Peugeot 106 Rally VS Peugeot 205 GTi Gutmann – Sports car
The two sisters have parted ways for a decade, two milestones in front-wheel drive sports cars. There Peugeot 205 Gutmann and the Peugeot 106 rallies their glory precedes them. I am in Tuscany, in San Gimignano, a beautiful town nestled in the hills near Siena. The roads are semi-desert, but more importantly, they are the perfect mix of slow and fast turns. Peugeot on this occasion gave us the opportunity to drive several historic examples, beautifully restored and original, including these two small sports cars.
presentations
La Peugeot 106 Rally this is a car that became a part of my childhood; I grew up with her and have always loved that white body with white edges and yellow, red and blue stripes. Peugeottina is only 3,56 meters long, 1,60 meters wide and 1,36 meters high; it mounts 175/60 tires on 14-inch rims and has no ABS or power steering.
The 106 Rallye is equipped with a 1.294 cc engine. 98 h.p. at 7.500 rpm and 100 Nm of torque combined with a 5-speed manual transmission. Power that almost makes you smile, but at just 810kg, 106 is faster than you might imagine. The data says 0-100 km / h in 9,5 seconds and a top speed of 190 km / h. This is a simple car, whose lifestyle is different from the principle of "less is better."
La Peugeot 205 GTi Gutmanon the other hand, he is clearly more muscular. Gutmann is an improved version of the 205 1.9 GTi from the German tuner of the same name. It is quite rare and only about ten examples were imported into Italy. IN engine the four-cylinder 1.9-liter 16-valve engine works well 160 h.p. and 180 Nm of torque, well, 30 hp. more than the standard 205 GTi, thanks to a control unit with a different display, a new oil cooler, an air filter and a new sports exhaust. The chassis is adapted to the increase in power: the car is 30 mm lower and equipped with a front strut, grip is reinforced, brake pads are specially formulated, and special black 15 ”rims are transparent with“ Gutmann ”lettering suitable for 195/50 tires.
Driving a Peugeot 106 Rallye
The sun is shining, the roads are clear, and I decide to start with Peugeot 106 Rallye, L 'cockpit it's lean, angular, and the only round parts are the instruments and the steering wheel. Solid gray plastic throughout, contrasting with an abundance of red canvas inserts. The driving position is rather unnatural (the seat can only be adjusted forward and backward, the steering wheel is fixed), and the seats are not very roomy.
The little 1.3 wakes up with the metallic roar typical of non-catalyzed engines. Hearing such a sound is a real joy, there is a feeling that the engine is breathing normally.
Lo steering it is difficult in maneuver, but in movement it immediately becomes easy. The wheel rim is wide enough and the handling is reduced, so you can easily slap your hands on your feet when cornering.
The little four-cylinder is really empty in the first part of the tachometer. Below 4.000 RPM, if you accelerate at full speed, you will only hear noise, and long, very long gears will definitely not help. However, after 4.500 rpm, the millet turns on and starts screaming and pulling resolutely to 7.500 rpm. The hum in this mode is really exciting, and you want to jerk her neck just to hear him scream.
It's not very fast, but You still seem to be moving very fast. You sit much lower than in a modern sports compact car, and the amount of vibration and information passing through the thin seats gives you a feeling of being connected to the road that is hard to find today. Same Brakes without ABS they offer a ton of fun: they are very modular and the pedal gets harder and harder until you lock it. Despite its age, the Peugeot 106 Rallye slows down very hard and can go into corners even if the locked inner front wheel is smoking.
Il ago it is light enough, but less than I remembered; he slips, but he always warns, and in any case, only in two cases: if you ask him or if you make a big mistake.
To compensate for the mobility of the rear, the steering is used, which in the first quarter is so weak and not working, that one wonders if it is broken. IN Speed instead, it is surprisingly accurate, much more than that oddly long, curved arm suggests. It almost never gets stuck and, even if the stroke is long, the grafts contrast well. On the other hand, the reports are endless, and if you hit the limit at a third, that means you are already out of the motorway.
It's not a perfect car, not even a little bit, but it's simple, communicative and noisy, in short, it has everything you need to keep you entertained and more.
Driving a Peugeot 205 Gutmann
Despite Peugeot 205 ten years older than 106, she seems in some ways the more modern of the two. Not so much in the design - the interior is even more sparse and boxy - but in the driving position. There's more legroom here, and the steering wheel is smaller in diameter than the Rallye and more upright. The Peugeot 205 Gutmann is an elaborate version of the 205 1.9 GTi and reminds you of it in every way, from white instruments with fluorescent lettering of dubious aesthetic taste, a slimmer shift knob and a handsome three-spoke steering wheel with Gutmann lettering.
I turn the key and the 1.9 16V turns on loudly. From still this steering it's really hard and you have to cry during the maneuvers, but like the 106, it gets easier as soon as you start the bike. The first difference between the two cars can be seen through the wrists: the 205 has direct steering, no holes, and rich feedback; current in degrees of rotation, but at the same time old school in the transmission of information. IN engine at low revs it is empty for the 1.9, more than I expected, but when you go over 4.000 rpm, 160 bhp. ceases to be humble, and the last 2.000 rpm before the limiter is impressive. This is a fuller and more modest sound than the 106, but also sweeter. Response to the accelerator pedal is instantaneous, and with each flexion of the foot, 205 jumps forward sharply.
La Peugeot 205 Gutmann it is undoubtedly faster than the 106, but an unexpected ease with which it rides. The road is pleasant and you will soon find yourself throwing the 205 into corners with enthusiasm, pushing the rear into a corner, then accelerating as the car exits the corner and holding the rear back. The grip is excellent and the braking is reliable and controllable. Again, third gear is as long as the Great Wall of China, but the more power is more forgiving and helps you get out of corners. The Peugeot 106 Rallye needs to slide, try to brake as little as possible and keep the engine running at all times, while the 205 can be driven in an even dirtier way.
We have a winner
La Peugeot 106 Rallye the 205 Gutmann they have a lot in common, starting with two naturally aspirated engines that like to run at high speeds and two amazingly efficient braking systems. The 106, however, is less precise, more tiring and finally much slower than the 205. The Gutmann thus has a better driving position, a drier, more precise gearbox and many years of steering ahead. I don't think we need to add more.
It was really fun to ride these brogues on beautiful Tuscan roads; driving two simple analogue hot hatches is an experience to be done periodically, just to remind us of what driving pleasure is all about.
