Filed under: Coupes, Sedans/Saloons, Wagons/Estates, Euro, Hatchbacks
More Power for Vauxhall's Vectra and Monaro VXR models
The lads at Vauxhall, the British version of Opel, have been keeping busy with their tuneriffic VXR editions of the Vectra and Monaro.
Let's start with the Vectra. It comes in hatchback (pic after jump) and wagon bodystyles, and its turbocharged 2.8L V6 is good for 276 horsepower (280 PS) and a 6.1-second 0-60 time. (The wagon does it in 6.3.) A button on the dash lets the driver switch the suspension settings between regular and sport modes.
This is all very nice, and it makes us think about a potential (and hopefully probable) Saturn Aura Red Line. We think that a Saturnized grille with VXR-style bodywork and 300 horsepower underhood would do the trick. Pretty please, Ms. Lajdziak...
As for the Monaro, well, this is going to make fans of the recently-departed Pontiac GTO very angry. You see, the Vauxhall Monaro VXR500 (above) is a limited edition version of the rebadged Holden, and in this guise, the 6.0L LS2 gets added jolt via a supercharger, upgrading it to 493 horsepower (500 PS) and 500 lb-ft of torque. 0-60 now takes less than 5 seconds and the badass Vauxhall tops out at 180.
I told all you Pontiac fans you'd be mad about this...
(Vectra VXR hatch pic, press release after the jump)
[Source: Vauxhall]
VECTRA AND MONARO – NOW WITH EVEN MORE VXR!
Engine power and suspension upgrade for 2007 Vectra VXR
Limited-edition supercharged Monaro VXR hits magic 500PS mark
Vectra and Monaro VXR models are already some of the most powerful cars on the road, but that hasn't stopped Vauxhall giving them even more grunt.
New 2007 model year versions of the Vectra VXR have had the power boosted from 255PS to 280PS, thanks to a redesigned induction system, modified engine components and retuned electronic engine control software. These revisions to the 2.8-litre V6 turbo engine knock four-tenths of a second off the 0-60mph sprint time, taking it down to just 6.1 seconds for the hatchback and 6.3 seconds for the estate.
To match the engine's extra power, Vauxhall's engineers have also tweaked the chassis to give more dynamic handling. Modified spring and shock absorber settings and correspondingly retuned IDSPlus2 chassis control software is said to optimise the pitch, roll and turn-in characteristics to make the most of the increased performance without ruining the Vectra VXR's impressive refinement. The difference between the normal chassis setting and the Sport setting, which is activated by the dashboard-mounted Sport Switch, has been further increased too, making sure that the Vectra's handling can cope with the most enthusiastic driver's demands.
Meanwhile the Vectra's big brother has had an even more dramatic power boost, thanks to a supercharger.
The limited-edition VXR500 is based on the standard 6.0-litre Monaro VXR, but uses forced induction to take the power from 403 to 500PS and torque up from 530Nm to a massive 677Nm. In addition to the positive displacement supercharger, the conversion also includes an upgraded fuel system, clutch revisions and bespoke engine tune.
It's expected that the VXR500 will have a sub five second 0-60 time and a top speed in excess of 180mph, and yet it is surprisingly relaxing to drive, as most of the torque is available low down in the engine's rev range.
This limited edition model is available for only £35,995 on-the-road. That's less than half the price of any other coupe with 500bhp!
While the Vectra VXR is available to order now from any Vauxhall retailer, the VXR 500 can only be sourced from Greens Vauxhall on 01634 246755.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
pb 5:57PM (9/13/2006)
280 Hp, through the front wheels? No thank you.
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whofan 6:06PM (9/13/2006)
Ive never seen a front wheel drive car smoke its rear tires like the one pictured here.
Oh I forgot Its GM. So lets distort reality for the sake of bashing.
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Dan 6:16PM (9/13/2006)
Sorry "whofan" (2) but "pb" (1) was talking about the Vectra (280 hp), which is a FWD car. The car with smoke coming out of the rear tires is the RWD Murano (500 hp!).
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gkz 6:20PM (9/13/2006)
whofan -
maybe you should actually read the article and pay attention to which car is in which picture instead of being such a jerk
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Andy 7:58PM (9/13/2006)
I recall the Grand Prix GXP offering heavy power on the front tires, too. Motor Trend is featuring the next Grand Prix as another rebadged Holden. The new Vauxhaull Monaro VXR500 doesn't make me (or most folks in the States) change my view that the GTO was a bland and uninspired coupe. I think it was the finest Pontiac built, but that doesn't mean I am very fond of it. I am looking forward to GM's planned replacement model.
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Chivo 8:26PM (9/13/2006)
whofan, you made yourself look like an idiot.
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United Artists 9:14PM (9/13/2006)
the car looks like a 1996 monte carlo in the first (Vauxhall Monaro) pic.
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Tim P 9:47PM (9/13/2006)
I've got a GTO, and I'm not too jealous about the upgraded Monaro. There are a few supercharger options out there for us already, not to mention a few turbo / twin turbo kits too!!
And say what you will about the styling, but when I get in that car, I don't give a damn. The interior is nice and clean, the power is incredible, and it handles pretty well too. The styling also grows on me more every day I see it in my garage.
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yeahright 9:48PM (9/13/2006)
Overpowered ugly cars are still ugly. Overpowered ugly cars priced in the neighborhood of $80,000 are just plain stupid. Would you seriously consider buying this souped up family cruiser over, say, an $80,000 BMW?
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DPC car videos 10:20PM (9/13/2006)
Lots of torque steer with front wheel drive and 280hp.
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Andy 12:27AM (9/14/2006)
An $80,000 BMW? I wouldn't pay $8,000 for one. Bimmers are fat and ugly in their own right.
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Fabulo 2:49AM (9/14/2006)
Problem with the GTO is that they named it "GTO". GTO is a fine car.
I hear lots of whining about how GM can't catch up, they should have RWD cars and stuff.
Well they had one. With a Corvette engine. And a manual gearbox. And just two doors.
???
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Spanner 4:40AM (9/14/2006)
The other guys are right there Whofan... You are a jerk and did make yourself look like an idiot. The Photo is
clearly marked as to who is doing the burnout you dork!
As for the car (VXR500 Monaro) its bloody amazing!
We have Holden Monaro's & HSV Coupe's (GTO's & GTS's)
driving around with kits available all the way to 1000hp and beyond! And they are quite cost effective too!
These things eat almost everything thats imported!
Everyone who drives one of these awesome cars who im sure love & appreciate them as much as I do have Holden & Mike Simcoe to thank cos with out them the
Monaro would have never exsisted.
Keep on driving all!
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danny 6:30AM (9/14/2006)
How are they doing this car with production of the Monaro stopping a few months ago? Pretty sure there are no new models left here in Australia, so does the UK just have a lot of unsold cars sitting around and need to make a special edition like this to get rid of them all?
GTO fans should have been angry about the Monaro even before it got this power boost though. They got a version of the car with almost everything possible done to it to make it hideous. Ugly grill, badge, spoiler, smaller wheels, steering wheel on the wrong side etc. Not to mention the ultimate insult, a couple disgusting and pointless holes put into the bonnet that sadly were then included on the real Monaro a year later...
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Lucas 8:01AM (9/14/2006)
The gto as bland, maybe. Uninspired, ill argue that. You calling a well thought out muscle car uninspiring is what made the 1960-1974 era what it was. for the sake of not going too far from my subject ill use the 1964 GTO as an example. The took an unquestionably ugly(and light for its era) car and put a big motor in it. That era's reputation is built on boring cars with retarded neck snapping tourque. I think the monaro-gto is both of that, but now days we americans want a corvette's styling on anything people consider a muscle car. i remember asking my dad about the 67 stingrays... he said he wouldve gotten one if he could have afforded it at the time but his 65 tri-power was all he needed because those rich guys in vettes didnt expect a tempest with a wheel package and a 389 knock thier socks of and piss in them.
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Leo 10:19AM (9/14/2006)
somehow anycar that gets rebadges to Saturn I always want it in the original version. the saturn badge looks like crap and te idea of a more upskale Saturn doen't do it for me. why not just disolve Saturn and bring Opel here and convert all Saturn dealers to Opel
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mc 10:36AM (12/10/2006)
whofan sounds like a tit
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Ste 3:17PM (12/14/2006)
280hp through the front wheels is a lot! But we've been making high powered front wheel drivers for a long time here (UK) and have managed to master most of the problems with torque steer. As it happens the Vectra VXR 280 gets the power down very well indeed....and here you get a 130hp BMW 318 for the same money, doesn't take a lot of common sense to figure out which one you'd rather have.
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braa240@hotmial.com 6:32PM (4/11/2008)
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/09/vxr02.jpg http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2006/09/vxr01.jpg
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