The stats don't lie. We should know, they've been checked and rechecked. But there's no escaping it: news of the £38k Vauxhall Insignia GSI was the 12th most popular story on PistonHeads, in terms of reads, in the first six months of 2020. Just when it seemed this year couldn't get any stranger.
Actually, that's a little unfair, because it's clear there's some latent affection for fast Vauxhalls on PH. We managed to churn three drives out of a Lotus Carlton over the years, each eagerly received, and even our most recent related feature story - revisiting the Astra VXR Extreme - got plenty of positive comments. That's in addition to those on here that own and enjoy various Corsas, Cavaliers, Calibras and the rest. The fact there's been precious little to get excited by as far as performance cars with a Griffin badge on the front in recent years is most likely why the enthusiasm was there for a new diesel Insignia. Maybe, maybe not...
Consequently it seemed high time the last genuinely interesting Vauxhall saloon was talked about again. Because the new GSI will be much like the old, with decent motorway manners and secure handling, but nothing more than that. The previous VXR, on the other hand, if hardly an icon, was at least a more memorable performance car.
Even at launch in 2009, the Insignia VXR looked like an ambitious move from Vauxhall; by that time the mainstream quick saloon concept had largely been abandoned, the previous efforts from Ford, Honda and Mazda having been entertaining if not successful enough to persevere with. Plainly Vauxhall wasn't going to re-enter the segment half-heartedly, though: the Insignia VXR was fitted with Brembo brakes, adaptive dampers and the HiperStrut front suspension axis, in addition to the 325hp provided by a 2.8-litre twin-turbo V6.
It was all set, then, to take the fight to Audi's S4 and BMW's 335i. However, in addition to Vauxhall's image problem, the Insignia's biggest issue was the fact that, well, it was quite large. A kerbweight of 1,800kg put paid to the best efforts of the engine and suspension, meaning the car never felt quite as energetic or as agile as it might. The reviews used words like "mannered", "usable", "grown-up" and "compliant"; all the things you might expect of a mature, fast, four-door saloon, and sufficient to make the VXR a perfectly nice car - but possibly the excitement which might have made it a breakaway success.
Still, a few years down the line, when the scrutiny of new car assessment wears off, it's easy to look more fondly on the Insignia that's decently quick but not over the top. This one must be incredibly rare, one of just two on PH and an actual four-door saloon - the hatch and estate were also offered - in Power Red. As a 2012 car with two owners its 67k mileage is below average, the service history is said to be full and it's for sale at just £10,250.
An Audi S4 with comparable mileage will cost another £3,000 as a private sale, while a £10k 335i will have tens of thousands of more miles. There's a certain irony in the premium badged models being far more common, too. Those cars will undoubtedly hold their own appeal - as their popularity attests to - though it seems the Insignia gets unfairly disregarded. Oh sure, the interior is a bit naff and you'll seldom see 30mpg, but the VXR is an awful lot of fast saloon for not much money. As the first (and most likely last) Insignia to carry Vauxhall's performance branding, it'll always serve as a reminder of what might have been - unless that new GSI spawns something faster. That'll be worth reading about...
SPECIFICATION | VAUXHALL INSIGNIA VXR
Engine: 2,792cc V6, turbocharged
Transmission: 6-speed manual, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 325@5,250rpm
Torque (lb ft): 321@5,250rpm
MPG: 25
CO2: 268g/km
First registered: 2012
Recorded mileage: 67,000
Price new: £30,995
Yours for: £10,250
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