► Month Six with the Vauxhall Corsa VXR
► Revisiting the fast Vauxhall's heritage
► VX220, Monaro VXR500, the modern greats
This month, rather than focus on the stubby Corsa VXR itself, I thought I’d take a step back and take a look at the VXR brand as a whole. And the best place to immerse yourself in brisk Vauxhalls is the company’s Heritage Centre. Understandably, Luton may not be on your must-visit list of automotive destinations, but this historic museum is a proper Aladdin’s cave of affordable speed, from the 1911 Prince Henry, arguably the world’s first sports car, via the E-type 30-98, the Droopsnoot Firenza HP, and the Astra GSi.
I’m arguing the point that the tearaway genes of the VXR brand were inherited from the Vauxhall Lotus Carlton. Yes, the VXR moniker made its debut at the 1966 Geneva motor show on David Jones’ voluptuous gullwinged concept car, but it was the audacious Lotus Carlton that arrived 23 years later which irretrievably linked the words fast and Vauxhall in the public conscience.
And the Lotus Carlton was fast with a big F. Based on the hardly tardy Carlton GSi, the Norfolk-modified Carlton was powered by a 3.6-litre straight-six with twin Garretts that dished up 377bhp and 419lb ft. If its £48k price tag didn’t raise eyebrows – it was dearer than an M5, remember – then its middle-finger 180mph top speed effectively incensed middle-class Daily Mail readers. Good job.
Today the Carlton feels small, slim of hip and upright. It’s squidgy ruched leather upholstery, clip-on wood and slabby dash betrays its age. But waiting for the angry-sounding engine to warm up, dipping the incredibly heavy clutch, slotting the Corvette ZR1 six-speed ’box into second and hoofing the Vauxhall is like Chewie hooking up the hyperdrive. The Carlton spears ahead with a relentlessness that even its intergalactically-long gearing cannot disguise. The acceleration isn’t explosive, but it simply piles on speed like an anvil off a cliff.
The ride and handling is unexpectedly soft – there’s plenty of roll through corners and it takes Luton’s craggy roads in its stride – but on fast runs it feels stable and secure, hooking into fast sweepers with a balanced and relaxed stance. Lovely.
The VX220 that kick-started the VXR brand in 2004, and also a Hethel tie-up, couldn’t be more different if it tried. Hardcore, angry and violent, it was the perfect brand ambassador for the fledgling performance arm. The nat-asp 145bhp 2.2-litre models that came before it made us completely re-evaluate the Griffin. They were unfeasibly quick and incredibly rewarding to drive – and their edgy wedgy looks made their Elise relatives look twee and effete.
The rabid and raw 217bhp VX220 that followed was a revelation. I dug out my notes from when I first drove it 12 years ago, and what I said then still holds true today. ‘The blown VX still looks and feels electrifying. Acceleration is devastating, the chassis balance is just gorgeous and the steering feels like it was engineered by God. It’s that damned good.’
From flyweight floorer to heavyweight slugger – the Monaro VXR500 is a proper hairy-chested bruiser. And boy, it feels big both in size and character. Officially the fastest ever production Vauxhall, this Aussie wonder’s supercharged 6.0-litre V8 is good for 500bhp and – far more impressively – a matching 500lb ft. The result is the same rocket-launch acceleration as the Lotus Carlton. Squeeze that accelerator, hear the supercharger whine and the big V8 bellow, feel the back end squirm and watch far away traffic suddenly loom large. A very different type of VXR, but still fast and loud and charismatic.
The last car in my VXR history lesson was the one I was least keen to drive. On looks alone, the Astra VXR Nürburgring left me cold. Wideboy white paintob, shonky chequered flag graphics and white wheels… I mean, pass the mullet. But my prejudices disappeared the moment I thumbed the starter button and the Astra’s 255bhp blown four-pot settled down to its raucously aggressive idle. What a blinder this car is! Twitchy, almost nervous steering, heroic brakes, incredible BTCC soundtrack from the Remus exhaust, ferocious pace and outstanding body control – this car feels Styrofoam light and bristles with intent. You don’t drive this VXR so much as unleash it. If only they’d done it in glossy black…
Getting back into The Shrek at the end of the day left me feeling down in the mouth. Yes, the Corsa wears the VXR badge, but it has some big tyre tracks to follow. And frankly, I don’t think it has the chops. It lacks the intent of the Lotus Carlton and the sparkle of the VXR220, it can’t match the Astra Nürburgring for white-knuckled focus, and feels bland and flat after the Monaro. The Corsa may top the VXR sales chart, but I’m still struggling to fathom its appeal.
The VXR story
The VXR brand was launched in mid-2004 when the VXR220 and the Monaro VXR bowed in at the British motor show. As well as the usual mainstream candidates such as the Corsa, Astra and Insignia, the VXR badge has also adorned the Zafira and Meriva people carriers, as well as the big Australian brutes Monaro, Maloo and VXR8.
The UK is easily the biggest market for fast Vauxhalls – we’ve purchased more than 20,000 VXRs over the last 12 years. Sales volume is split 60:40 between the UK and the rest of Europe, where the cars are badged OPC for Opel Performance Centre. The current VXR line-up comprises the Corsa VXR, GTC VXR, Insignia VXR and the VXR8 GTS. The Corsa is the VXR sales king, with 2500 units sold each year.
From the driving seat
- Wish it handled as sublimely as the VXR220
- Wish it was as cool as the Monaro VXR500
- Wish it sounded as rude as the Astra VXR Nürburgring
Logbook: Vauxhall corsa VXR
Engine: 1598cc 16v 4-cyl, 202bhp @ 5800rpm, 181lb ft @ 1950rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual, fwd Stats 6.5sec 0-62mph, 143mph, 174g/km
Price: £17,995
As tested: £22,135
Miles this month: 1786
Total miles: 7609
Our mpg: 32.5
Official mpg: 37.7
Fuel this month: £262.29
Extra costs: £0