Atmospheric engine performs well, but there is no sign of tuning
There is no shortage of registrations for ‘On the roller bench’. But we never came across the Peugeot 3008 in our mailbox. This copy is a 1.6 VTi, so a four-cylinder without a turbo. Why would you want to do a power test on such a good thing? Roy Peters brings a resounding story.
Who says VTi, says oil consumption. Roy Peters can relate to that. His car consumed one and a half liters on 1,500 kilometers when he threw in the towel. Mileage: 105,000. “Internal examination showed the scratches on the cylinder walls,” he says. So sell that thing. But that kite did not fly. “My daughter wouldn’t allow that. She thought I was doing bad karma if I sold a car with a broken engine.”
Engine overhauled and tuned
So he turned to a specialist in Oud-Beijerland who knows everything about VTi and THP, that’s the name of the first generation of turbo engines with which you could also get the Peugeot 3008. “There I set up the power source according to my own specifications. There was a revision engine with improved pistons, piston rings and injectors. The timing chain is also of a heavier caliber. Furthermore, it is ‘stage 1’ tuned. Now it should deliver 135 hp and 180 Nm. I did that with the idea that it would make him a better caravan tractor, but due to covid I have not yet left with the caravan.”
No oil consumption for this Peugeot 3008
Nevertheless, Roy is satisfied with his Peugeot3008. “It doesn’t use a drop of oil and consumption is decent. Along the way I do have the idea that it has a bit more pulling power, so I think that tuning is successful. The engine is flushed every year to prevent internal contamination.” And that while he only drives six to eight thousand kilometers a year. In short: Roy goes far for his beloved Peugeot 3008.
VTi is really crying, says Ghisbert
Dynamometer chief Ghisbert van Ginhoven knows the VTi power unit like no other. His workshop is full of Minis that also have this engine in the front. “The story with this Peugeot does not surprise me,” he says. “Because such a VTi is really crying.” And about the tuning: “You can hardly do anything with a power source without a turbo. At most you can adjust the ignition, nothing else. But you can easily turn a Mini One with a VTi engine into a Cooper. Because that power source is then squeezed again.”
Ghisbert also points to the engine in the Peugeot as a finer car. “It has a five-speed gearbox with better proportions than the Mini’s six-speed gearbox. That Peugeot is much livelier; a Mini has no business in sixth gear.”
After the measurement, it turns out that Ghisbert spoke prophetic words. The numbers hardly exceed the manufacturer’s specification. There is actually nothing to be found of the tuning. “There is no more than this. It’s a 1.6. In addition, 160 Nm is about the maximum, as it is 200 Nm with a two-liter and 300 Nm with a three-liter, and so on.” It is a pity that Roy’s effort does not pay off, but one thing is certain: his Peugeot 3008 is certainly one of the healthiest in the Netherlands.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl