Friday 19th July 2013

Vauxhall Calibra: Time for Tea?

It's a Top Gear review that's actually a review! Because it's old Top Gear...

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Remember when Top Gear was a genuine consumer programme offering actual advice on new cars? Before new Top Gear and the internet, it was probably quite a valuable resource for prospective buyers. Apparently some people read reviews printed on paper too.

But we thought it was about time 20th century TG was revisited; and who better to illustrate pre-Stig Top Gear than Chris Goffey? Knowledgeable, accurate and interminably dull, the man is as beige in personality as his outfit suggests.

Not coming to a Chris Harris vid soon...

Actually, that's a little unfair. That's how car reviews were, and his facts on the Vauxhall Calibra tested here are genuinely of some interest. Did you know that infamous 0.26cD drag figure only applied to the 8v cars? Opt for a 16-valver and it rose to 0.29cD, nearly the same as the Cavalier on which it was based...

This video even covers practical things like the boot loading lip, the iffy ventilation associated with its streamlined shape and the stodgy handling. Nothing blows up, nothing collapses (well, the seat ratchet comes off) and the Calibra is given quite a thorough going over. It doesn't even go that sideways. Everything is very proper and it's all rather strange, if also quite intriguing.

Plus, if it makes the Calibra look quite cool (it's not just us, right?), there should be one on show at this weekend's Sunday Service...

 

 

[clubsportguy]

Love the video like Top Gear should be !!! Someone needs to get Chris Harris/Chris Evans and maybe a female petrolhead like Carol Vorderman on a programme!!!

[Ari]

All the Top Gear whiners that whinge on about how "they've run out of ideas" etc etc should be forced to watch clips like this.

I'm old enough to remember original Top Gear, it was dire. I recall some woman testing the (then new) original BMW M6 and complaining about the size of the boot..!

[Limpet]

I still think the original Calibra is one of the prettiest mass produced cars of its era.

[LordPetroleum]

YEEEEEEESSSSSS, a car review from back when chinos were cool and car journos had beards eh Monkey

[anonymous-user]

Now THAT^^^ is a proper comprehensive car review! Also amazing how plain that car looks these days, and a reminder just how far the art of "surfacing" has progressed in main stream car design.

[MikeM3Power]

I love these old reviews, Top Gear GTi. Memories!!

Early 90s were a great time.

[ellisd82]

Great review. I remember watching this back when I had my calibra. Searching youtube for some sort of review. Do miss my calibra. A really good car. Easy to drive and with some better suspension decent in the corners.

[Gary C]

!

Chris goofy was ste.

Rember him reviewing a turbo diesel landrover, did'nt have a clue what (/crhis goofy mode on - pause) turbo lag (pause) actually is.

Hum just like the current lot.

Anyway, while I think tg has past its best, its still miles better thatn the dreary crap they served up then.

[monthefish]

the article said:

Actually, that's a little unfair. That's how car reviews were, and his facts on the Vauxhall Calibra tested here are genuinely of some interest. Did you know that infamous 0.26cD drag figure only applied to the 8v cars? Opt for a 16-valver and it rose to 0.29cD, nearly the same as the Cavalier on which it was based...

So he goes into detail about how all of the rear form and the side skirts achieve this low drag co-eff....but then says it's all undone by having a wider grille (which is probably very similar to the grille opening of the Cavalier). i.e. all that good detail he went into is actaully doing very little/nothing.

Just as well there weren't forums in his day.

[Devil2575]

Old Top Gear had it's place 20 years ago but these days you can watch boring but practical reviews on You Tube if you want that sort of thing.

It's interesting from a "I remember watching that when it was first aired point of view" and a bit of 1990s car nostalgia but other than that it's patently obvious why the format of TG has changed.

[petrolsniffer]

Definately the prettiest 90s coupe out the prelude and corrado.

Shame theres probally fewer left than the two above.

[Crafty_]

Meh, cavaliers were better

[kambites]

That grill alone pulls the CD from 0.26 to 0.29?

10% more drag from a slight change to the grill?!?

[Devil2575]

Crafty_ said:

Meh, cavaliers were better

The Cavalier had many good points but my recollection of driving a Mk3 Cavalier SRI was that it felt like the chassis was made of wood.

At the time I had a Nissan Primera and the handling was streets ahead of the Vauxhall. I remember following an enthusiastically driven Cavalier GSI and while he had more straight line power, on the corners the Primera was a far better machine.

[NotNormal]

kambites said:

That grill alone pulls the CD from 0.26 to 0.29?

10% more drag from a slight change to the grill?!?

AFAIK he was talking rubbish with the grill opening. I think the front bumpers are the same on all Calibra's (bar the optional headlight washers). The difference in CD was more to do with the 8v cars running narrower wheels than those on the bigger engine cars.

[bakerstreet]

Gary C said:

!

Chris goofy was ste.

Rember him reviewing a turbo diesel landrover, did'nt have a clue what (/crhis goofy mode on - pause) turbo lag (pause) actually is.

Hum just like the current lot.

Anyway, while I think tg has past its best, its still miles better thatn the dreary crap they served up then.

I suspect the current lot know exactly what turbo lag is.

I quite like The Calibre. They did a 4x4 with BBS multi spoke alloys that looked great

[Limpet]

They didn't handle for toffee, but the Cavalier and Calibra had a really nice range of engines. The 2.0 units (8 and 16v) were both lovely.

[richb77]

Ok so the Calibra now looks a little dated but in the early 90's it was a seriously good looking car.

Not a lot else out at the time to compete with it either (i'm talking within budget).

The turbo's where always my fave.

Edited by richb77 on Friday 19th July 17:08

[TobesH]

GSI Turbo 4x4 for me please. Like the Cavalier version too. Got pulled over by one of the Sussex Police's finest back in the day :-)

[Crafty_]

Devil2575 said:

The Cavalier had many good points but my recollection of driving a Mk3 Cavalier SRI was that it felt like the chassis was made of wood.

At the time I had a Nissan Primera and the handling was streets ahead of the Vauxhall. I remember following an enthusiastically driven Cavalier GSI and while he had more straight line power, on the corners the Primera was a far better machine.

But the Sri had a beam, Gsi and Turbos IRS, drove quite differently.

Cavaliers weren't too bad, stock springs and shocks were rubbish though.