A Pugs Life.....
The following is about one man and his Pug, from dealer to well deserved place in his garage.
As you read this you might to the same thing yourself in the same car or maybe in something different, you may like me enjoy the journey and the experience.
My task was to purchase a cheap car, build it with parts to a certain PP but do it so I would not need any tuning knowledge, I decided on the cheapest car in the European section.
The car was a Blue Peugeot 106 Rallye '03 - cost Cr, 12,630, PP348 - 101BHP - 890kg
Now to build the car up to the desired PP, in this case I chose 400PP as the starting point(I prefer to run a little low to the competition, means I cannot sit back and cruise round to an easy win). Also all tuning parts at the beginning was suppose to be non-adjustable apart from what came with the car (brakes, power and ballast guages) - and as cheap as possible.
The Build
part - cost - running total - PP/BHP/kg
Oil change - 250 - 12,880 - 354/106/890
Sports Hard Tyres - 6,500 - 19,380 - No change
Racing Suspension Soft - 3,200 - 22,580 - no change
ECU- 1,500 - 24,080 - 362/114/890
Sports Cat. - 1,000 - 25,080 - 368/120/890
Sports Exhaust - 1,200 - 26,280 - 373/125/890
Low Turbo - 7,000 - 33,280 - 396/144/890
Manifold - 3,000 - 36,280 - 401/150/890
Ballast of 4kg @-50% to put the car now at 400PP - 150BHP - 894kg
All that including the car and still chnage from 40K credits, now the task was to race it and make back out money plus more if we could without running the same event over and over.
The good and the bad about the 106
Good: small, light and agile, nimble enough to move the car around easily in tight spots even under braking. Brake late to make up some positions if needed and accelerate quickly out of the corners.
Bad: Long straights and lack of top end grunt will put pressure on us.
Couple of things first, the oil would need a change at about 120 miles as we would start to loose a couple of BHP.
I drive like I always try to drive - clean and fair, yes even for the half wits called AI, two wheels on track means no corner cutting, no using the AI/barriers to help me get round those corners quicker and no blocking, its about you and your racing ability.
We start off with the Novice events and as the pace is fairly slow, it's time to adjust to our car and figure out how late we can brake. Also get use to finding the draft on the straights, going to come in handy later.If you are running with the racing line you will hopefully see the 106 needs nowhere near as much braking as the red lines are telling you and sometime a lift off is enough. Use the 1st lap as a feeler to what the car can do.
Information will be track, prize for 1st and running total, figures in brackets where listed are PP/BHP of 2nd place.
Novice
Sunday Cup - 430PP/SH
High Speed Ring - 4,020 - (353/128) - (-)32,260
Autumn Ring Mini - 4,120 - (unknown) - (-)28,140
Amateur Cup - 450PP/SH
Brands Hatch - 4,410 - (375/80) - (-)23,730
Grand Valley - 4,580 - (371/142) - (-)19,150
Willow Springs - 4,660 - (unknown) - (-)14,490
Novice Championship 450PP/SH
Brands Hatch - 4,250 - (371/142) - (-)10,240
Autumn Ring - 4,490 - (371/142) - (-)5,750
Brands Hatch - 4,520 - (371/142) - (-)1,123
Championship bonus - 5,000 - (+)3,770
At this point the 106 is making profit for us. We should be making use of the draft and have come to realise, follwing PD's red braking points will not help us get those wins we would like.
As we progress we now see that even in other cars draft they have the power to pull away so we really need to get to grips with those corners and the late braking, carry as much speed as you dare through the corner making use of all the track if needed and if those faster cars are making a pass on us, fall in behind as soon as you can to draft them.
National B
Freshman Cup - 450PP/SH
Tsukuba - 6,150 - (396/214) + 9,920
Silverstone - 6,300 - (386/177) +16,220
SSRoute5 - 6,640 - (402/200) +22,860
400PP Clubman Cup - 500PP/SH
Silverstone - 6,570 - (400/216) +29,430
Roma - 6,860 - (403/180) +36,290
Autumn Ring - 7,020 - (399/200) +43,310
City Trials - 550PP/SH
Madrid - 6,750 - (438/246) +50,060
Tokyo R246 - 6,700 - (450/276) +56,760
London - 7,030 - (433/246) +63,790
5-Minute races - 500PP/SH
Autumn Ring - 8010 - (395/187) +71,800
Tsukuba - 7,910 - (400/207) +79,710
Roma - 8,070 - 402/200) +87,780
FF Challenge - 550PP/SH
Tsukuba - 7,580 - (435/212) +95,360
Deep Forest - 7620 - (429/252) +102,980
Motegi - 7,700 - (427/246) +110,680
GT Compact Car Champioship - 450PP/SH
Autumn Ring - 8,270 - (377/138) +118,950
Cape ring - 8,420 - (377/138) + 127,370
Suzuka - 8,580 - (377/138) +135,950
Championship Bonus 10,000 +145,950
Combining what we know is really put to the test at Tokyo, they have far faster speed down the straights which is a killer for the pug, drafting and corner entry/exits meant I scraped a win by 0.121 seconds, roles reversed as the Skyline GTR V Spec was using my draft to close down the gap at the finish line.
If you don't manage those wins, fear not - once we have taken the Pug as far as we can on this build, we will dip into the profit to try and coax more speed/grip ot of the little car.
National A
I decided to do the first event, you have really got to be clued into the 106 for this event as the 106 is on the wrong tyres for the event, way off the PP and seriously underpowered - but my gawd if you get it right it's a blast. (Sure there's plenty will find it a doddle)
Running against more powerful cars now means we have to make use of the screen information regarding where we are compard to others and a must is rear view mirror as coming down at Panorama those cars carry serious speed compared to the 106 and the AI seems to be unaware of our presence on track and will gladly punt you off and not just a little tap as well, again make use of the drafts on those straights and let the 106 show the way in the twistier sections.
500PP Clubman Cup - 600PP/SS
Matterhorn -10,140 - (490/425) +156,090
Roma - 10,600 - (490/355) +166,690
Mt Panorama - 11,260 (A Lotus?) +177,950
Nightmasters - 450PP/SS
Mt Panorama - 11,550 - (437/??) +189,500
Matterhorn - 11,640 - (449/276) +201,140
Willow Springs -12,170 -(441/261) +213,310
Turbo Sports Series - 550PP/SS
Deep Forest - 13,830 - (466/276) +227,140
Trial Mnt - 14,000 - (461/303) +241,140
Spa - 14,560 - (461/303) +255,700
European Hot Hatch Series - 500PP/SH
London - 13,670 - (440/261) - +269,370
Brands Hatch - 13,720 - (403/181) +283,090
Spa - 14,170 - (440/261) +297,260
Part 2
Some of those last races while showing the 106 was still capable of getting the win, it was becoming more noticeable about the lack of power for those longer straights. So considering we was now in profit by 297,260 Cr our hand is about to go into the kitty to purchase some much needed and well deserved upgrades.
Intake - 4,300 - 292,960 - 410/160/894
Engine Stage 2 - 18,000 - 274,960 - 438/198/894
High Turbo - 20,500 - 254,460 - 459/242/894
Racing Exhaust - 9,500 -244,950 - 480/253/894
Stage 1 Weight reduction - 4,500 - 240,460 - 474/242/831
May as well ofload the 4kg ballast - 481PP 253BHP 827kg
So we are still a light car meaning good for the late braking and tight turns but now we are carrying more power which on the plus helps us a little down the straights but may hinder us if we gas to much on corner exit. the car could do with some new shoes but the time for tyres is not just yet as there's still events waiting for us to enter on what we already have on the car.
National A
Looking at the grid for this event it's packed with lots of power but at the cost of weight, meaning I'm still going to grab those asses for the draft but make sure I out do them on the brakes/corners. Don't get to close to them in the corners, their weight will slow them big time, so leave yourself an out as you don't want to loose too much time because your stuck behind them.
GT National Championship 500PP/SH
Silverstone - 14,670 - (483/319) +255,130
Apricot Hill - 14,880 - (500/443) +270010
Mt Panorama - 14,650 - (500/443) +284,660
Monza - 14,370 - (483/319) +299,030
Brands Hatch - 14,450 - (500/443) +313,480
Championship bonus 20,000 - 333,480
One thing I noticed was if i could get my lighter car on the inside of the AI at corner entry, i kept my line without leaning but because of their excess weight, they have to come off the power a lot more because they cannot make a tight turn.
Pit stop and another oil change - 250 -333,230
International B
10-Minute races - 530PP/SH
Brands Hatch - 23,180 - (488/190) +356,410
Roma - 23,660 - (497/374) +380,070
Willow Springs - 24,400 - (490/355) +404,470
Now was the time to put some more rubber on the car.
Sports Soft - 9,000 - 395470
International B
Tour of Europe - 540PP/SS
Brands Hatch - 28,700 - (497/374) +424,170
Spa - 29,230 - (488/414) +453,400
Ascari - 31,200 - (497/374) +484,600
This was back to it's best for the 106, those tyres had breathed new life into the car and into me. We was now back to late braking, fast cornering with some nice acceleration out of the corners. Race 1 we finished 35 seconds ahead and Race 2 the 106 managed a 2.37.9 round Spa.
National A
Gornergrat League - 600PP/SS
Matterhorn - 12,240 - (540/449) +496,840
Matterhorn - 12,580 - (543/469) +509,420
Matterhorn - 12,980 - (539/?) +522,400
The car felt like it was made for the Matterhorn, 2nd gear maybe a little to short and a slight bogging down when changing to 3rd on any of the steeper climbs, but it was a blast throwing it aound those corners.
Plus the 106 has now made us over 0.5 million credits.
International B
Tuned Car Festival - 650PP/SS
Apricot - 19,200 - (558/591) +541,600
Daytona - 19,810 - (449/271) +561,410
Cape Ring - 19,840 - (449/271) +581,250
i was apprehensive about this event, Daytona could cause a problem due to our lowish top speed 155MPH, the key was very late breaking for the chicane on the banking, utilise the 106's nimbleness and acceleration through there, luckily last lap because of the gap you can pull out I didn't have to panic when I was redlining just before the start/finish line due to the lead i had pulled out.
May need to check your Oil if your BHP had gone down or it could have just been me forgetting to do it last time. Luckily when doing the oil change also noticed that the body rigidity needed sorting so 6,250 for the both, profit now at 575,000.
Pretty much coming to the end of what's available to the Peugeot 106 on these Sport Soft tyres, found 2 races yet to do so off we go
Super
Willow 20 Mile Challenge - 650/SS
Willow -78,070 - (581/591) +653,070
I went with the SS tyre and the 106 needed no pit stop for fuel, tyes were pretty much shot on the front when I finished, maybe a 2 or 1. Lead was enough due to the super cars having to pit so was able to calm the last lap down a bit, didn't feel like catching the corner off the track and ending up in the middle of nowhere. Might have a go at this using the SH see if they last better but see how much your lap times are down and if there's enough of a gap there on the last lap to take the win.
Ascari Race Resort 10 Lap Challenge - 650/SS
Ascari - 133,130 - (629/788) +786,200
Ran with the SS tyre here as obvious would need to pit, not for fuel for a change of tyres, wasn't sure SH would last the 10 laps. The second place car besides having to take on fuel when he pitted at the end of lap 5 like myself was just too overpowered for the track, sure there's some decent straights but i think overall the track is suited to a more balanced or grip rather than power set up. Running the car was entertaining in those opening laps was battling with some of the flashier motors, the kind you see in the players car park at the football(soccer) grounds.
Well who would have thought the peugeot 106 Rallye could earn us 786,200 credits (maybe more if there's other bonus' on your first time through it). Update 1.02 means higher payouts for career mode of about 40-50%, so the 106 is earning you about 1.3-1.5million estimate.
I'd reccommend people to at least build the car just to see how it drives. The standard gearbox was well up to the task of taking us through those events showing us we did not need to spend 20K on an adjustable box.
In the first phase of the build i'd say National A Matterhorn race 1 shows you how good that car is at that track, throwing it down those hills before hitting the brakes, trying to get the back to wobble a little so you can throw it through the corner is one driving experience everyone needs to have.
I think in the second phase of the build the the likes of Spa/Mt Panorama can you show you even though underpowered for those long straights there's more than enough to cope with the twistier/tighter sections to not just make up but to pass any time lost on those straights.
We took the cheapest car Europe had to offer the Peugeot 106 Rallye, we built it up with non adjustable tuning parts, we kicked some serious butt along the way and pocketed a cool 786,200 credits profit, not bad from the little french Hot Hatch
From me and my 106 thanks for reading
The END
Maybe........