Vauxhall Insignia VXR Supersport (2012) first pics
Wed, 07 Nov 2012
Want a car christened ‘Supersport’ but can’t stretch to a Bugatti Veyron, Bentley Continental or Jaguar XJ? In that case, this 170mph Vauxhall might be of interest. This is the Insignia VXR Supersport, a speed-derestricted version of the hot saloon, and it comes with a hefty price cut against the previous VXR.
What’s Super-sporty about this new Insignia VXR?Replacing the previous Insignia VXR, the only visual clues rumbling the new Supersport are blue Brembo logos on the front brake callipers and a re-written speedometer, owing to the car’s improved top speed.
Thanks to the old 155mph restrictor being binned, the Insignia VXR ‘SS’ will romp to 170mph. The 0-62mph sprint, delivered by all-wheel drive and a 321bhp 2.8-litre turbocharged V6, remains pegged at 5.6 seconds.
Vauxhall proudly points to the 1989 Lotus Carlton (actually slightly faster, at 176mph) and the 1913 ‘30-98’, as seen in the picture gallery, as mentalist family car inspiration for the VXR SS. The 30-98 was the UK’s first production car capable of 100mph, says Vauxhall. But let’s get back to the present, because there’s an Insignia VXR price cut to discuss… And that extra speed comes cheaper than before?
Indeed - £3670 cheaper, to be precise. That makes the £29,995 Insignia VXR SS the UK’s fastest and most powerful sub-£30k car, says Vauxhall. Its closest rival in numbers alone is BMW’s sublime new M135i hot hatch, which develops 316bhp, tops out at 155mph (thanks to its pesky limiter, natch) and also costs £29,995 in base trim.
Is there a cut in equipment on the VXR SS?Nope. Despite the discount, you still get the torque-steer reducing HiPerStrut front suspension set-up that will be shared with the new Cascada soft-top. Also standard is Flexride – that’s Vauxhall’s adaptive suspension system which gets an additional VXR mode here for maximum-attack driving.
If you fancy a 170mph family car with the added piece of mind that nothing on sale in the UK can match it for the money, the VXR SS is on sale now. For CAR’s review of the original Insignia VXR, please click here.
By Ollie Kew