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Vauxhall Astra VXR unveiled

The fastest, most powerful Vauxhall Astra ever has been revealed

Vauxhall Astra VXR front three-quarters

By Sam Hardy

04th November 2011

This striking hot hatch is the new Astra VXR – a storming performance car that mixes a 276bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with aggressive styling and a chassis developed by a former British Touring Car Champion.

Available to order from April 2012, the newcomer will compete with the Ford Focus ST and VW Golf GTI – but it outpowers both. In fact, it has more punch than any current hot hatch, including the Renaultsport Megane 250, SEAT Leon Cupra R and even the VW Golf R.

Although there are no official acceleration figures yet, with so much power and 400Nm of torque, the Astra VXR is expected to rocket from 0-60mph in less than six seconds, while top speed is quoted as 155mph.

And the car certainly has the visual impact to back it up. Based on the sleek three-door Astra GTC, the VXR adds a dramatic wide honeycomb front grille with a low splitter. A pair of eye-catching triangular ducts at its edges feed cooling air to the uprated Brembo brake discs. Designers have also added side skirts, sporty 20-inch alloys and twin exhausts at the back.

Making sure all of the engine’s power is delivered directly to the road is a clever suspension and drivetrain set-up. This includes a specially developed mechanical limited-slip differential and the GTC's innovative HiPerStrut (High Performance Strut) system.

Like the RevoKnuckle set-up of the Focus RS and the PerfoHub from the Renaultsport Megane, the HiPerStrut enhances traction and reduces torque steer. Along with a wider track than standard GTCs, plus the mechanical diff, Vauxhall claims it gives the VXR “exceptional lateral grip”.

Vauxhall’s European sister brand Opel has employed the 1999 Le Mans winner and 1993 British Touring Car Champion Jo Winkelhock to develop the new hot hatch. The racer works with OPC (Opel’s equivalent of VXR) in the performance arm’s base at Germany’s Nurburging track, where the car has been tested.

“We have devised a great package that will convince the most experienced and enthusiastic drivers – and not only when driving on the Ring,” Winkelhock said.

The new car also features Vauxhall’s FlexRide adaptive dampers as standard, as well as a Sport button that firms up the suspension and improves throttle and steering response. Plus, there’s a VXR button on the dashboard that takes things even further.

Inside, the hot Astra has been treated to a flat-bottom steering wheel, special dashboard dials and leather-trimmed bucket seats, all with VXR badging.

Prices haven’t been revealed yet, but you can expect the VXR to cost from around £25,000.

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16 Comments

Hot Hot Hot!

Im a Ford man but For needs to stop teasing us and go ahead and hit the current decade with their designs! This is very beautiful...well done Opel..... now Ford... if you dont make the next Kuga and Mondeo as close to the concepts as possible you will be the next old man's car....ask Mercedes and Volvo! they know from the eighties that yester-year designs dont sell! We will forgive you for the current Focus being a bit too yesterday! but enough is enough!

By Kwashi on 4 November, 2011, 10:28am

"In fact, it has more punch than any current hot hatch"

The Audi RS3 hatchback is still king at 335bhp/450nm.

By beachland on 4 November, 2011, 12:24pm

@beachland

Good point sir. But the RS3 is almost £40,000 - we think it's a bit unfair to compare a £25k Astra to a premium hot hatch. Do you agree?

Thanks for your comment,
Auto Express

By Rhian on 4 November, 2011, 2:05pm

RS3

The Audi RS3 is in a league above the hot hatch league (mega hatch, hyper hatch, you decide), whereas the VXR is a pure hot hatch.

The RS3 competes with the Focus RS, BMW 1M and even the Golf R, whereas the VXR competes with the Golf GTI, Focus ST and Renaultsport Megane 250.

Stop looking for faults for just once!

By Abdurrahman1 on 4 November, 2011, 2:25pm

Blue anyone?

I actually really like this but i'd have mine in blue. Also why on earth does it have a 10 year old reg plate.

By mini1 on 4 November, 2011, 3:32pm

@mini1

Ah yes, we've seen this particular number plate before. If you squint a bit, you'll see a word....

Auto Express

By Rhian on 4 November, 2011, 4:20pm

Words cannot describe how amazing this car looks. It is by far the sexiest hot hatchback ever built... that's why I want to save up for one!

By JPW2010 on 4 November, 2011, 5:15pm

Id hardly put the Golf R and Focus RS

In the mega hatch league, they certainly arnt the same as the RS3 and and 1M (which isn't even a hatch!)

Id expect this Astra to be competing with the Focus RS and Golf R and if you want proof just youtube focus RS vs Megane 250 (they're shown to be nearly identically performing cars)

By tommy060289 on 5 November, 2011, 9:58am

Awesome

Looks great! The rear end looks better than the standard GTC I feel. Still not a Scirocco R!

By jamieh2591 on 5 November, 2011, 10:23am

@Rhian

you clearly didnt see the joke here- my apologies.

By mini1 on 7 November, 2011, 12:20am

Ho hum

Another Scirocco/Megane clone.
If you are tall then you need to move the seat back...and as you do you lose roof height. Major flaw in these modern designs. As a VX you just know it will have a terrible paint finish and be worth nothing in 3 years when you come to sell it. Its clearly aimed at the kids with its "MaxPower" styling and yet they start the prices from £25k!!..house deposit money.
Wait for the new S3 :-)

By paddybarratt on 8 November, 2011, 7:26am

Nice car..shame about the service.

If only VX could do a modern make over of their customer services and dealer networks.
They are firmly stuck in the 70s .

By toycollector on 8 November, 2011, 7:56am

Nice But..........

I hope they make a better job of this VX than they did with my son's VX Corsa. It took five visits to the dealer to get the white paint on the front and rear bumpers to match the rest of the car.

By no1yak1 on 8 November, 2011, 9:06am

Nice looking, hot performance, but..........it's a VAUXHALL.

Not cool.

Oh and it's front-wheel-drive. Which is wrong.

By backdoorman1 on 8 November, 2011, 2:28pm

WOW, this looks the business. Then I smiled at the no plate and went gawd no, another 'cad', but its obviously not. Which is why I wonder if its been overdone slightly with the tizz....the bi-coloured/surfaced brake air intakes, the shouting exhausts, on the steeriing wheel [for the hell of it?], and the seat upper backrests. Its a good job its bristling with suspension 'aids', because there's none left in those tyres, ha ha. All that h.p. to the road must be an enormous struggle for the engineers. What should be no struggle at all is a modern dealer/customer interface, where the customer comes back, surely?? And could someone help me. Is Vauxhall in fact a 'sister' co of Opel, or wholly owned by Opel?

By barina47 on 9 November, 2011, 6:24am

iainc

opel badge would look better... finish would also improve.

By icgcgc on 9 November, 2011, 2:11pm

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Pictures

Vauxhall Astra VXR front three-quarters
Vauxhall Astra VXR rear three-quarters
Vauxhall Astra VXR wheel
Vauxhall Astra VXR front seats
Vauxhall Astra VXR detail
Vauxhall Astra VXR front seats

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