Vauxhall Corsa VXR 888

It’s tough for car makers to launch a performance car brand. If you don’t believe us, just ask Vauxhall. While the firm might not admit it, the introduction of its VXR badge has been anything but plain sailing.

Badges such as Volkswagen’s GTI, Ford’s RS and ST and even Subaru’s STI still have greater reach. But hats off to Vauxhall, because the firm has vowed it’s not going to give up the battle just yet. And the Corsa VXR 888 is the next step as it attempts to establish itself as a major force.

Developed purely to help bolster the credibility of the brand, the model’s specification reads like a boy racer’s Christmas wish list. With a tuned engine pumping out an astonishing 225bhp, the Corsa is easily the most powerful model available in the class.

And this is no wolf in sheep’s clothing. Vauxhall hasn’t missed a single opportunity to trumpet its supermini’s giant-killing pace. There are black alloy wheels wrapped in low-profile tyres with crazy tread patterns. Blue brake calipers grip grooved brake discs, while further up, the bodywork is adorned with wings and air vents.

A new exhaust system, designed by specialist firm Remus, is certainly louder than standard, but at low revs its note is menacing, rather than unpleasantly noisy. Head out on to the road, and the newcomer lives up to its billing as one of the most extreme road cars Vauxhall has built.

Its looks certainly turn heads, but it’s that exhaust note that really grabs people’s attention. From 4,000rpm, its purposeful growl turns into a roar, punctuated only by a rally car-style crackle on gearchanges. Power delivery is best described as sudden. Floor the throttle, and in truth not much happens, but once the turbo picks up, lag gives way to an avalanche of torque, all of which seems to arrive at around 3,000rpm.

There’s no doubt that the VXR 888 serves up considerable thrills on the road, but its brash looks might be too much for some tastes. And while its driving experience is rewarding, it doesn’t quite have the measure of the excellent Ford Fiesta ST185.

© Source: autoexpress
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