One-Off Tuned Peugeot 308 GTi Has Racing-Inspired Looks, 302 PS

With everything going on in the compact hot hatch segment, sometimes it’s easy to overlook Peugeot’s offering, the 308 GTi.

The French brand’s challenger to the likes of the Renault Megane RS, Ford Focus ST, Hyundai i30 N and Volkswagen Golf GTI has all the right ingredients to make it a favorite among enthusiasts: menacing looks, reworked chassis and a powerful engine.

Nonetheless, despite arriving in the segment a few years ago, the 308 GTi has never really caught on. As a result, there aren’t many tuned examples out there, which is why this one caught our eye.

Also Watch: Can Peugeot Finally Crack The Compact Hatch Segment With Revamped 308?

Created by Massimo Arduini, and Italian touring racing driver, and his team, this one-off 308 GTi has racing-inspired looks, with reworked front and rear bumpers, new diffuser and wide fenders on all four corners. It also sits on a pair of 18-inch rims wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires.

Other upgrades include the intercooler and exhaust system, which, along with more work carried in the engine compartment, have allowed the turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder unit to generate 302PS (298hp / 222kW), up from the stock model’s 272PS (268hp / 200kW).

Stopping power is provided by a set of Brembo 340mm brake discs, while the stock suspension has been replaced by a KW adjustable one.

Finally, the team behind this 308 GTi has stripped it down to the essentials, making it weigh just 1,155kg (2,546lbs), or 49kg (108lbs) less than a smaller Renault Clio RS. Although no performance figures were released, you can bet it’s fairly fast – and, with the tuned chassis, quite handy in the twisty stuff, too.