Carmagazine VXR8 Review
Ben Barry
From: http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/print.php?sid=745
That’s one hell of a Vauxhall you've got there...
-Re-badged as the VXR8, and wearing a barely believable £35,105 price tag, this 411bhp monster will terrorise British roads come mid-June.
-The VXR8 is a 417bhp thug of a car, delivering the kind of brutal acceleration that gives your adrenal gland a thorough workout. It will hit 60mph in just under five seconds, the Corvette-sourced engine spitting out an urgent hammering soundtrack as the big Vauxhall rockets its way towards its as-yet-unproven top speed. We reckon it should top out at 170mph. That’s speed with a capital S.
-In-gear go is just as vicious, the VXR8 catapulting forward at the slightest hint of throttle. And the brakes – the largest, at 365mm, ever fitted to a production Vauxhall – are well up to the job of matching the engine, delivering instant and reassuringly fade-free deceleration with the lightest brush of the centre pedal. Stand on them hard at 62mph and, claims Vauxhall, you’ll stop in 36 metres – three metres sooner than an M5.
-During the car’s early development, Holden singled out the E39 BMW 528i as the car to beat, and you can certainly feel the Bimmer’s influence. The VXR8 feels agile and chuckable and it can be flung into and out of corners with an engaging wrist-flick action. And it excels as a drift machine.
-The VXR8 feels very Australian – big, comfortable and an effortless high-speed cruiser. Burbling along the national limit in sixth gear with just 2000rpm dialled up, the Vauxhall feels incredibly refined and composed with an inaudible engine note, the barest whisper of wind rustle and only a faint thrum from the 275-section rubber.
-The VXR’s chassis feels strong and robust, and the suspension is supple enough to sponge away all but the largest thumps and bumps.
-Bluntly put, the VXR8 is a lesson in badge engineering. Not one single Holden component will filter through to any other model in the current Vauxhall range, but at this price-to-power ratio, you have to ask whether you really give a Castlemain XXXX?
-With the exception of Chrysler’s SRT8 - £39,000 and 425bhp – there’s little out there that delivers such a lot for so little. And with only 350 arriving here each year, it’ll be pretty exclusive too. Think everyman’s M5 and you’re on the nose.
-But the best thing about the VXR8 is that it’s an absolute hoot to punt hard. And it’s been far too long since you could say that of a four-door Vauxhall.
[img]http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/images/article_images/Vauxhall_VXR8_3_560px.jpg[img]
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Vauxhall VXR8
What's a VXR8 I hear you ask? An over-the-top V8 performance Vauxhall from down-under for just £35K
Henry Catchpole
From: http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evoc...hall_vxr8.html
-It’s a clever design though, because the stubby overhangs shrink what is actually a very large car. The VXR8 looks narrow too, yet get inside and you’ve got as much elbow- and leg-room as in a 7-series or S-class. The interior has clearly taken ‘inspiration’ from Audi in the design of its switchgear. Even the key is very flattering to the designers in Ingolstadt.
- As you begin to attack a road rather than just cruise, the VXR8 instantly does a very impressive trick; it seems to shed half its bulk and shrink around you. The steering is key to this. It’s wonderfully precise and accurate, giving you real confidence in the front end, which tacks into corners with remarkably little inertia given that there’s a whacking great bent-eight in front of you. The steering is a touch light once on lock but there’s plenty of feel for what the Bridgestones RE050s are coping with.
-A six-speed auto is also available, which Vauxhall hopes will further broaden the appeal of its new flagship over the Monaro. It’s smooth-acting and only dents the 0-60 time by a tenth.
-Cliffs are a constant presence on the Great Ocean Road, either providing a huge unyielding red barrier to wipe out on or a huge precipice to drop off. Confidence-inspiring brakes are a must. Happily, at 365mm front and 360mm rear, the VXR8’s vented discs are the biggest ever fitted to a production Vauxhall. Produced by AP Racing, the pads of the four-piston callipers have the same swept area as the optional six-piston items on the Monaro. They need a little heat in them but never once grumbled in 20 minutes of wiping chunks of speed from 1800kg of hard-charging Vauxhall. They look good too, amply filling the 19in alloys.
-Given the somewhat narrow parameters of the road, it’s also amazing how friendly the VXR8 is. It eats straights alarmingly quickly, but when you arrive at the corners you never worry about the fact you’re hustling and sliding nearly two tons of car.
-Barrel-in on the limit and the front will comfortingly push a little to let you know where you are, but after that it’s up to you. You can make the car flow, shimmying across the surface through direction changes, or if the chance is there you can light up the rears and indulge in a chassis that’s wonderfully easy to power-slide. It’s fluid, poised and predictable, reminiscent of BMW’s best, and gives you the confidence to really grab it by the scruff of the neck.
-So who is the VXR8 going to appeal to? Well, those Monaro owners that aren’t hell-bent on having a coupe will love the new car and Vauxhall is also hoping to tempt Impreza and Evo owners into something a little different. With the option of an automatic it may even lure the odd AMG owner.
-To be honest, a £35K car of this size and practicality, with this much character, that’s this easy to powerslide, shouldn’t have much trouble selling. I reckon even if Holden sent every car over here with a replica of the Ashes mounted on the dashboard, us Pommie b*****ds would still buy it.
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