Vauxhall Astra VXR's designers had it easy to start with, not least because New Astra is the best-looking car in its class, and the three-door Sport Hatch took Astra's sleekness even further.

For VXR, Vauxhall wanted a car that matched that beauty with aggression. The stylists created a car which in the manner of the truest greats, went from the 2004 Paris motor show's HPC concept car to reality with no compromise.

Available in a choice of four distinctive colours - Flame Red, Star Silver, Arden Blue and Black Sapphire - the VXR's profile is unmistakable, even from a distance. The fat wheelarches, 15mm lowered suspension and unique styling kit make it appear glued to the road surface, giving a look that screams poise, agility and style - three of Vauxhall Astra VXR's key features.

The close-up styling cues give Vauxhall Astra VXR an even more imposing look. The sports front grille, deep air dam and fog lights leave you in no doubt that this is a performance flagship, while the theme is continued around the car with extended side sills, a tailgate roof spoiler and a unique rear bumper, housing a centre-exit trapezoidal exhaust.

Look even closer and you'll notice the huge ventilated brake discs, colour-coded Arden Blue callipers and ultra-low profile tyres. Beefy 18-inch alloys are standard, while even meatier 19-inchers - unique in this class and rare on any car outside the realms of exotica - are a UKP 500 option.

And the dynamic look continues inside, too. Unique Recaro sports seats with leather-trimmed side bolsters, a three-spoke leather-covered steering wheel with a VXR logo, an alloy gear knob, racing-style instruments and carbon-fibre door inserts all help mark Astra VXR out as something very special.


Vauxhall Astra VXR - Engine and Performance

- 240PS from a 2.0-litre ECOTEC turbo.
- Supercar like 152mph top speed
- Six-speed close ratio gearbox
 
It's all very well having a car that looks the business, but what if it's all show and no go? The Astra VXR certainly couldn't be accused being "all mouth and no trousers".

Beneath that sharp-looking bonnet beats the heart of a true performance car. Based on the already punchy 2.0-litre, 200PS turbocharged engine that powers the top Astra SRi, Vauxhall Astra VXR uses an uprated turbocharger and fuel injection system, coupled to revised inlet and exhaust manifolds to produce an incredible 240PS at 5,600rpm - that's over 40PS more than rival hot hatches costing at least UKP 1,000 more.

It delivers an equally impressive torque output of 320Nm, available between 2,400rpm and 5,000rpm to ensure that the power is delivered evenly and flexibly, rather than in one frantic blast.

That gives Vauxhall Astra VXR enough poke to sprint from 0-60mph in a neck-jerking 6.2 seconds, and on to a top speed of 152mph - the sort of performance which was previously the preserve of supercars.

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