2011 Vauxhall VXR8 revealed

2011 Vauxhall VXR8 will cost £50k

The world is woefully short of old-fashioned, rear-wheel drive, hairy-chested saloon cars that actually handle. True, there are still some Yank-Tanks around at less than stellar money that do a good impersonation, but for the real deal you need to buy a Vauxhall. Or at least a Vauxhall from Oz – the 2011 Vauxhall VXR8 (which we saw at Goodwood in the summer in Holden clothes).

The VXR8 is back on sale from March 2011 and promises to offer more of the same brutal madness mixed with forgiving handling and saloon-car room. But it’s gone somewhat upmarket with the VXR8 now using the Holden GTS as a basis, which makes for more kit but a bigger price tag.

The joy of the VXR8 was always the bargain-basement price. When Vauxhall started to shove the 6.2 litre Chevy V8 from the Corvette in the VXR8 at the start of last year you could grab a decent spec VXR8 for £35k. When the 2011 VXR8 arrives in March it will cost a much less appealing £49,500. Ouch.

For the extra dosh you now get better suspension and a limited slip diff with magnetic ride control, launch control, some LEDs and a new grill and a spoiler at the back. The interior gets Performance Seats, leather, new instruments and some Japanese-style toys for lap times, power, torque…

All of which is very nice and still makes the VXR8 something of a performance saloon bargain. It’s £15k less than a Jaguar XFR and a whopping £20k less than a Mercedes E63 AMG. Which makes it a bargain, just not the bargain it once was.

But it’ll still make you grin.

By Cars UK