The Short And Sweet Story Of Assetto Corsa Rally’s Peugeot 306 II Maxi

Peugeot 306 II Maxi F2 Kit Car​

By the mid-1990s, Peugeot was rebuilding its rally identity after the glory years of the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16. Instead of immediately chasing outright World Rally Car dominance, the brand turned to the newly formed F2 Kit Car category, introduced in 1995.

Developed by Peugeot and its Sport division at the time, the 306 II Maxi Kit Car is the second iteration of this tarmac specialist from the French Lion. The base car for the chassis was actually from the S16 model, although later models used a GTI base as a starting point.

Image: Kunos Simulazioni

Raced in one of the most fiercely competitive rally classes ever, this Peugeot was a heavy hitter. The F2 Kitcars were not your average kitcar thrown together in a garage somewhere; these were out-and-out WRC car killers, topping the time sheets above their much more advanced and headline-grabbing WRC stable mates.

The 306 Maxi Kit Car would debut in 1995, but it would not be until 1998 that the second iteration of the car, the version that is on its way to Assetto Corsa Rally, would shake the F2 class and come within seconds of toppling the great Colin McRae in his Subaru Impreza.

Tour de Corse – Rallye de France, 1998. McRae is twitching at the front with the screaming 10,000rpm Peugeot 306 bearing down on him like a big cat stalking its prey, but the WRC legend had that extra reach in the blue-and-gold machine to hold off the lower-class car and still take the win.

Driver Francois Delecour would finish in 2nd overall in his 306 Maxi, only a matter of seconds behind Colin McRae at the line. Despite missing out on the overall win, Delecour was over 16 minutes ahead of Martin Rowe’s F2 Renault M√©gane and over 17 minutes ahead of Alister McRae’s F2 Hyundai Coup√© Kit Car!

As per the rules of the F2 Kitcars class, a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated inline-4 would be the powerhouse behind this unbelievably fast rally car. The engine was so successful that Peugeot created a number oif road-going performance versions of the 306 to match the public’s demand for a rally-inspired version of the very popular road car.

Image: Kunos Simulazioni

That performance version would be the S16 (for ‘soupape-16′, or ’16-valve’). This car was a 3-door Phase 1-only model, meaning it had the pre-facelift grille and would be produced only in 1995. This was swiftly replaced by the more powerful GTI-6 in 1996, once the rally program started to gain traction with new-car buyers.

The engines in both cars were 16-valve XU-series units with Magneti Marelli fuel injection. A close-ratio sequential gearbox was a standout feature, not to mention the added power of the GTI-6 courtesy of a reworked 167 bhp XU10J4RS engine, replacing the now ageing S16’s 155 bhp unit.

Engineering for Tarmac Supremacy​

Unlike the turbocharged fire-breathing four-wheel-drive WRC cars, the 306 Maxi took a radically different approach. It relied on three main factors to hammer WRC cars on their turf: a low kerb weight, front-wheel drive and one of the most high-revving naturally aspirated engines the WRC had ever seen.

The result was a car that could rev beyond 10,000 rpm, an astonishing figure for rally machinery of the mid 1990s, and power comparable to its higher class turbocharged rivals, albeit with less torque.

Its wide track, aggressive aerodynamics, and razor-sharp handling made it devastatingly effective on sealed surfaces. On tight, twisty asphalt stages, the 306 Maxi could not only compete with WRC machinery but also embarrass much of it.

The Rise of the F2 Kit Car Era​

The late 1990s became known as the golden age of Kit Cars, and the 306 Maxi was at the forefront. In the French Rally Championship, it was nearly untouchable. Driven by Gilles Panizzi, the car secured back-to-back titles in 1996 and 1997, cementing its status as the class benchmark.

Panizzi’s mastery of tarmac rallies, combined with the car itself, produced some of rallying’s most memorable performances. Meanwhile, Fran√ßois Delecour pushed the car onto the world stage, achieving remarkable results in the World Rally Championship, as mentioned in the beginning.

The Evolution into the “II” Maxi​

The so-called “306 II Maxi” refers to the car’s later evolution, introduced around 1997. This version featured an increased power figure that was knocking on the door of the big 300 bhp, extensive further chassis refinements and a radically Improved aerodynamic package.

These upgrades made the car even more competitive, particularly on smooth tarmac rallies. It became the definitive version most fans remember: the loudest, fastest, and most extreme iteration of the platform.

Ironically, the success of cars like the 306 Maxi contributed to the decline of the Kit Car formula. Their ability to rival or beat WRC cars on certain surfaces led to regulatory changes and a shift in focus back toward all-wheel-drive machinery.

The podium of the Tour de Corse (Rallye de France), in Ajaccio. Image: Peugeot Sport

What do you think about this daring F2 Kit Car? Is the Peugeot 306 II Maxi worthy of a spot on the Assetto Corsa Rally car list? Let us know down below!