Question about 206 GTi 180 (and GTi's in general)
rosenb37
enthusiasts such as yourself.
If, at all, this is considered imporper to post these questions here,
apologies in advance.
For our class, we need to market the new 180hp version of this car. As
an American, I am not terribly familiar with these cars, but as an
enthusiast, I am.
I was curious if the 180 is the only GTi model or they are still
keeping the lower hp versions too?
Does the GTi, either presently or historically, have a stereotype? Do
you look at a guy and imagine he's a driver of a GTi? Or do you see a
guy get in one and think, "yup, that's his kind of car!"?
Is there a cult of GTi? Clubs? Do people modify their cars or are most
of them for the purist?
If there is a large group modifying these cars, what do they modify it
for? Road races? Drag races?
Is there something the 206 is lacking that the 205 had? Is it too
refined now?
What's women's participation in the hobby with these cars?
There's probably more right now that I could ask, but if you have the
time to shed what a 206 GTi (and perhaps the 205 as well) means to
you, that would be cool. For now, I am going to surf and look what the
other posts here say. Thanks!
Diego
Alex
> I was curious if the 180 is the only GTi model or they are still
> keeping the lower hp versions too?
They will keep the standard one. Apart from being more expensive, there'll
be quite a few people who can't (or can't afford to) get insured on the GTi
180.
> Is there a cult of GTi? Clubs? Do people modify their cars or are most
> of them for the purist?
> If there is a large group modifying these cars, what do they modify it
> for? Road races? Drag races?
Because they can. Because they want to be individual. Any reason you can
think of, really.
> What's women's participation in the hobby with these cars?
Same as the men's.
HTH
Dan405
lots, as for tyhe rest, well, here goes!
> I was curious if the 180 is the only GTi model or they are still
> keeping the lower hp versions too?
AFAIK they're keeping them as well.
> Does the GTi, either presently or historically, have a stereotype? Do
> you look at a guy and imagine he's a driver of a GTi? Or do you see a
> guy get in one and think, "yup, that's his kind of car!"?
Usually older people now cos of insurance purposes, in the case of the 206
GTi, it seems to attract a lot of women and posers....
> Is there a cult of GTi? Clubs? Do people modify their cars or are most
> of them for the purist?
A lot of 206 GTi's drive around unmodified cos a good chunk of em are owned
by women cos they look nice, but people do mod em, theres hundreds of sites
online.
> If there is a large group modifying these cars, what do they modify it
> for? Road races? Drag races?
Not much racing, as a rule they're more of a looks car.
> Is there something the 206 is lacking that the 205 had? Is it too
> refined now?
The 205 GTi 1.9 was quicker, not much, but a bit, and most people preferred
the handling, i've never driven either so i don't know!
> What's women's participation in the hobby with these cars?
Same as mens
Carl Gibbs
> I was curious if the 180 is the only GTi model or they are still
> keeping the lower hp versions too?
still keeping the cheap 130ishbhp GTi
>
> Does the GTi, either presently or historically, have a stereotype? Do
> you look at a guy and imagine he's a driver of a GTi? Or do you see a
> guy get in one and think, "yup, that's his kind of car!"?
GTi can have a bit of a stereotype as a 'boyracer car'. Not so much these
days, now they have become more refined, bit less on the edge
>
> Is there a cult of GTi? Clubs? Do people modify their cars or are most
> of them for the purist?
theres loads of GTis about (VW Golf GTi, Ford Escort GTi, Mitsubishi Lancer
GTi, Citroen BX GTi to name but a few) and as a result there is usually some
sort of cult following for each. Most popular though are probably the
Peugeot GTis (205,309,106,206,306) and the VW Golf GTi, and hence are the
most popular to modify. You'll find a lot of the other marques GTis are
often left standard as parts aren't as readily available.
>
> If there is a large group modifying these cars, what do they modify it
> for? Road races? Drag races?
As Dan said the 206 is more or a fasion accessory. If you want a racing
Peugeot you'd normally go for a 106 GTi or 306 GTi6 (the extra 6 standing
for 6 speed).
>
> Is there something the 206 is lacking that the 205 had? Is it too
> refined now?
Absolutely. The 205 GTis were raw driving machines. Basically a big engine
(for its time) connected to the front wheels. 206 GTis (in fact many modern
GTis) have lost their roots with the addition of luxuries and electronic
gizmos. These add lots of weight (see modern Golf GTis) and take the edge
off driving. But i guess thats the way things are going.
>
> What's women's participation in the hobby with these cars?
All depends on the woman. My GF doesnt get involved, but my navigator when
i go rallying is a woman.
>
> There's probably more right now that I could ask, but if you have the
> time to shed what a 206 GTi (and perhaps the 205 as well) means to
> you, that would be cool. For now, I am going to surf and look what the
> other posts here say. Thanks!
>
You'll find lots of stuff on 205s as they have a cult following.
Personally, i've had 2. One a diesel turbo (in GTi trim) and now an XS (one
down from a GTi) and i absolutely love them. Some will slate them for not
being well made, a bit light and flimsy etc, but they are cheap, handle
excellently for a FWD car and are great fun.
Hope that helps
Carl
Dan405
> All depends on the woman. My GF doesnt get involved, but my navigator
when
> i go rallying is a woman.
>
Heh - bet the bird loves that :)
--
Dan
Peugeot 405, Honda XLR 125.
Matt
news:15b8d27e.03011...@posting.google.com...
> If, at all, this is considered imporper to post these questions here,
> apologies in advance.
No problem - if you don't ask, you don't get!
> Does the GTi, either presently or historically, have a stereotype? Do
> you look at a guy and imagine he's a driver of a GTi? Or do you see a
> guy get in one and think, "yup, that's his kind of car!"?
More modern GTi's have a stereotype but it's not the same one as for old
GTi's.
The modern ones are either well-off "city boy" types or posers who cruise
around and burn you off on a motorway.
Originally old ones had the "Bolt on as many extras as possible" boy-racer
type who's gladly ruin a new set of tyres just to spin the wheels in front
of an attractive girl (who usually thought they were a pillock anyway)!
These days, (with the exception of the 17 year olds who still buy the old
ones), most 205GTi drivers are late 20's or over, and have the car as an
enthusiast or to go to organised track meetings.
> Is there a cult of GTi? Clubs? Do people modify their cars or are most
> of them for the purist?
Each GTi has it's own cult - many don't like the 309GTi over the 205GTi - I
think they both have their merrits but both have their own disciples. The
same goes for other manufacturers. Just mention Vauxhall Nova's are better
(Opel Corsas to you) on a peugeot forum (or the other way around) to see the
response!!!
I'm not a modifier - as mine is relatively rare I'm trying to keep it as
original as possible (and to some extent restore it that way) - I prefer
subtle modifications - I prefer cars to have a surpise and be faster/better
than they appear and not the other way around!!!
> If there is a large group modifying these cars, what do they modify it
> for? Road races? Drag races?
Usually personal taste or "one-upmanship" but there are plenty who race.
> Is there something the 206 is lacking that the 205 had? Is it too
> refined now?
Older GTi's looked far different to the non-GTi versions, so much so, owners
of the lower models would dream of having the GTi's or try and mimic the
look with kits for their car. Newer ones don't outwardly look much different
so there doesn't seem to be the same "drool factor" unless you read
specifications.
> What's women's participation in the hobby with these cars?
Depends on the woman! Some hate it, some love it - those that love it are
usually just as involved as men
Cheers!
Matt
--
1991 Peugeot 205 Roland Garros Cabriolet
TU3S 1.4 Carb
==
Carl Gibbs
"Dan405" <nos...@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:b095kk$luiin$1...@ID-165560.news.dfncis.de...
> > > What's women's participation in the hobby with these cars?
> > All depends on the woman. My GF doesnt get involved, but my navigator
> when
> > i go rallying is a woman.
> >
>
> Heh - bet the bird loves that :)
>
mind you, she didnt seem too pleased when i told her i was doing an
overnight rally Valentines day weekend!
SPAM_@hi.hinet.hr Filip Orsic
> I was curious if the 180 is the only GTi model or they are still
> keeping the lower hp versions too?
There is 2.0 S16 with 136hp. That's for Europe so I am not sure if there is
something like that in US.
> Does the GTi, either presently or historically, have a stereotype? Do
> you look at a guy and imagine he's a driver of a GTi? Or do you see a
> guy get in one and think, "yup, that's his kind of car!"?
Difficult to say....
Probably the guys who have "older" cars are more enthusiastic.
Nowadays, "206's are like tampons, every p***y has one." ;)
> Is there a cult of GTi? Clubs? Do people modify their cars or are most
> of them for the purist?
http://www.maxpugs.com/
http://www.205gti.com/main_uk.htm
http://www.ecosse-peugeot.co.uk/
http://www.pugheaven.co.uk/
http://www.peugeotclub.org/
> Is there something the 206 is lacking that the 205 had? Is it too
> refined now?
Probably not that brutal as a 205 but I didn't try the 206 (yet) so...
--
Fico
ICQ 768803
[Remove _NO SPAM_ to reply]
rosenb37
I haven't read any of them yet since I wanted to post my observations
from my research. Aside of the responses you have given me, if there
is any observation that may be incorrect on my part, feel free to
correct me.
"There seems to be a good enthusiast following for the 205 GTi. There
are different incarnations for the car, determined by hp and engine
size. Many of them have been run hard and trashed, but supplies are
still plentiful, if not expensive. It would be wise to do a full
inspection before buying a used 205 GTi.
"A lot of the people with 205 GTi's have souped them up to the tune
of more hp, handling, etc. These cars can be blindingly fast and have
this no-frills approach to performance. And therein lies the problem.
"The 206 GTi continues the tradition of the 205, but has been
modernized. This has led to a more sophisticated car, but also a a
heavier car that has lost some of its trademark charm. Maybe the GTi's
core customers have grown up, but they did not want their car to.
"So now Peugeot is about to introduce 180hp in the GTi. This should
put it near the top of its class when emotional buying is involved as
it is the romantic favorite in its class. There may be cars that are
faster or handle better or what-not, but they aren't the GTi.
"Speaking of faster, there are some cars with loads more hp, such as
the Suburu WRX, but it is a sedan with AWD that costs more,
practically putting it in a different class. It appears the buyer of
the GTI 180 may be satisfied with the practicality of FWD and a
hatchback. Anything more is just getting into a new class of car."
Thanks again,
Diego
DervMan
> enthusiasts such as yourself.
>
> If, at all, this is considered imporper to post these questions here,
> apologies in advance.
>
> For our class, we need to market the new 180hp version of this car. As
> an American, I am not terribly familiar with these cars, but as an
> enthusiast, I am.
>
> I was curious if the 180 is the only GTi model or they are still
> keeping the lower hp versions too?
>
> Does the GTi, either presently or historically, have a stereotype? Do
> you look at a guy and imagine he's a driver of a GTi? Or do you see a
> guy get in one and think, "yup, that's his kind of car!"?
Yeah; it does, and (sadly in my opinion) the Peugeot GTis are getting a
similar sort of customer as the Golf gets. Badge buyers - the higher
performance (or not, as the case may be) is much less relevant than the
badge on the back.
It's the cars of previous generations (the mark one and two Golfs, the
Peugeot 205 and 309, and to a degree the 306) that have made the beds that
the current generation Golf, 206 and 307 lie in.
Manufacturers have anethesised the current hot hatch. They are heavier,
better equipped, quieter and generally easier to live with. And so the type
of customer has changed.
/I'm not trying to judge, by the way./
Having driven many hot hatches, I can see the appeal of both types. The 205
is more of a driver's car. It demands the utmost of respect if you're
pressing on, and commitment in large doses.
The 206 is . . . a little less demanding, but softer. If you barrel in a
corner too quickly in the 206, it doesn't snap out into oversteer in the
same way. It's easier to drive.
A few of my 205 GTi owner friends were keen to dismiss the 206, "too soft,
too roly-poly, too dull." But it does drive well! And I'm sure that a modern
206 GTi driver would dismiss the 205 GTi as being too noisy, too hard, and
too "hairy-ass scarey" if you screw up.
> Is there a cult of GTi? Clubs? Do people modify their cars or are most
> of them for the purist?
A bit of both. Personally, I think the 205 is usually left untouched, but
then I have seen some properly modified 205s. Simply slapping a big bore
exhaust and an induction kit is going to lose power (Peugeot have set up the
GTI's induction system very well).
> If there is a large group modifying these cars, what do they modify it
> for? Road races? Drag races?
Usually for looks and a perception of greater performance. But some modify
for performance reasons.
> Is there something the 206 is lacking that the 205 had? Is it too
> refined now?
Arguably, yes it is.
> What's women's participation in the hobby with these cars?
>
> There's probably more right now that I could ask, but if you have the
> time to shed what a 206 GTi (and perhaps the 205 as well) means to
> you, that would be cool. For now, I am going to surf and look what the
> other posts here say. Thanks!
--
The DervMan
www.dervman.com
Oxidate
>
> Is there a cult of GTi? Clubs? Do people modify their cars or are most
> of them for the purist?
>
> If there is a large group modifying these cars, what do they modify it
> for? Road races? Drag races?
>
Hey Diego
Take a look here for Peugeot GTI forum
http://www.peugeot-gti.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=d7ec841dd6884a822557e60
16dd6f29d&forumid=2
Erkka Hakkarainen - Inet.fi
Especially the forum section is great, but you have to register for it...
"DervMan" <der...@hotmail.com> kirjoitti
viestissä:b0eo4n$okla0$2...@ID-136275.news.dfncis.de...