Gran Turismo Car Review: Peugeot 106

"Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW." (aya-yu) 05/17/2014 at 17:01 • Filed to: None

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Pug 106. Probably the best hot hatch i ever driven in this game. Seriously, despite it looks boxy and rather bland, these are tiny little french monster. Really? Just read my review that will blew your mind.

Exterior and History

Ready for a bit of fun? Well here we go.

I don't have too much to say about this car, so this will wind up being one of my "short" reviews. On the other hand, the 106 is such a great vehicle, and definitely deserves its place on this website.

There are many versions of the Peugeot 106 in real-life, from 1.1 liter slug-boxes and diesels...to those with a faster predicament. But GT2, GT4, and GT5 thankfully gave us only the sportiest: the Rallye 1.6, and the slightly-stronger (but heavier) S16 . Both cars are extremely useful and capable in our game.

For every minus, there is a plus. Yes, these cars are underpowered, but they have extreme cornering prowess. Yes, they accelerate poorly, but they have some of the best braking abilities, which can take you deep into turns past many Ai. Yes, the 106 hasn't got much power on the aftermarket, but drop what few pounds there are to drop, and it'll be able to keep up with some pure sports cars. ++

Lightweight these are, and nimble as hell. The Rallye and the S16 boast small differences in appearance; the former has a boxier look (being based on real-life rally versions) while the S16 is a tad more "curvy". Give a spin in either, and one can appreciate some of their bossy behaviour on the tracks. That's a good word: BOSSY . These cars are bossy little punks at the tracks.

...If you don't mind some occasional slowness that is...

Engine and Driveterain

In some regions of France, it is well-known that snails are on the menu. People eat snails. Yuck. So is it possible that a car that seems (at first) snail-ish could eat others? Let's find out.

So as noted above, we have two versions of the 106: the Rallye and the S16. Not only do they have visual differences from one another, under the hood there is also some difference. The Rallye is equipped with a single-overhead cam engine, and the S16 has a dual-overhead cam. The difference in power, however, amounts to just a few horses—before or after modification.

Either way, these cars start with just over 100 horsepower, and the rest is predictable: sluggish acceleration, sub-standard speed at the limit, and low torque as well. There are some good things to note, as well. These cars have extremely grippy front-ends , and stay well within their range of capability lots of times. This means you'll often be able to jump on the gas and stay on it before leaving some corners. The power-band is also wide and easy to work with. No Civic-like wheelspin or torque-steer, though higher revs still create the best power. Peak power is often well below redline for some reason, which is great for those who are driving these with manual boxes. Never shall the evil RPM limit raise its ugly head, assuming the driver knows when to shift, and stuff. Typical front-drive issues are kept to a minimum (at least while the car is near-stock or modified up to Stage 2) and these merits generally stay with us till the engine is modified up near 200 horsepower.

And we have mods a-plenty. GT2 106's can be equipped with....GT4 versions get 3 levels of naturally-aspirated systems, and 3 turbo stages. Ultimate power can't be tweaked past 250 hp in any game, but since these cars are so light, there's still a lot of races they can participate in.

The 106's 5-speed drivetrain is spaced evenly and I have no real complaints about it. You will need taller gears (via a full-custom transmission) at some tracks, though. And at other, tighter tracks like Côte d'Azur, Laguna Seca, and Autumn Ring, close gearing comes in handy as we'd expect.

There isn't much more to say. I told you this one would be short!

Chassis and Handling

Power may be limited, but never fear! All is not lost.

French cars are famous for having soft suspensions to deal with bad roads that were either cobblestoned or damaged after World War II. Citro ë ns, Renaults, Peugeots, etc, have a generally cushy feel...or at least they used to. The 106 doesn't follow this trend. It has a surprisingly solid undercarriage mounted on tight coils up front and torsion bars in the rear. Solid & tight ....those are the two words that came to mind as I piloted this car around many tracks, skimming by walls with inches to spare, and bouncing (literally) over minor curbs and bumps. Aftermarket suspensions will allow us to tighten those springs even tighter than can be found on some faster cars, as well. This car never lets you forget how desperately sporty it's trying to be, and often it succeeds in doing so.

What we have here is a very sensitive front-end. Sensitive to minor changes in throttle position, taps on the brakes, and mid-corner steering re-calculations . Typical front-drive malaises (understeer, torque-steer, and wheelspin) are all present, but before they show up, there is LOTS of grip. LOTS of front-end dominance. The 106 is a great car for both beginners and pros alike ... manueverability is always available, and most understeer is often tamed with a momentary backing-off from the throttle.

Does this car have a limited-slip in place, even when stock? I couldn't find an answer to this question as I searched the 'net...but I'm guessing it probably does. Not only is wheelspin low, but this car (despite its light-weight) will grip out of corners, even as the 106 starts to lean. I never experienced any inner-wheel spinning.

A bit off-topic, but here goes. Guess that's one of the advantages to running my own review; I can go off-topic at will without being reprimanded ;)

Recently I drove a Citroën C3 (I've been on a French-car kick lately). Now the C3 apparently has an open differential—as most civilian people-moving cars do. The C3 is more top-heavy than a 106, and at times, it leans so heavily out of tighter turns, it will occasionally STOP DEAD as its inner front-wheel starts going haywire! Not the 106. Matter of fact, I found I didn't even need to install a 1-way until the 106 was equipped with at least Stage 2 power! I only bring all this up to illustrate how dominant the 106 is as a racing auto. Both cars (106 and C3) were similarly powered in these driving experiences—and neither had over 150 bhp. ++

So in general, the way the 106 handles itself is also at a premium with just a couple exceptions: bumps easily disturb it, and since these cars are so light, understeer (which is usually out on an extended cigarette break) often comes back for a visit as the car is driven over the crests of hilly areas.

But overall, what we have here are some fun, fun cars.

PROS

1). Well-priced.

2). Lightweight, too. Both the S16 and the Rallye get race-kits in GT2.

3). Great front-drive cars for beginners & pros alike.

4). A tremendously grippy front-end that steers under pressure with few complaints. Yes, the 106 is low on power, but often you can use ALL of the power this puny engine lends, all the time. Wheelspin is rare once you're out of 1st gear.

5). Limited-slip action not needed till at least Stage 2 power is being applied.

6). Sporty design...lots of colors to choose (except for the Rallye in GT2).

7). Growly engine noises.

8). Body-sway oversteer, spins, and other such behavior simply never happen in a 106. Unless you happen to suck, of course.

!!! UNKNOWN HEADER TYPE (MULTI-LINE BREAK?) !!!

1). Low power. You can do alot with this since the car is light and its footprint is tight, but this is definitely not one of our firecracker front-drive powerplants.

2). The 5-speed stock gearbox is useful, but eventually a lot of money will need to be parted with for a full-custom unit at some longer tracks.

3). Minor bumps, grids, and curbs tend to jounce the 106 to no end. The usual front-end traction must be carefully guarded at these times.

4). Even with full upgrades, GT4 versions never surpass 250 horsepower. GT2 versions of the 106 rate at just 187 hp (Rallye) and 208 hp (S16).

5). Understeer & torque-steer may not be immediate, but they eventually show up just like in any other front-drive.

6). Not much redline area. Manual shifters may try and keep these cars in gear as they accelerate up hills, only to find there is just 250 rpms of redline before a shift is needed.

7). Great brakes, but it doesn't take much to lay them on too heavy at times, and then find the car's 1.6 struggling to regain any speed it previously had moments ago.

ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 05/17/2014 at 17:04

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Do you take suggestions?

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier 05/17/2014 at 17:04

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Of Course! :D

ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 05/17/2014 at 17:06

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Can you do the 98 Taurus SHO? I have many of them if you need one!!

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier 05/17/2014 at 17:09

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Yes i can!

I love the Taurus racing kit from GT2. I'll post it tommorrow.

ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 05/17/2014 at 17:11

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Thanks!! Do you need one? I can send you a stock one or fully modded one.

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier 05/17/2014 at 17:11

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Nah, i'll buy it from the lot just like usual.

ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 05/17/2014 at 17:14

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Well make sure you restore it then........

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier 05/17/2014 at 17:15

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Well, i guess an oil change is enough.

*Just noticed that in GT4 Taurus cost 14k Credit. And it's now 30k in GT5. Are this thing really appreciate? Lol.

ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 05/17/2014 at 17:17

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Its the V8.....

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier 05/17/2014 at 17:20

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yeah, the SVO:

In GT2 it was 32k. In GT4, because it's used, it's now 14k. But somehow despite it's used as well and had 17k miles on the clock, it;s now 30k. Strange.

ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 05/17/2014 at 17:24

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*SHO.

And most likely since the cams are still in good condition!!

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier 05/17/2014 at 17:27

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hahaha, yeah.

I expect some understeer in this baby, since it's a FWD V8. But i never ever touch this thing since GT2.

ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 05/17/2014 at 17:35

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Its gonna understeer like a bitch. I know it all too well....

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier 05/17/2014 at 17:36

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Oh okay.

But can it beat the New Beetle?

*The VW New Beetle is the most understeery car i ever drive in Gran Turismo.

ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 05/17/2014 at 17:48

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Mine are all tuned for the least amount of understeer and I know how to control it. So maybe......

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > ShelbyRacer78-Fusion Modifier 05/17/2014 at 17:49

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Yeah. Go try the beetle. Or PT Cruiser.