| Upgraded model | Vauxhall VXR8 |
The
VXR8 was not a car many would call underpowered, but Vauxhall decided it needed more grunt. Hence the LS3 6.2-litre V8 engine from the Corvette has been shoehorned under the bonnet.
Packing 425bhp - 14bhp up on the earlier VXR8 - the upgraded model now covers 0-60mph in 4.8 seconds. The automatic version is a fraction slower, managing the same sprint in 4.9 seconds.
All of this extra power has been achieved with high-flow cylinder heads, new pistons and uprated valvetrain, as well as an increase in capacity. The automatic gearbox now has a transmission oil cooler as standard to help cope with the added grunt.
With more power, the VXR8 is also quicker through the gears and now accelerates from 50 to 70mph in third gear in 2.6 seconds rather than its predecessor's 2.8 seconds.
There's also the option of 20-inch alloy wheels and a new Heron White body colour. Prices for both the manual and automatic gearbox models start at £35,695, and the revised VXR8 is on sale now.
Alisdair Suttie - 7 May 2008