Leacree 501717809 Front Complete Strut Assembly on 2040-parts.com

Vauxhall Astra VXR Extreme gets 300bhp

The Vauxhall Astra VXR Extreme (pictured) gets 300bhp When the Vauxhall Astra Extreme popped its head above the parapet at the end of January as a potential range-topping Astra, we did wonder if it was going to get more power as well as suspension and cosmetic tweaks. It is. Vauxhall still aren’t saying just how powerful the Extreme is, but they do say it will have ‘more than 300 pS if (and probably, when) it goes in to production.

Jaguar XK and XKR Special Edition launched

New Jaguar XK and XKR Special Editions launched Jaguar has decided to give the XK and XKR sales a bit of a boost with the launch of  Special Edition models as coupe and convertible. There’s nothing quite like a Special Edition model to get punters in showrooms, and with the Jaguar XK and XKR perhaps losing a bit of their glow – thanks in part to getting towards the end of their shelf life, and the arrival of the bonkers XKR-S – Jaguar has launched ‘Special Edition’ models of the XK and XKR as both coupe and convertible. The new XK and XKR Special Editions are purely cosmetic – there’s none of the extra power we’ve seen in the XKR-S – but the cosmetic tweaks are appealing.

2015 Chevrolet Cruze gets a facelift and new connectivity

The 2015 facelift for the Chevrolet Cruze Saloon With the New York Auto Show looming this month, Chevrolet has revealed a facelift for the Cruze for the 2015 MY, although it’s unlikely the UK will see it. With GM trying to make sense of its European operations, it plans to drop the Chevrolet brand from the UK and Europe and concentrate on VAuxhall and Opel, so it seems likely the updates to the Cruze will be just of academic interest to buyers on this side of the Pond. Cosmetically, the changes are not huge for the Cruze saloon with the usual fodder of titivated lights (the addition of LED running lights on high-end models), a tweaked front end and some new colour choices.