Thursday 8th November 2012

Insignia VXR Supersport: 170mph for sub £30K

Vauxhall makes the Insignia £4K cheaper, 15mph faster and a whole lot more tempting for £29,995

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Yes, that standfirst does perhaps smack a little of advertorial. But the bare facts of Vauxhall's size 10 to the backside of the Insignia VXR in an attempt to shift a few more out of the showroom door does bear consideration.

As it stands the Insignia VXR is, sadly, one of those cars that's a whole lot more impressive on the spec sheet than it is at the wheel. And proof of how many buying decisions are based on brand snobbery as much as actual ability. Vauxhall's shrug of the shoulders and 'sod it then, price to sell' is an admission as such but does create one of the performance bargains of the age.

Time to head off to an autobahn methinks

Just look at what underpins it too. You've got the independent steering axis HiPerStrut (High Performance Strut) front suspension, a 325hp twin-scroll turbo V6, adaptive dampers, four-wheel drive and a 5.6-second 0-62mph. Without the limiter it now hits 170mph, just 6mph shy of the old Lotus Carlton, a car that famously prompted calls for it to be banned for being irresponsibly fast.

That's a hell of a lot of car for £29,995.

OK, so the driving experience doesn't quite live up to the promise and even with all that 'ring fettled fancy suspension and other trickery the Insignia's inherent rubberiness and lack of feel is carried through into the VXR version. Capable rather than fun, the hot Insignia remains astonishing value compared with the equivalent German metal, the comparable Audi S4 nearly 10 grand more (£38,665) before you've even troubled the options list.

Inevitably one's eye is drawn to the classifieds to see how much VXRs are making secondhand and there are a couple of privately advertised ones in the high teens here and here. Tempting indeed.

[BorkFactor]

That is some seriously impressive performance for not much money at all, I like it!

Seen quite a few Insignia VXRs about too recently and I do like the look of them.

[s m]

BorkFactor said:

That is some seriously impressive performance for not much money at all, I like it!

Seen quite a few Insignia VXRs about too recently and I do like the look of them.

I wonder if the price of the M135i had anything to do with their pricecut?

[renorti]

not bad at all, buy wait a year or so be £15k or less even better bargain

[Guffy]

I think they have a goodly amount of road presence, i'm a terrible snob though

[Bargenosenti]

I hope the seats are better than the boggo Insignia

[R66STU]

i saw one of these in the showroom, and after seeing the price it did make me realize that some other cars are really over priced !

however this has just made me realize how cheap used Vectra VXR's are now.

[Pumajay]

we had one in at my work and i was very suprised with how much i liked it, seats are incredibly comfy and it does go really well, if you can look past the badge its a good car, id buy one....Just not new.

[David87]

Very good value for what is probably a very good car. Even at £30k the depreciation it'll suffer would put me off, though! Isn't the Insignia due a facelift shortly, too?

[GTEYE]

Sadly, i would wager a bet that it still won't do much to improve sales....as unfiortunately bar a very small market, this isn't what the general car buying public wants...

Wrong badge
Wrong fuel

Sadly, true. But cracking buy used.

[J4CKO]

I like that but it is akin to, as a kid, your mum buying your trainers, you wanted Nike or Addidas for your birthday money but your mum came back with some "Really Jazzy" HiTec or Unbro ones, looks the part, does the job but not quite what you wanted.

[Megaflow]

170mph for £30K?

In reality it is likely, with a bit of haggling to be 170mph for more like £25/26k...



That's a lot of go, for not a lot of dough. Shamefully I rather like the look of them as well.

[Chicane-UK]

Have to say I've always loved the look of these things and they seem to offer amazing value when you look at what you get - huge brembo brakes, 4wd, nice big recaro seats (at least on the one I saw) and that sort of performance. I'd love to drive one and see what they're all about!

[Twincam16]

Can't argue with that kind of performance per pound. It's the sort of thing we're perpetually envying the Americans for.

I'd have one over any price-equivalent German luxobarge.

[H100S]

Having had the pleasure of driving several of these they are a cracking car and underated but truly shocking mpg.

[Twincam16]

Chicane-UK said:

Have to say I've always loved the look of these things and they seem to offer amazing value when you look at what you get - huge brembo brakes, 4wd, nice big recaro seats (at least on the one I saw) and that sort of performance. I'd love to drive one and see what they're all about!

I've driven a standard VXR and was surprised and impressed. Felt very high-quality and the urge was unbeatable for the money. Makes you realise that all the fetishistic presentation and hideous electronic complication (plus stupid badge snobbery) you pay for in an Audi all rather goes to waste in the real world. Doesn't stop the herd buying them though, sadly.

[mat205125]

That is one heck of a lot of car and performance for the money, and should prove devistatingly effective in real world, all weather driving.

Shame that petrol isn't sub-£1 a litre anymore really.

[Robmarriott]

Don't forget your £815 first year tax bill and £460 thereafter...

[Fetchez la vache]

Wonder how much they make on them?
Is this the nail in the coffin for future big VXR's?

[Ollieb7]

I'll take the M135i for the same price instead thanks.

[J4CKO]

It is irrelevant really as there are only three types of people that will drive one, bargain hunters after the fastest for the least money (usually at three plus years old), Dyed in the wool Vauxhall perverts and GM management who get one as a company car.

170 mph is a bit irrelevant also, sure it will do it but depends how much you like prison food if you do it in the UK I guess.