Vauxhall shows off VXR8 GTS

The new Vauxhall VXR8 GTS super-saloon is set to hit UK shores in the first quarter of 2014 and will come packed with “576bhp from a supercharged V8 engine”, reports the Telegraph ’s Paul Hudson. “Based on Vauxhall’s sister company HSV’s new GEN-F GTS, the VXR8 GTS is the most powerful production car to emerge from Australia. Its price makes it the least expensive way to access the 500bhp-plus club.” The car “is more technology-led than ever” according to Vauxhall, but retains the “loud and proud” character “that sets it apart from German-built performance saloons”. An all-new Brake-Torque Vectoring system “reduces understeer during high-speed manoeuvres”, while the latest generation of Magnetic Ride Control delivers “greater body control, sharper handling and a significantly more pliant ride quality, compared with the outgoing model”. The car made its UK debut at the Performance Car Show during January 9-12, a “no-brainer” decision according to Vauxhall’s Stuart Harris who revealed the car has been developed “by people who have a wealth of experience in motorsport”. (Link: The Telegraph, 11 December)