Thursday 10th May 2012

Stats impressive: Astra VXR performance revealed

Sub-six 0-60 bragging rights confirmed for hot new Astra VXR

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Sophisticated? VXR? Seems so...

Pre-launch hype for the forthcoming Vauxhall Astra VXR has been raised a notch with a boast that the new hot hatch will dismiss the benchmark 0-60mph sprint in a smidge under six seconds.

Breaking the six-second barrier (Vauxhall claims 0-60mph in 5.9 seconds) confirms the new VXR as a properly fast hot hatch and is a distinction that (if occasionally flaky memory serves) it shares only with the Mk2 Ford Focus RS when it comes to front-drive hatches.

That pace will come from a 2.0-litre turbo engine that it shares with the Insignia, but which in the Astra VXR gets a bespoke aluminium cylinder head and a new turbocharger to bring 280hp and 295lb ft.

Vauxhall/Opel seems to have learned its lesson from the slightly wayward behaviour of the previous Astra VXR, though, and has put a lot of promising-sounding work into putting all that poke through the chassis effectively.

As well as the torque steer-reducing HiPer Strut suspension (a similar concept to Ford's Revoknuckle or the front suspension on the Megane Renaultsport) there are dampers developed by Sachs, new Brembo brakes and Vauxhall engineers have stiffened the standard springs by around 30 per cent and lowered the car by a further 10mm all round, compared with a 1.6T Astra GTC. Suspension bushes and the compound crank/Watt's link rear suspension are also stiffened. Crucially, a Drexler mechanical limited-slip differential developed from the one used (to great effect) in the Corsa VXR Nurburgring edition also goes into the mix.

The dynamic behaviour of the new car is clearly crucial to Opel/Vauxhall, as we discovered when we had a quick chat with OPC's (that's Opel-speak for VXR) lead engineer, Volker Strycek, back at the Geneva show.

"We could have used an electronic differential base on the ESP system - that would have been cheaper," former DTM champ-turned-engineer Strycek told us. "But it would not have been as good. An electronic solution is always more dynamically limiting, you can always feel it hesitating, holding you back. That's why we persuaded the board to spend the extra money on the mechanical limited-slip differential."

From the sounds of things, it could be money well spent. We shall see whether it actually translates into a polished product as well as a rapid one when we get to drive it...

 

[housen]

looks like the megane sport no?

[s m]

Should say Production front drive hatches in the article. IIRC there's a Honda or 2 that managed the feat some while back

[carllll]

Golf R 5.5secs DSG, manual 5.7 secs.

[C.A.R.]

carllll said:

Golf R 5.5secs DSG, manual 5.7 secs.

Not front-drive though, is it?

[nottyash]

s m said:

Should say Production front drive hatches in the article. IIRC there's a Honda or 2 that managed the feat some while back

EK9 was one back in 1997.

[GroundEffect]

nottyash said:

s m said:

Should say Production front drive hatches in the article. IIRC there's a Honda or 2 that managed the feat some while back

EK9 was one back in 1997.

The EK9 couldn't do 0-60 in under 6 seconds.

[LuS1fer]

When did hot hatches become so banal. The good old days when 110hp was fast appealed more.

[s m]

nottyash said:

s m said:

Should say Production front drive hatches in the article. IIRC there's a Honda or 2 that managed the feat some while back

EK9 was one back in 1997.

I don't know all the Honda model designations but if it was the white rounded Type-R Civic they timed, then yes

[anonymous-user]

I'd be interested to see how this drives compared to the Megane and Focus. Wasn't the old VXR supposed to be a bit of a pig in comparison?

[lgomgf]

Price?

[s m]

St John Smythe said:

Wasn't the old VXR supposed to be a bit of a pig in comparison?

A Vauxhall will never stand a chance on the internet.....

[SpunkyM]

LuS1fer said:

When did hot hatches become so banal. The good old days when 110hp was fast appealed more.

...when they got all fat. 1050Kg was the norm for a fast hatch back in the 80's & 90's. You can easily ass 300kG to that now.

[dean100yz]

St John Smythe said:

I'd be interested to see how this drives compared to the Megane and Focus. Wasn't the old VXR supposed to be a bit of a pig in comparison?

It was quick just didnt do tight corners too good. Wider stuff was fine but the ESP would go mad & if you switched it off you'd spin the wheels for 100's of yards!

Im really lookin forward to this new astra VXR and it doesnt look too much like the megane. Unfortunately with modern design rules and computer systems they all have a similar look

Id have this over the Renault or Ford anyday

[StottyZr]

I'm sure I mentioned this on the first article about the latest VXR. The Focus RS made 305hp and 0-60 in 5.7 a couple of years ago and for the same price. If the VXR was significantly cheaper I'd be excited.

I suppose it does provide an alternative to the RS, but its not exactly groundbreaking.

[Marf]

GroundEffect said:

nottyash said:

s m said:

Should say Production front drive hatches in the article. IIRC there's a Honda or 2 that managed the feat some while back

EK9 was one back in 1997.

The EK9 couldn't do 0-60 in under 6 seconds.

The EK9 Type R is quoted as doing 60 in 5.7s.

[StottyZr]

Marf said:

GroundEffect said:

nottyash said:

s m said:

Should say Production front drive hatches in the article. IIRC there's a Honda or 2 that managed the feat some while back

EK9 was one back in 1997.

The EK9 couldn't do 0-60 in under 6 seconds.

The EK9 Type R is quoted as doing 60 in 5.7s.

185hp and the fastest Civic Type-R. Although they wern't released in the UK.

[DanDC5]

s m said:

I don't know all the Honda model designations but if it was the white rounded Type-R Civic they timed, then yes

EK9 has never got close, a DC2 DC5 and EP3 have never got close to under 5 and they're all standard. Edit and correction - FD2 does it in 5.9. I still don't know how that car is so fast with 'only' 220bhp....

What Honda say and what it does are too different things.

Edited by DanDC5 on Thursday 10th May 09:38

[Twincam16]

SpunkyM said:

LuS1fer said:

When did hot hatches become so banal. The good old days when 110hp was fast appealed more.

...when they got all fat. 1050Kg was the norm for a fast hatch back in the 80's & 90's. You can easily ass 300kG to that now.

Also, I don't really consider things like the Astra VXR 'hot hatches' in the traditional mould. The VXR and all its competitors are low-roofed coupes, making them the successors to cars like the Opel Manta GT/E, Renault Fuego Turbo and so on.

The real 'hot hatches' of today are cars like the RenaultSport Twingo and Clio, Vauxhall Corsa VXR, Ford Fiesta Zetec-S etc.

[Dr Imran T]

Wasn't the Mk1 Focus RS quoted as 5.9 to 60MPH?

[GroundEffect]

Marf said:

GroundEffect said:

nottyash said:

s m said:

Should say Production front drive hatches in the article. IIRC there's a Honda or 2 that managed the feat some while back

EK9 was one back in 1997.

The EK9 couldn't do 0-60 in under 6 seconds.

The EK9 Type R is quoted as doing 60 in 5.7s.

The Honda official figure was around 6.5 IIRC but some mags managed under 6. The same goes for the Integra DC2 - official figure is 6.2 but Evo saw a 5.5.