RE: Astra VXR goes racing

RE: Astra VXR goes racing

Wednesday 21st November 2012

Astra VXR goes racing

Hottest Astra takes to the track as Vauxhall/Opel dips its toe back into competition



Vauxhall cousin Opel has announced that it’ll produce a competition version of the Astra VXR (aka the OPC over there) and gosh, it isn’t half a looker.

This doesn’t quite herald a return to full-flight Touring Car racing that many will have been hoping for. There's no cash for that, but instead the Astra OPC Cup, as the new racer will be known, will be a customer car designed to take part in the VLN Endurance Championship.

It'll also compete in its own one-make series called the OPC Cup. The highlight of this series will be a 24-hour race at the Nurburgring.

While we won’t see much of it in the UK, we thought it would be a dereliction of our duty if we didn’t bring you a selection of pictures of this rather fantastic racer. And for anyone secretly hankering after Vauxhall's new Mini rival, the Adam, we’ve thrown in a few of Opel’s other new motorsport entrant, the Adam Cup.

In this FIA-approved R2 rally form, it’s gained at least a little of the aggression the standard car lacks and adds meat to Vauxhall's plans to build a VXR version.

Like the Astra, it’s been designed to take part in a one-make domestic series, but this time it’ll be on rally stages rather than tarmac tracks. We’re hoping one, or both, of these cars will lay the path for Vauxhall/Opel to return to international level motorsport – after all, the days of Manta and Astra GTEs being used in competition still provide some vivid memories!









Author
Discussion

parapaul

Original Poster:

2,828 posts

197 months

Wednesday 21st November 2012
quotequote all
This just popped up in my twitter feed. I've always had a soft spot for the old Astra VXR, and this looks nice! Interesting to see OPC moving away from their traditional colours. Very sparse on actual details though, are there any specs yet?

DazBock

825 posts

191 months

Wednesday 21st November 2012
quotequote all
The front bumper on that Astra looks bloody brilliant. I am considering a Corsa VXR at the minute as a daily driver, this makes me want one more.

Dave Hedgehog

14,541 posts

203 months

Wednesday 21st November 2012
quotequote all
no matter how much tinsel they put on the adam, it looks ste

the astra looks so much better than the focus thou

gambisk

184 posts

164 months

Wednesday 21st November 2012
quotequote all
Yes I like the look of that astra, I was never convinced of the styling of the current VXR compared to the outgoing model but this looks ace!

aussieinlondon

660 posts

218 months

Wednesday 21st November 2012
quotequote all
parapaul said:
This just popped up in my twitter feed. I've always had a soft spot for the old Astra VXR, and this looks nice! Interesting to see OPC moving away from their traditional colours. Very sparse on actual details though, are there any specs yet?
Actually it is moving back to Opels traditional motorsport colours of the past

The yellow made a re-appearance back in 2010 at the Nurburgring 24hr with the OPC Race Camp










Edited by aussieinlondon on Wednesday 21st November 17:23

em177

3,127 posts

163 months

Wednesday 21st November 2012
quotequote all
Very Mk1 Ford KA from this angle:


marcosgt

11,011 posts

175 months

Wednesday 21st November 2012
quotequote all
aussieinlondon said:
parapaul said:
This just popped up in my twitter feed. I've always had a soft spot for the old Astra VXR, and this looks nice! Interesting to see OPC moving away from their traditional colours. Very sparse on actual details though, are there any specs yet?
Actually it is moving back to Opels traditional motorsport colours of the past

The yellow made a re-appearance back in 2010 at the Nurburgring 24hr with the OPC Race Camp




I must admit, I didn't know they'd ever moved AWAY from these colours biggrin

Showing my age I guess... Nice looking cars.

I must admit, the current Astra's a nice car (not driven one, to be fair) and I'm quite partial to the looks of the Insignia too (a bit like a cut price XF if you squint a bit, ok quite a bit).

Would be good to see these up against Citroens in the WTCC in a couple of years.

I used to love Mantas and Calibras - Had one of each and they still look good to me! Sadly the Calibra was an unreliable dog (electrics and Cat mainly) and Vauxhall dealers were arrogant morons, so it'll be a cold day in hell before I go back to them smile

M

Edited by marcosgt on Wednesday 21st November 17:26

specialman

40 posts

143 months

Wednesday 21st November 2012
quotequote all
That Astra looks too much like a Megane, although pretty it doesn't stand out. Good colours though.... nothing bosses that Calibra though smile

NotNormal

2,357 posts

213 months

Wednesday 21st November 2012
quotequote all
specialman said:
That Astra looks too much like a Megane, although pretty it doesn't stand out.
I still don't understand this statement, this car is more of an evolution over the Mk5 Astra than that of the Megane so I see it as Renault copying the Vauxhall in design stakes.

Edit to say the Corsa C Super 1600 always looked good in the Opel livery




Edited by NotNormal on Wednesday 21st November 19:30

ukaskew

10,642 posts

220 months

Wednesday 21st November 2012
quotequote all
Slightly off topic, but I followed an 'Astra VXD' today...what?

tommy vercetti

11,486 posts

162 months

Wednesday 21st November 2012
quotequote all
ukaskew said:
Slightly off topic, but I followed an 'Astra VXD' today...what?
Diesel?

SmartVenom

462 posts

168 months

Wednesday 21st November 2012
quotequote all
marcosgt said:
aussieinlondon said:
parapaul said:
This just popped up in my twitter feed. I've always had a soft spot for the old Astra VXR, and this looks nice! Interesting to see OPC moving away from their traditional colours. Very sparse on actual details though, are there any specs yet?
Actually it is moving back to Opels traditional motorsport colours of the past

The yellow made a re-appearance back in 2010 at the Nurburgring 24hr with the OPC Race Camp




I must admit, I didn't know they'd ever moved AWAY from these colours biggrin

Showing my age I guess... Nice looking cars.

I must admit, the current Astra's a nice car (not driven one, to be fair) and I'm quite partial to the looks of the Insignia too (a bit like a cut price XF if you squint a bit, ok quite a bit).

Would be good to see these up against Citroens in the WTCC in a couple of years.

I used to love Mantas and Calibras - Had one of each and they still look good to me! Sadly the Calibra was an unreliable dog (electrics and Cat mainly) and Vauxhall dealers were arrogant morons, so it'll be a cold day in hell before I go back to them smile

M

Edited by marcosgt on Wednesday 21st November 17:26
+1, I looked at the photos and thought they were a good take on the old colours.

I seem to remember they did a calibra in these colours in the mid-90s, was quite popular at the time.

Crafty_

13,248 posts

199 months

Wednesday 21st November 2012
quotequote all
ukaskew said:
Slightly off topic, but I followed an 'Astra VXD' today...what?
home made badge...

s m

23,164 posts

202 months

Wednesday 21st November 2012
quotequote all
aussieinlondon said:
Actually it is moving back to Opels traditional motorsport colours of the past

The yellow made a re-appearance back in 2010 at the Nurburgring 24hr with the OPC Race Camp

The sign of the flying chips! smile

okie592

2,711 posts

166 months

Wednesday 21st November 2012
quotequote all
em177 said:
Very Mk1 Ford KA from this angle:

did they just melt a fiat 500 into a corsa?

s m

23,164 posts

202 months

Wednesday 21st November 2012
quotequote all

patmahe

5,744 posts

203 months

Thursday 22nd November 2012
quotequote all
That Astra looks the business

ArnageWRC

2,050 posts

158 months

Thursday 22nd November 2012
quotequote all
On another forum somebody has stated that Vauxhall won’t have anything to do with this, it’s purely an Opel venture – which I can well believe.

chunkymonkey71

13,015 posts

197 months

Thursday 22nd November 2012
quotequote all
Never been a big Vauxhall fan but that Astra does look great!


Mark Smith

164 posts

218 months

Thursday 22nd November 2012
quotequote all
The Astra and the Adam both look really good. Its good to see that they are thinking about a VXR Adam.