Vauxhall VXR8: In Detail

Press Release

Exterior

When was the last time you saw an Australian bloke drinking a half of lager? Never? That's because the Aussies don't do things by halves, and if you need proof, look no further than the VXR8. Beefy, muscular and well-toned, the feisty four-door wouldn't look out of place flexing its muscles among the beach crowd. Based on the elegant yet unassuming looks of the latest VE-Series Holden Commodore, VXR8 takes the clean lines of a well-proportioned saloon car and gives them a supercar touch. Neat styling features include a butch-looking front spoiler with extra mesh air intake, along with piercing round driving and foglamps set in unique, trapezoidal pods. Supercar-style cooling fins adorn the car's flanks, while the wheelarches are flared outwards to give the appearance of stability and provide room for the huge tyres 245/4019s at the front, or 275/35 19s at the rear. If 19s are too weedy, 20-inch alloys developed by Walkinshaw Performance are available as an option at 2,500, along with a Walkinshaw developed exhaust system, which sounds even more brutal than the standard set-up and costs 950. At the rear, VXR8 comes with a twin-post rear wing, quadruple exhaust outlet pipes and unique “afterburner� rear lights, which include the latest LED technology to not only look stealthily cool, but also offer greater safety by being faster to reach full brightness than standard bulbs.

Interior

Inside, VXR8 is just as special as it looks from the outside. Uniquely-tailored sports seats, complete with hand-stitched VXR8 logos, give the car a distinctive yet alluring look. The cabin incorporates all of the switches and gadgets you'd expect from a sporting saloon, including automatic climate control, electric seat adjustment and a multi-function trip computer, complete with full colour display screen for infotainment and ventilation options. But there are other features that mark the VXR8 out as truly special. The flat-bottomed steering wheel, for example, is a feature shared with the highly-acclaimed Corsa VXR, while other sporting touches include alloy-covered pedals, red backlit instruments and an additional pod of dials incorporating oil temperature, oil pressure and battery voltage measurements. Bluetooth phone connectivity means you can keep mobile while on the move, while other convenience features include automatic lighting control and speed-dependent windscreen wipers. As well as offering a sense of occasion and comfort for up to five passengers, VXR8 is also big on protection, with six airbags, active head restraints and three-point seatbelts for all passengers, front and rear.