Archive for November 6th, 2007
Nov 06, 2007, post by feedwire
Wondering about a hot hatch? Wondering which one to get? You could go far to consider a brand new kid on the block, the new Vauxhall Corsa VXR is one of the latest cars to get Vauxhalls ‘heat- treatment’. The hot new Corsa VXR does have a lot to prove in this competitive market it’s a three-door pocket rocket powered by a 1.6 16v ECOTEC-4 Turbo engine, this super mini will take you from 0-60 in 6.8 seconds and onto a max speed of 140mph, not bad but is it enough to win over avid Renault Clio RS 197bhp supporters or the Mini Cooper with the less powerful 172bhp engine but with uber-cool styling notwithstanding the fact that it’s a BMW, well yes it can!
The body shape is very tight; it’s a nice little car, a good run-around with a middleweight punch combined with lowered sports suspension, big high performance brakes, traction control and the VXR signature styling and it could be a real market contender.
VXR Range » Astra VXR | Corsa VXR | Vectra VXR | Zafira VXR | Meriva VXR | VXR8 | Vauxhall Cars
Nov 06, 2007, post by feedwire
You have to look twice at the new Meriva VXR from Vauxhall, its no vanilla family car in fact under the bonnet is a track born 1.6i 16v turbo-charged 180PS engine that launches you to 60mph in 7.9 seconds and onto a top speed where permitted- ah-ha! of 140mph. In fact the new Meriva VXR has quite a few little sporty surprises up its sleeve, the 17-inch six-spoke alloy wheels, the Recaro sports seats with leather-trimmed side bolsters and lumbar adjustment, the branded honeycombe front grille and air dam, not forgetting the points that make it a versatile everyday car with some modern added features, the remote control ultrasonic security alarm system and an MP3 compatible CD player.
Innovation has also been an integral part of the car whilst keeping a close eye on costs examples items includes a halogen version of Vauxhall’s innovative Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL) that changes the direction of maximum light intensity depending on speed and steering direction and uber-convenient power release tailgate and remote controlled interior courtesy lighting. Handy, versatile and fairly understated.
VXR Range » Astra VXR | Corsa VXR | Vectra VXR | Zafira VXR | Meriva VXR | VXR8 | Vauxhall Cars
Nov 06, 2007, post by feedwire
Looking for the practicality of an MPV but wish it had a little more ummph! You could do a lot worse than the new Vauxhall Zafira VXR. It’s more than one step up the ladder than the GSi the new Zafira VXR is currently the fastest production MPV on sale in the UK catapulting to 60mph in just 7.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 144mph.
Aside the performance it’s also got a five-star NCAP safety rating and the hugely versatile Flex7 seating- great for the school run! Recaro® sports front seats with leather-trimmed side bolsters, lowered and up-rated sports suspension, big 18-inch alloy wheels almost hiding the painted blue callipers - looking good! and of course the signature VXR styling, the honeycomb front grille, twin exhaust pipes and full body kit. Options include front and rear parking sensors; electronic climate control and a Bluetooth® enabled hand-free mobile kit. Who said versatility has to be boring?
VXR Range » Astra VXR | Corsa VXR | Vectra VXR | Zafira VXR | Meriva VXR | VXR8 | Vauxhall Cars
Nov 06, 2007, post by feedwire
The Aussie Monaro replacement the new Vauxhall VXR8 is here. It’s bigger than the Monaro, its 6.0 litre V8 411bhp powers the car 0-60mph in 4.9 seconds and well into the 170mph+ territory all for around the 35 grand mark. Quite impressive all things considered but the new VXR8 now comes with even more ‘grunt’ in fact 129bhp more ‘grunt’ in the guise of a brand new supercharger kit, acceleration sub 4.5 seconds can be achieved from the upgraded 540bhp engine (torque 526lb ft).
With huge discs and alloy wheels attached to the advanced multi-link independent rear sports suspension teleports the car well into the super car league, and with the supercharger coming in at a fraction under the seven grand mark, it make it the current cheapest 540bhp production car- nuff said!
VXR Range » Astra VXR | Corsa VXR | Vectra VXR | Zafira VXR | Meriva VXR | VXR8 | Vauxhall Cars
Nov 06, 2007, post by feedwire
The new Vauxhall Vectra VXR aimed at those in the performance saloon come estate market. Certainly no problem with the performance the 2.8i V6 24 valve turbo engine really packs a punch on the track 0 to 60mph achieved in a mere 6.1 seconds and a top speed of just over 160mph! Not bad bar the CO2 emissions of 250g/km! But would a person in the market for such a car consider a Vectra VXR?
Well it has all the right ingredients for a die-hard petrol head the lightweight MacPherson® strut front and multi-link rear suspension with gas-pressure dampers, the electro-hydraulic power-assisted steering, Recaro® sports front seats with leather-trimmed side bolsters and lumbar adjustment and 18 (or optional 19 inch) alloy wheels. All very nice and it all adds up to an all-round applause but is it a souped up family car or a bottom up sports car? Its main plus point is that it remains fairly understated portraying the quality and supplementary luxury performance build rather than the bull bar mentality, mixed success so far.
VXR Range » Astra VXR | Corsa VXR | Vectra VXR | Zafira VXR | Meriva VXR | VXR8 | Vauxhall Cars
Nov 06, 2007, post by feedwire
Latest rivals in the hot hatch league are the new Vauxhall Astra VXR and the Ford Focus ST. With the new Astra VXR you get a 2.0i 16 turbo engine with a six-speed gearbox and 18-inch alloy wheels, this packs 237bhp and 320NM of torque, quite impressive! O - 60mph is achieved in 6.2 seconds and will keep going all the way up to 150mph. Similarly the new Ford Focus ST achieves 60mph in a tad over 6 seconds and a 150mph top end with a slightly less powerful 222bhp. But which one is best?
» Top Gear race the Astra VXR round track
Both have a branded sports styling of their own and signature colours bold red and orange respectively but not exclusively. The ST has developed on the RS model but with vastly improved handling and tighter steering giving a ‘racier’ feel than the original RS without much of an increase in power. The VXR is equally sizzling and with its sleek coupe-style lines and low sturdy stance it could be down to personal choice in aesthetics rather than the approximate 1k difference in cost.
VXR Range » Astra VXR | Corsa VXR | Vectra VXR | Zafira VXR | Meriva VXR | VXR8 | Vauxhall Cars
