The BBC’s best automotive journal, Top Gear, has a problem with proper German sports saloons built for businessmen and that is that they are all just too similar. So that is why Richard Hammond decided to introduce a pair of very special GM cars from Australia. First up was the Vauxhall VXR8 Bathurst Edition. Aside from being the most popular track on the V8 Super car calendar, it is also a blindingly fast version of what we here in America have come to know as the Pontiac G8. The Bathurst comes complete with a set of racing stripes on the hood and a supercharger underneath it. The VXR8 wears some very race inspired bodywork to go along with the 560 HP and the bargain £44,995 price tag.
Vauxhall revealed today the special edition VXR8 called the Bathurst Edition. Sales will begin at a price of £37,995 for the standard Bathurst and £44,995 for the Bathurst S. Current rates put those prices at about $54,500 and $64,500 respecitvly, but no need to call the accountant. Vauxhall doesn’t sell to the U.S., but the Pontiac G8 GXP is a very close cousin to the standard VXR8.
The Bathurst S adds a Walkinshaw’s 122 Supercharger to the 6.2-liter V8. Now the engine delivers 560 hp (up from the standard 431 hp) and 715Nm of torque. This package also includes a large capacity intercooler, high-flow fuel injectors, a separate cold air intake and Walkinshaw-developed ECU map. The standard manual gearbox is upgraded with a high-torque capacity clutch.
Outside, both Bathurst’s receive a distinctive graphic packs, front fog light covers and ‘Bathurst’ badges (only the ‘S’ badge reveals the secret identity of the supercharged model.) Both cars also receive six-pot front and four-pot rear brake calipers, height-adjustable springs and Walkinshaw-developed coil-over adjustable dampers.
Vauxhall’s mighty VXR8 super-saloon gets a potent new V8 engine this summer, with even more power and improved performance. The new unit allows the VXR8 to raise the bar yet again among its rivals, optimizing its sophisticated rear-wheel drive chassis still further and retaining its mantle as a driver’s car like no other in its class. New color and equipment options further enhance this, the fastest car to wear the Griffin badge.
Known as LS3, the new V8 engine’s capacity grows from 5967cc to 6162cc, and thanks to various improvements over the outgoing LS2 unit, such as high-flow cylinder heads, new pistons and an enhanced valvetrain, power is up by 14PS to 431PS at 6000rpm.
This translates to a reduced 0-60mph time for cars with automatic transmissions (down from 5.0 seconds to 4.9) and improved in-gear acceleration for manual models (50-70mph in 3rd gear drops from 2.8 to 2.6 seconds; 30-50mph in 2nd gear drops from 2.0 to 1.9 seconds). And if you fancy smoking your VXR8 at a track day, you’ll see 80—100mph times fall from 4.3 to just 4.0 seconds in 4th gear.
The current Vauxhall VXR8 is powered by a e 6.0-litre V8 engine. But this is not enough to target sports-cars like Audi RS6, BMW M5 and Mercedes E63 AMG. And this is why Vauxhall will launch a new version of its VXR8, this time powered by a 7.0-litre version of the Corvette engine.
The new model will be badged the W427 and will arrive at the UK dealers in September with price tag of around £55,000.
The W427 will be based on the Australian Holden HSV unveiled at last month’s Melbourne Motor Show. With a maximum power of 570bhp and 640Nm of torque the car will cover 0-60mph in around 4.5 seconds, and go on to an electronically limited top speed of 155mph.
A spokesman for Vauxhall told Auto Express; “We are in the early stages with development. The car is going to feature a number of components developed from the racing version, and we need to make sure that everything is tested properly before customer deliveries start.”
Audi will be in serious trouble when Vauxhall will launch a quattro version the VXR. And this will happen next year! The VXR Quattro will be offered in three different versions: saloon, hatch and estate and will be priced at £25,000. Audi S4 watch out > More
The VXR8 has just been unveiled back in February, and General Motors is already working on a supercharged version that will go on sale in UK starting next month. > More
There was every reason to mourn the passing of the Monaro, but the Thunder from Down Under hasn’t stopped yet. What better to replace the 6.0-litre V8, rear-drive Aussie performance icon with than an all-new Antipodean muscle car. A car, in fact, just like the VXR8 – a car even more powerful and exciting than the Monaro. > More
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