Now that PSA is taking over Vauxhall from the mighty General Motors, it's anyone's guess what the future holds for the brand as a whole. What we do know though is that Vauxhall's mighty VXR8 range is coming to an end, but it's certainly going out with a bang rather than a whimper. That's because a last-of-the-line edition is going to be taking to the track at the upcoming Goodwood Festival of Speed, and what a car the Vauxhall VXR8 GTS-R is set to be. Not only is it a Vauxhall with a massive £74,500 price ticket (about US$96,000), it's also the most powerful car the brand has ever produced in its entire 114-year history.
However, in some ways, the Vauxhall VXR8 GTS-R isn't an entirely new car by any stretch of the imagination. Keen-eyed observers will already know the car is based on the Australian Holden Commodore, which itself is seeing its production end in Australia in October of this year. Perhaps an even better-known variant is the Chevrolet SS, which is the version of the Commodore that Holden has been building for, and exporting to America since 2013, until it also came to the end of the line a couple of weeks ago.
The main claim to fame for the Vauxhall VXR8 GTS-R has to be the engine that makes it the most powerful Vauxhall ever, which is an evolved version of the current GTS's Corvette-derived 6.2-liter V-8. The engine now develops 595PS, which is an increase of 19PS over its predecessor, and an equally impressive 740 Nm of torque.
Although the new VXR8 GTS-R, and previous VXR8 models in various forms, have been imported into the UK since 2007 they're still very much daily-driver cars and not overtly track-focused models. Understandably, they're only sold through select Vauxhall dealers, but they do come with full-service backup and a standard three-year, 60,000-mile warranty.
This particular model is exclusive to the UK, so it's not just a rebadged Holden Commodore or Chevy SS. It has a fresh new fascia and a new-look rear diffuser, all that power is sent to the rear wheels through a limited slip differential, and some all-new 20-inch forged alloy wheels finish off the whole look very nicely.
The VXR8 GTS-R will join the 260PS Insignia Sports Tourer 2.0 Turbo 4x4 at Goodwood, where both cars will be driven on the hill climb twice a day by various high-profile drivers between June 29 and July 2.
Comments
0 comment