Insignia VXR to Make UK Debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed

The high-performance version of the Opel /Vauxhall Insignia will make its first appearance in Britain at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed that runs from July 3-5. The 325HP Insignia VXR (OPC for the rest of Europe) will run the famous hillclimb course twice a day. Joining the Insignia will be the most powerful production model in Vauxhall's history, the rear-wheel-drive, 6.2-litre supercharged V8 engined VXR8 Bathurst S Edition 560HP that will be performing a 'Smoke Gets in Your Eyes' display in front of the Goodwood House.

GM's British arm will also showcase two concept studies from the past, the gullwing-door XVR that was displayed at the 1966 Geneva Salon and the SRV that made its debut at the 1970 Earls Court Motor Show.

Vauxhall's Corsa VXR gets the Blues: New Special Edition of 192HP Hot Hatch

To mark the launch of the subtly refreshed Corsa VXR, Vauxhall is introducing a new limited edition version of its hot hatch with an additional kit and a special blue paintjob as standard.

In detail, the new Corsa VXR Blue Edition is finished in an Arden Blue metallic paint and comes fitted with 18-inch alloy wheels, dark-tinted glass, bespoke interior air vents and Recaro seats, which equate to a £445 saving compared with the cost of speccing a ‘standard’ VXR with this kit.

Other standard features include a lowered sports suspension, uprated brakes and switchable Electronic Stability Programme (ESP).

Powering the VXR Blue Edition is a 1.6-liter turbocharged four producing 192PS, which allows for a 0-60mph [96 km/h] sprint time of just 6.8 seconds and a top speed of 140mph [225 km/h]. An overboost feature increases maximum torque to 260+Nm when the driver needs more power.

The price for the limited edition Corsa VXR is set at £19,425 (including 20% VAT), with Vauxhall claiming that it undercuts key rivals such as the Citroen DS3 R and the Mini Cooper Works by up to £3,600.

The sport hatch is available for order now with the first examples to arrive in dealerships in late February.