Vauxhall Astra GSI spied

By Paul Bond

26th April 2010

It’s full speed ahead at Vauxhall! Our spies have also caught the next-generation Astra VXR testing, cunningly mocked up as a European-spec GSI.

Despite its five-door disguise, you can clearly see the car’s more aggressive styling cues, including a revised front end with larger air intakes, plus twin tailpipes jutting out at the rear. The suspension has been lowered, which means the whole vehicle sits several centimetres closer to the ground than the standard model. And a wider track gives it a more planted stance, which should improve the Astra’s already impressive handling.

The three-door VXR will get a 2.0-litre four-pot turbo similar to the previous version’s, but putting out more than the old model’s 240bhp. This will improve on that car’s 152mph top speed and reduce the 0-62mph sprint time to less than six
seconds.

Vauxhall will be benchmarking the VXR against the blistering pace of hardcore rivals such as the Renaultsport Mégane 250 and the 261bhp SEAT Leon Cupra R. However, with all that power channelling through the front wheels, expect a trick suspension set-up similar to the Ford Focus RS’s RevoKnuckle to kill the torque steer which blighted the last car.

While the test mule eschews the lairy looks of previous VXRs, the production model will boldly declare its power with a full bodykit including a deep spoiler and rear wings. Expect also to see the twin exhausts of the GSI shown here to be channelled into a single centre pipe.

Also spied testing on the roads around GM’s German development facility was the Astra Sport Tourer estate, which will be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in the autumn. Expect the new VXR to appear in showrooms in spring 2011.