RE: Vauxhall Corsa VXR Clubsport: Spotted

[Gandahar]

slightly off topic but the velour seats on earlier hot Vauxhalls are epic

[Gandahar]

why are velour seats from the 80's so cool? Ford had some epic ones with the Sierra Cosworth and Escort series also

[Frenchda]

Had a boggo VXR on a very cheap lease a few years ago. A complete hoot!

[Mike1990]

Awesome car, in fact i traded a Mk7 Fiesta ST in for my current Nurburgring and i much prefer it in every area. Far a better drivers car IMO.

But it’s the the VX badge which means it’s obvious crap in every area for those that have absolutely zero experience of one.

[Torquey]

I really really really want to like these. I could just never trust Vauxhall and that engine. It probably wobbles around like every other Corsa and oversteers like every other VXR (except the RWD ones obviously) they've produced.

I think I'd chose the Clio (for the NA engine) over this.

[s m]

Gandahar said:

slightly off topic but the velour seats on earlier hot Vauxhalls are epic

They were very comfy indeed - owned a 16 valve like that for a few years. Fantastic car

[WJNB]

For teenagers only not that they can afford the insurance, thank goodness.

[RB Will]

charltjr said:

My question would be how much of the tendency for the engines to nuke piston 4 is internet mythology or whether it's something to genuinely worry about.

I would say genuine worry. I know 5 people that have had them and every one had had to have an engine rebuild. Add to that the number that a friend of mine has rebuilt

[culpz]

RB Will said:

charltjr said:

My question would be how much of the tendency for the engines to nuke piston 4 is internet mythology or whether it's something to genuinely worry about.

I would say genuine worry. I know 5 people that have had them and every one had had to have an engine rebuild. Add to that the number that a friend of mine has rebuilt

I'd agree. A very openly known problem that Vauxhall never officially addressed or rectified. Similar thing with the gearboxes on the Clio 197/200.

It's very hit and miss. Some go, some don't. It's a costly risk to take though.

[JohnnyFive]

culpz said:

These do look great from the outside. It's just the interiors that i can't get on with. A mate at work had a standard Corsa VXR for a good few years with a few mods done to it.. Made some lovely turbo noises but never seemed that fast. I never actually drove it though and was just a passenger a few times.

I think i'm too much of a Renault Sport fanboy really. So, a fast Clio would always be my pic in this segment.

To be fair, the 197 interior looks worse than the Corsa D VXR's interior.

Edited by JohnnyFive on Thursday 8th February 21:04

[culpz]

JohnnyFive said:

culpz said:

These do look great from the outside. It's just the interiors that i can't get on with. A mate at work had a standard Corsa VXR for a good few years with a few mods done to it.. Made some lovely turbo noises but never seemed that fast. I never actually drove it though and was just a passenger a few times.

I think i'm too much of a Renault Sport fanboy really. So, a fast Clio would always be my pic in this segment.

To be fair, the 197 interior looks worse than the Corsa D VXR's interior.

Edited by JohnnyFive on Thursday 8th February 21:04

After being in both, i'd actually much prefer to be in the 197 and by a long margin, funnily enough.

[alorotom]

S9JTO said:

Quhet said:

Can't have loved it that much if she only did 4k miles in 3 years!

I thought the same when I read that, hopefully a typo.

No not a typo at all, she just doesn’t go very far at all.

Prime example is her current mk2 TTS ... bought 3yrs ago almost to the day as it was a valentines gift (being red an all lol)

So far in it she has, in the whole 3yrs done a eye watering distance of 3100miles

I know there is an argument for a car club or just rentals when needed but it’s more convenience etc... plus I think this one will be a keeper to garage off when she fancies something a replacement and join the RS for future potential lol

[xjay1337]

I have driven the Nurburgring one a couple of times around Thruxton.

I have to be honest , on track it felt heavy and rolled around a lot.

Driving it back to back with the Astra VXR and the Insignia VXR, the Astra is the only one I would buy. I was actually very impressed.

[s m]

xjay1337 said:

I have driven the Nurburgring one a couple of times around Thruxton.

I have to be honest , on track it felt heavy and rolled around a lot.

Driving it back to back with the Astra VXR and the Insignia VXR, the Astra is the only one I would buy. I was actually very impressed.

That's interesting - I guess you probably did a VXR day as I drove the same cars round Oulton?

Out of them all I thought the Corsa was best fun, Insignia felt a big heavy thing but I do tend to prefer smaller, lighter cars

[xjay1337]

Yes

vxr days are a lot of fun

[IanJ9375]

xjay1337 said:

Yes

vxr days are a lot of fun

are = were unfortunately

[s m]

IanJ9375 said:

xjay1337 said:

Yes

vxr days are a lot of fun

are = were unfortunately

The early ones used to include VXR8s as well

[DuncB7]

charltjr said:

DuncB7 said:

Sure the VXR has the fancy bits but it will still drive like a Vauxhall.

Suggest you take a look at the reviews from when it was launched, by all accounts it's a lot of fun.

Took some time to read the reviews. I'd still not choose it over the Fiesta ST.

Driving within the law on the road, you're not going to make any real use of that LSD and that seems to be the only positive part about the Corsa vs. Fiesta.

[PunterCam]

My perfect hot hatch certainly wouldn't have a turbo! With Up sized cars being in the 800-900kg range, and a corsa sized car being 1000kg, there's no reason to ruin the experience of any of them with a turbo - amazingly light still.

This is the thing - the golf gti has "ballooned" in weight because it's the size of an old 5 series! Cars the same size as old hatches are just as light as they ever were!

Anyways, I always like the look of the corsa - even the little 1.2s look sharp, no wonder they're popular. Almost thought about a vxr a while back before I bought a 3 cylinder fiesta. Interior was just unpleasant, and the engine is just lifeless. I'm sure it's quick but they're all quick, it's kindof irrelevant!

[alorotom]

xjay1337 said:

Driving it back to back with the Astra VXR and the Insignia VXR, the Astra is the only one I would buy. I was actually very impressed.

At the same time as my Mrs had her Nurby I had an Astra VXR (06 plate) and loved it, it was “stage 1 remapped” by the original owner and was great to drive. My only real complaint was that the rear visibility wasn’t the greatest IMO.