Vauxhall – one of UK’s popular car brands is known for making striking looking and efficient hatchbacks and sedan. The brand, which is also known for its VXR range of high-performance models, has announced the arrival of the Astra VXR Extreme at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show next month.
With over 300bhp produced from its 2-litre turbo engine, the Astra VXR Extreme holds the title for the most powerful front-wheel drive Vauxhall yet. The car is said to have been derived from last year’s Astra Cup race car that competed in the Nurburgring Endurance Championship.
Thanks to generous use of carbon fibre components, this Extreme model is 100kg lighter than the standard Astra VXR. The all-aluminum 2-litre engine is mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox transmitting power to the front wheels using a limited-slip differential. In a nutshell, the Extreme is the lighter, more powerful street-legal race sibling to the current Astra VXR.
Inside, business is as usual with the back seat taken out and a safety roll bar put in its place. The car also gets Recaro bucket seats with six-point safety belts and a carbon-fibre reinforced steering wheel.
What remains to be seen is whether there will ever be a production-spec Astra VRX Extreme on sale. Although Vauxhall has made it clear that if the crowd reaction is as positive as expected, the company will consider a low-volume production for this high-performance model.
