Enter ex-BTCC Champion Richard Longman. His eponymous firm knows a thing or two about Peugeot engines, since it builds the motors for the Halfords-sponsored Vic Lee Racing 307 BTCC car and the engine for the Super 1600 rallying version of the 206. All well and good, but what could this company do to inject some much-needed zip into the lukewarm 206 GTI?

Plenty, as it turns out. Longman's conversion sees the 2-litre, 16-valve motor's meagre 137bhp climb to a Civic Type R-baiting 190bhp. Torque gains are similarly impressive; with 170lb ft of torque at 5500rpm it eclipses the new GTI 180's 149lb ft by some margin (there's 150lb ft on tap at just 3500rpm).

While Peugeot's GTI 180 pursues the variable valve timing route, Longman replaces the standard inlet set-up with individual 40mm throttle bodies, which breathe through a neat carbonfibre airbox. All the standard breathers, servo and even throttle cable retain their original fittings. Remapping the Peugeot ECU to suit the conversion proved problematic, so a bespoke system - as used on current BTCC cars - is fitted instead, albeit tamed for road use so that cold starts and using the air-con won't faze it. This alone gives 185bhp and costs a reasonable ΂£3055 including VAT and fitting. However, Longman's demonstrator also sports a 4-2-1 tubular manifold (΂£411.25) which mates to a stainless steel exhaust system (΂£329) enabling the claimed 190bhp to be reached.

Externally, the only clues are a small front splitter and a subtly sporty tailpipe, while there's a more aggressive, ground-hugging stance courtesy of lower Eibach front springs, tweaked rear torsion bars and Koni adjustable dampers (΂£587.50). Sensibly, Longman has equipped its potent demonstrator with a set of 278mm discs and ex-406 Coupe Brembo four-pot callipers (΂£1057.70), which just fit behind the 16in Peugeot alloys.

As you'd hope, ΂£5500-worth of tuning work makes Longman's 206 GTI a rather different animal to drive. There's a pleasing exhaust burble on start-up, yet around town and at normal cruising speeds engine noise is unobtrusive, aside from an annoying low-rev resonance. Extend your right leg and the engine snorts air greedily, the exhaust note hardens and you're presented with plenty of useable thrust as it pulls seamlessly from tickover right up to the 7250rpm limiter.

Yet it's the ample mid-range that really impresses, easily overcoming the standard GTI's oft-criticised tall gearing and making this 206 a relaxing car to drive fast. Relaxing, but not slow, with a claimed 6.6sec 0-60mph - some four tenths quicker than the new 180 GTI - and a 140mph top speed. Those figures sound realistic, given that the extra bhp translates into a muscular power to weight ratio of 188bhp/ton.

But, whilst this power-to-weight may shame the Clio Cup and Mini Cooper S Works, the GTI still lags behind that benchmark duo when it comes to dynamics. Noticeably stiff from the off, it's roll-free, agile and carries greater pace through the bends than the factory version, with a neutral balance that ultimately understeers when provoked, but lacks the precise steering feel and adjustability of its leading rivals. That said, its grip, effective brakes and outright pace on smooth tarmac provide solid entertainment in their own right.

Add an uneven B-road to the mix, however, and the plot starts to unravel - bumps make it fidget off line and it crashes uncomfortably over potholes. Longman later admitted that this car's adjustable Koni dampers were on circuit settings; softening them should add some much needed compliance without unduly compromising roll stiffness.

B-road behaviour aside, it's price that could be this GTI's undoing. Including the ΂£13,680 for a new 206 GTI, the conversion costs an alarming ΂£19,120 as tested. That's way more than the ΂£14,995 Peugeot asks for the GTI 180 and perilously close to Impreza money.

However, find a good used GTI and the conversion makes sense, especially since upgrades can be added in stages, as funds allow. So if you fancy a meaner, sharper 206 GTI that's ideal for track- days or sprints, the Longman conversion offers plenty to get excited about.