Vauxhall Insignia VXR Supersport | Spotted

A 170mph bargain when new; now a lesser spotted Q-car curio for cheap

By Matt Bird / Tuesday, 9 June 2026 / Loading comments

Probably a Vauxhall Insignia isn’t the first car that comes to mind when the ‘Supersport’ moniker is brought up; maybe the new Bentley would be, or the new Morgan, or anything over the decades that’s combined ‘super’ and ‘sport’ in some form over the decades. You wouldn’t be alone in thinking of the Ford Fiesta Supersport before the Vauxhall Insignia Supersport.

That being said, the old VXR was nothing if not an incredible value proposition at launch in 2012. The standard hot Insignia had launched in 2009, brimming with tech if not oodles of charisma. The model that followed three years later wasn’t transformatively different, however its stats were truly headline hogging. Not since the Lotus Carlton had a Vauxhall been so potent: 170mph for £29,995.

Ultimately, the Supersport was a delimit and a price drop, with no more power than a standard VXR, but that performance was undoubtedly a talking point. This was before a lot of the German makers would charge more to take limiters off, so from the factory they were stuck at 155, with this hotted up repmobile ranking with Maseratis and Bentleys as one of the fastest four doors in the world. It meant a day on PH in 2012, too, where the £30k six-cylinder hatch being talked about wasn’t the M135i…

Even all these years later, and with that £30k now the best part of £45k in today’s money, the VXR would sound like decent value. Obviously not as sharp to drive or as fast as something like a Golf R, but spacious, smart looking, and still with more than 300hp. Those who miss buttons would absolutely get their fix in an Insignia, too.

Because the Supersport didn’t change a great deal, the Insignia VXR didn’t sell in huge numbers. As when the (much worse) Vectra equivalent existed, people didn’t want their speedy saloon (or hatch or estate) to have a Griffin on the front. Which seems a bit of a shame, variety being the spice of life and all that. A decade on from the end of production, you never, ever see them.

This Supersport is notable as an actual four-door saloon (note no rear wiper), a fittingly old school version of what was always quite a traditional fast family car. Furthermore this one has been with just one owner since first registration in 2013, who’s covered fewer than 40,000 miles in that time. And kept it serviced on time, too. They must have been one of those people swayed by the value proposition, and it would appear their enthusiasm for such a niche machine is reflected in the condition: there’s really not a mark on it. What seemed to be blemishes on this screen were instead remnants of lunch. Even the sculpted Recaros are in good shape. Those after an automatic saloon with a turn of pace and fine motorway manners could surely do a whole lot worse - particularly at just £12,995.

SPECIFICATION | VAUXHALL INSIGNIA VXR SUPERSPORT

Engine: 2,792cc V6, turbocharged
Transmission: 6-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 325@5,250rpm
Torque (lb ft): 321@5,250rpm
MPG: 26.7
CO2: 249g/km
First registered: 2013
Recorded mileage: 39,000
Price new: £29,995
Yours for: £12,995