That’s more like it. Meet the one-off Peugeot 308 designed and built by Italian racing team Arduini Corse. It has no tacked on, unofficial name, but it does have more power, and we like it when cars get more power.
The Pug’s turbo 1.6-litre four-pot now gets a healthy 300bhp – up from 270bhp – thanks to a new ECU. In fact, it’s based on the ECU found in the 308 Mi16 racer.
Arduini Corse – henceforth referred to as AC – has also slotted in beefier, ventilated Brembo brakes and pads, because as a wise movie never said, with great power comes greater braking stiffness.
There are new 5cm lower Eibach springs and two-way adjustable KW shocks, 18in wheels as opposed to 19s wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2s, and a single-pipe stainless steel exhaust silence to “guarantee a particular sound”. A good sound, one suspects.
The whole car has been widened by 22cm in order to fully attach the 308 Racing Cup car’s bodywork and aero. This you will be able to spot. The weight has also been cut to 1,205kg for extra punchiness.
Massimo Arduini – AC’s boss and the man with the plan – said the original idea came to him via a well-known Italian actor called Stefano Accorsi. Stefani ‘repeatedly’ told Massimo that the 308 GTi Racing Cup was a blinder - a car we had a drive in last year - and that he should build a GTi version for road use.
And build it, he did. If you like the cut of this 308, Massimo told TG the full cost of the conversion will be announced later this year, but the process is simple: you can either buy the kit and fit it yourself (it comes with instructions, don’t fear), or bring you own car to Italy and hand it over to AC who’ll convert it in three weeks.
The final option is to buy the whole thing outright from Arduini. Again, prices will be confirmed later.
Peugeot 308 GTI by Arduini Corse
