308 GTi Gives BMW M760Li a Good Run for Its Money on Winding Roads

One focuses on performance and handling, the other on luxury and comfort. And yet, no matter the segment, the BMW has a reputation to maintain, meaning even its largest vehicles need to be able to handle themselves when the asphalt moves to one side.

With a V12 engine you can find in Rolls-Royce models and 610 horsepower at its disposal, the BMW could cruise at a leisurely speed in the corners, and it would still manage to catch the 308 GTi on the next straight. It has 590 lb-ft of torque (800 Nm), and it has them from as low as 1,500 rpm. Combined with the xDrive all-wheel-drive system, not even the 2.5-ton weight would be a problem.

The Peugeot, on the other hand, is much more modest at 272 hp, but it's where it gets them from that's astonishing. It is a brand-new 1.6-liter turbocharged unit, which makes it one of the vehicles with the best power-to-displacement ratio out of a four-cylinder engine. The French really know how to squeeze maximum grunt out of the tiniest mills, and we love them for that.

The clip below only shows the action from the 308 GTi's perspective, and as you'd expect, it's not long until the BMW disappears into the distance. Considering they are on public roads, this doesn't so much test the car's abilities as the drivers' willingness to risk going to jail or not.

But even if the power gap between the two is so great, on a road like that (or a twistier one), wouldn't you rather be in the Pug? A small, agile car with a powerful engine (243 lb-ft/330 Nm of torque from 1,900 rpm) running in its natural habitat versus a large, pampering sedan that does its best to isolate you from the world outside. On a fun road, it's a no-brainer. Plus, the 308 GTi also has a manual transmission and that small but responsive steering wheel. We might go on for a bit.