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Gallery |
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| Review |
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Introduction |
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PGO stands for Pierre Gérard Organisation, a family company founded in the early eighties, producing replicas of glorious old-timers
like the Cobra 427. After they bought the rights from a company named Apal to produce replicas of the old Porsche 356, PGO developed the
PGO Classic which is still for sale at €27,060. In 1998 Laurent Skrzypczak and Olivier Baudouin took over the company and started with
a semi-industrial production of the cars. The Speedster II that we tested, was first introduced at the car exposition of Paris in 2002.
This is the first car completely developed by PGO itself and is hand-build in France. The technology is borrowed from Peugeot…
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Chassis |
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Only few have ever heard of the constructor PGO. But what we know for sure, is that everyone is fond of the looks of our silver Speedster.
The youth just thinks it’s a cool car. The older generation think it has a nostalgic neo-classistic look. On the streets many people
recognise this car as an old Porsche 356 Speedster. No wonder, the design is the same, although there are a lot of modifications like the
high positioned mirrors, the modern taillights and the modern 17” rims.
This car is bigger then the original also: 3.85 meters by 1.67 meters. It is the perfect combination of old and new together. The chassis,
made of composite materials, is attached to a steel frame. Since the engine is mounted in the back, the luggage compartment is in the front…
but you won’t get more in there then a backpack and a jacket.
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Interior |
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Eight gauges give you information about speed, rpm, oil pressure and temperature, water temperature and the fuel that’s left in tank.
This interior fits the retro and racy atmosphere of this car perfectly. At night, when the instrument lightning is on, it produces a
nostalgic red glow. The red leather seats are a nice combination for the silver colour of the chassis. Except for the radio with CD player
and the electrical rear view mirrors, no luxury will be found here. But who needs that when he’s driving this PGO?
What we do miss is a little more space to put our sunglasses, a couple of CD’s or a bottle of water. Also a pity is that the switches for
the heating are also from Peugeot, a big contrast with the rest.
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Engine & Performance
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Under the hood we find the same 2.0-litre engine which we also find in the Peugeot 206 GTi. The result of the 138 brake horse power in this
lightweight is much more spectacular then in the 206. With a weight of 930 kg the Speedster II is launched from 0 to 100 km/h under 7
seconds. The top speed is reached at 215 km/h. Between 4.000 en 6.500 rpm the car is most responsive to the throttle. It loves to be raced
through twitchy land roads. The 5-speed gearbox is perfect for the job, but for the highway we would have appreciated a sixth gear to reduce
noise and consumption.
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Fuel
Consumption
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This car invites you to push the throttle. If you drive it sporty the
consumption will of course be higher then 8 liter / 100 km from the constructor.
An average of 11 liter / 100 km is still very acceptable for this type of car.
With a fuel tank of 40 litres out of the
Renault Twingo, you can drive approximately 350 km if you can keep your
right foot a little under control. Not a problem, we love to see the faces
of amazed people when we pull over at the gas station...
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Driving
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Driving the Speedster II is what it’s all about. This is what us makes forget all the downside elements of this car. Accelerating, braking,
shifting down a gear and again full on the throttle heading towards the next curve… that’s what you’d like to do most in this car.
There is no doubt about it, this is a drivers car. This PGO is beautifully balanced and is very stable in the corners. In fast corners
there is a little under steer, especially on a bumpy road. The tail is very steady and gives a very reliable feeling.
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Comfort
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This must be something the people at PGO never heard of. The suspension is hard as a rock. Driving across a bumpy road is a disaster in
this car and will make your back yearn for a smooth stroke of asphalt. When it rains you better leave it at home, because this PGO is
actually designed to be driven with your hairs in the wind. The top is only to get home when it suddenly would start to rain. It doesn’t
completely fit at the edges, so wind and water can get in easily. A conversation at speeds higher then 120 km/h is virtually impossible
because of the noise the engine and the wind produce, especially with the top closed. Visibility is very poor also then. Fortunately the
heating works very well, so we can drive with the top down as soon as it’s dry. This soft top is very easy to open and close… if you
practise a little you can do the job in less then a minute. The side windows can’t be opened but can only be removed, so that’s not very
practical neither. But no whining… if you want comfort you better buy a Z4 or a SLK.
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Safety
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No airbags, no ABS, not even powered steering… this car is pure. As a driver, you have to take control of the car and not the other way
around. So is it safe then? Let’s just say you better pay attention to the road at all times and that you better know what you’re doing.
We rather don’t think about what would be the consequence if you’d crash this car.
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Price & Equipment
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A PGO Speedster II costs €31,350. For this amount of money you get the standard interior with a leather steering wheel, six gauges and 16”
light alloy wheels. Our test drive model was also equipped with the “Pack Dynamic”.
For €5,060 extra it contains a complete leather interior, eight gauges, doorsteps in aluminium, a radio with CD-player and 17” light alloy
wheels. Together with an extra €950 for a soft top in Alpaca, this brings the total price from our testcar to €37.360.
That’s a lot of money for a car which you can’t use to go to work every day, or which you can’t use to go shopping with, unless you don’t
buy too much. But if money isn’t an issue, this is the car to have on a beautiful summer day! We guarantee that you will have an awful lot
of fun in this PGO.
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Story
and images by Frederick Valkenborgh from AutoTester.
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| Specifications |
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Engine
& Transmission
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| Type |
Inline
4, 16-valves |
| Location |
Mid,
transversely-mounted |
| Displacement |
1997
cc / 121.9 cu in |
| Bore |
85.0
mm / 3.35 in |
| Stroke |
88.0
mm / 3.46 in |
| Compression
ratio |
7.75:1 |
| Power |
102.9
kW / 138.0 bhp at 6000 rpm |
| Torque |
190.0
Nm / 140.1 ft lbs at 4100 rpm |
| Drive |
Rear
wheel drive |
| Transmission |
5-speed
manual |
| Front
brakes |
Ventilated
discs |
| Rear
brakes |
Ventilated
discs |
| Steering |
Rack
and pinion |
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Performance
& Fuel Economy
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| 0
- 62 mph |
7.0
seconds |
| 0
- 100 mph |
Not
Available |
| 0
- ¼ mile |
Not
Available |
| Top
Speed |
215.0
kph / 133.6 mph |
| EPA city |
12,1
l/100 km |
| EPA
highway |
6,6
l/100 km |
| EPA
combined |
8,7
l/100 km |
| Our
driving |
11,0
l/100 km |
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Dimensions
& Weight
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| Length |
3930
mm / 154.7 in |
| Width |
1720
mm / 67.7 in |
| Height |
1260
mm / 49.6 in |
| Wheelbase |
2250
mm / 88.6 in |
| Front
track |
1440
mm / 56.7 in |
| Rear
track |
1430
mm / 56.3 in |
| Front
tyres |
205/40-R17 |
| Rear
tyres |
205/40-R17 |
| Kerb
weigth |
930
kg / 2050 lbs |
| Max.
permitted weigth |
1286
kg / 2835 lbs |
| Seating
capacity |
2 seats |
| Trunk
volume
min / max |
Not
Available |
| Fuel
capacity |
40,0
liter |
| Spare
wheel |
No spare wheel available |
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Price
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| Available
from |
€31,350 (Basic Equipement) |
| Base price
test car |
€36,410 (Dynamic Pack) |
| Price
as tested |
€37,360 |
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Verdict
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Pure driving pleasure |
| X-factor |
| Exclusivity |
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Finishing |
| Soft-top |
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