We Do It The Old Way: 2009 Vauxhall Vectra VXR Review

[@JayEmmOnCars]

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[@Fc-cb3tn]

The VXRs are why I would ever give Vauxhall a chance: they do all kinds of batshit stuff that they could without asking themselves if they should, and I love it.

[@ColonelForkEyes]

That's the whole point of having a performance spec version as part of the lineup. I am of the persuasion that if a manufacturer doesn't have a few half-decent 'halo' cars and/or cooking versions of their regular models, it hurts the image and credibility of the brand, much as how being involved in motorsports creates the 'Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday mentality, having a few 'bonkers' cars in your line-up helps the overall image and creates enthusiast communities round those models. The Hyundai i30N is a case in point. The fact it exists and is highly-rated by journalists has an elevating effect on the perception of the whole brand, and even if people don't go for one they' might still consider a regular i30.They might not sell a lot or be a huge money spinner, but as part of a corporate branding strategy they're very useful.

[@Fc-cb3tn]

@@ColonelForkEyes unlike Hyundai however they made a mess of most of their VXR cars except the VXR8, last Astra, Corsa VXR and the Insignia. The early ones are usually a mess to drive and it’s kind of funny when that happens😂

[@billienomates7100]

Maybe pre Peugeot when they'd slap V6 into a family car or twin turbo a 1.6 for a hatchback but now they are pretty boring and not worth it.

[@geeteebloke1979]

The vec vxrs are retro cool.... i'm on my 2nd one and love it for all its faults... it reminds me of my old 2.8 sierra with the sound but just a bit faster ;)

[@philliprusson2645]

I had one from 2008 till 2017 and it was my baby I absolutely loved it, it was just stupid in so many ways but it’s flaws it what made it feel it had a personality, and that sound it made no matter how bad my day was it always put a smile on my face, it was my friend and was heartbroken when she had to go i have such fond memories of the vectra vxr, and always will despite it’s shortcomings.

[@imkirbo3094]

When I was around 15 the police had a load of these both in livery and unmarked and they always looked absolutely mint.

[@SilkyBadger]

I have one of the 80 ex-police models left on the road, in black, just love it, will never sell it.

[@Mpsjake]

I own a Frozen White Vectra VXR Ex police, absolutely love it

[@leonbishop5183]

Had one of these 7 years ago, mint Arden blue 40k one owner example and driving it was an event either slow or fast. It had such a presence on the road and was unpretentious just a fully beefed up family car, they were cheap for what they were and I’ve always rated Vauxhall’s build quality for a mainstream brand, it was like a wild bull in a straight line and I torched all its contemporaries. These are and were brilliant cars with a six second 0-60 and 160mph top speed straight out the box, it easily trounced the other cars of its class when tested on top gear show when it was released but was still unfairly judged in conclusion. I miss the days of the beefy versions of normal cars the British used to love, modern cars are functional and boring with their plastic engine parts and ugly ridiculous iPad dashboards, there’s a reason why there’s still so many Vectras about today and that’s because they were good...🙂👍

[@geeteebloke1979]

i still have an arden blue one... love them in a retro way and still pretty quick compared to modern stuff :)

[@TheMirrorGuy]

I'm considering one, what sort of mpg do you guys get?

[@denaco]

Ye but total chav wagons. No offence!

[@danmaycock9238]

A man of good taste 🤙

[@nub4373]

One of the Police Interceptor documentary cops stated the Vectra VXR as his favourite pursuit car. He said it was fast enough and more importantly tough enough to survive rams and TPACs etc that little ever escaped his VXR.

[@johnny6476]

Yeah he loved his VXR, He called it Christine after the movie. 🤣

[@jo05dk]

I miss the days of fun engines in ordinary cars, like the Xantia V6 (or the fun and fantastic Activa, but that's another story), Audi 100/200 with their wonderful 5 cylinder engines, Vectra A V6, 5 cylinder Volvos aso aso. We had it good back then. ..and for that reason this car gets some love from me too. Not because i want it, but because it's a bit nuts ❤ ..oh and a ton of love to the owner. I would have taken it on to save it from the scrapyard too. We must cherish these cars.

[@bensmithkent22]

Yea me too. Im 37 now and got into reading about cars when I was 10. Still got my early What Cars stashed in a box 😂. I didnt care for the supercars of the day I far preferred reading about the regular family saloons hatches and execs. I was a proper car geek. The high end 6cylinder models of most manufacturers family car ranges were always a treat to see as they were far rarer even back then. Rare but not impossible to see. Things like the 2.5 vectra cdx and 406 V6 etc etc. this was a time when the 3 series didnt totally dominate sales and not everybody could get easy credit for a bmw or merc. Now its gone full circle so that even that class of car - the premium sporty compact exec saloon finds itself threatened by ghastly crossovers and engines are now all hybrids or turbod 4s. Times change but still nice to remember.

[@macky4074]

​@Lifesloser nothing wrong with Turbo'd 4's, Renault 5 turbo & cosworths among a few rocking a turbo 4 back in the day. In fact if I remember rightly there was a craze of sticking turbo stickers on everything from hot hatches to hoovers and even Yo-Yos 😂

[@eljayr4669]

As a family man I had about 6 Cavaliers and Vectra’s but I didn’t like the third generation model. I bought an Alfa Romeo 156 instead. Unbelievably I had no problems with it and ran it for 9 years.

[@stevehs4287]

I was seduced by the Alfa 156 when it was released and bought one brand new . It broke down on the drive home from the dealership on collection day and gave me nothing but trouble for 12 months until I sold it!

[@eljayr4669]

@@stevehs4287 They did have a bad reputation but my brother also bought one and had no trouble with it. I still miss it.

[@stevehs4287]

@@eljayr4669 I loved the car but mine was definitely a Friday afternoon build !

[@MBLDN32]

That's the most comfortable he's ever looked in a car

[@Ktmzqw]

The 3 156 I owned were ridiculously reliable. Not perfect as all had exagereted suspension and tyre wear, but that's part of the chassis setup. Overall no issues.

[@Caridium]

Loved the VXR-inspired b-roll segment! Would be a laugh to see a few of them randomly inserted in future reviews.

[@AWMJoeyjoejoe]

I was very tempted by one of these once but the road tax is astronomical. £675 a year? Not a chance.

[@Punisher9419]

Mk XKR is half that. Although it seems to have gone up this year. I assume road tax increase ever year? I thought I only paid £340 last year now it's £395.

[@NathanSijpkes]

Lol we pay thay every 2 or 3 months here even more, holland

[@Hopgop1]

@@Punisher9419 Yeah increased this year. You get really shafted if your car is registered after about the middle of 06 and it's in the highest emissions band though.

[@BigUriel]

@@Punisher9419 Yes it's been going up almost every year that I can remember. Fucking scam is what it is.

[@Punisher9419]

@@Hopgop1 Thankfully mine is a 2003, the later X150 cars are really expensive now to tax £695 I think. I feel really sorry for owners of those now even though they have a much better car. Granted you can get a 5.0 engien with 575 hp so there are some upsides but most are probably the normal 5.0 engines or the 4.2 like mine with a little over 400hp. The 400 hp or so that I have is more then enough for the public roads. I haven't ever thought once I needed more.

[@bumbleo8993]

Never pretended to be something it wasn’t and all the better for it.. 👍

[@robsmall6466]

"Insignia, when was the last time you saw one of those" Um..... all the time to be honest. They are quite a common sight on British roads

[@Baron-Ortega]

There's one on my neighbours drive lol

[@DreamsOfGaruda]

See them all the time if I think about it

[@i.s.3458]

Really weird take from him, they're so common

[@robsmall6466]

@@i.s.3458 I'm guessing he meant the Insignia VXR and it got lost in the edit maybe 🤷‍♂️

[@JayEmmOnCars]

Yes the VXR specifically was what I meant, though there is also a drought of Insignias around me. They've all been replaced with Mokkas or KIAs

[@badrolkane]

You made laugh out loud with your drive by shots! It’s a cruise night car! And like a shooting a shooting star

[@asifnoaman8978]

Fantastic review. I suggest finding a Astra GTC VXR Aero to review. Much more refined car and the best handling car vauxhall has made in a while

[@steveastin2684]

Couple of years ago I needed a banger to use for work after my other car died, only thing available was a 13 years old Vectra 1.9cdti that had been slightly modified and had more than the specified 150bhp £500 with 5months test it was like the crazy girl you mistakenly cop off with when it ran it was great, surprisingly fast pulled like a train and being an estate was huge inside, over the 4 months I owned it it basically tried bankrupting me, and when a brake line let go almost killed me but for what it was I really enjoyed it I can only imagine what the vxr was like mine was both the best and worst banger I ever had, and I'm actually considering saving up to get a decent example as a hobby car

[@sleepercell9926]

2009 seems like yesterday, but when you see a Vauxhall from that year it always looks so old. Maybe its because it started in 2002 which is 21 years ago. It looks like something from the mid 90's

[@staLkerhu]

You have a really bad eye or memory if you honestly think it looks like a mid 90's car...

[@joshuakhaos4451]

I was about to go into my last year of High school in 2009 lol. its insane to realize how long ago the 2000s is now. Even better, my current car in a 2009 mustang gt. Its been a really good car for the last 7 years

[@sleepercell9926]

@@staLkerhu Its just the styling then maybe. It seems to have aged very badly when I compare it to cars of its age. E81 BMW or BMW 3 series or 2009 Ford Focus or Fiesta. I think it may have very American styling that just dates I think. That slab sided straight cut look that Cadillac had for a while maybe.

[@GoldenCroc]

@@sleepercell9926 Seems more like you dislike the styling, period. Thats fine, to each their own. But it doesnt look older than the model istelf is, or from another decade than it was. In fact, this is one of those cars that really scream of being exactly the age it is, the styling of it is extremely "early 2000", with the front, sides and kind of angular, upright headlights. You are right about some parts being cadillic-y, but those cars were also made in that exact period.

[@leonbishop5183]

90’s was jellybean, round edges,Vectra had straight lines and unique arch to its roof.was launched to compete with mk3 mondeo from 2000 so definitely not 90’s👍

[@seancooke7332]

My work Colleague had a 2006 one which was ex Manchester Traffic Branch so 310 bhp as opposed to 280 bhp and plenty of miles on it. Yes it could change lanes under hard acceleration and he never took it out in the rain, very unwise, he said. However, it sounded awesome, it was reliable, and very practical. Its replacement was a BMW M135. He still loved that Vectra though because with the police tune it was a very very fast car indeed.

[@marfrandema1884]

LOVE THIS THING!. I've seen only 1 in my life in switzerland. ULTRA rare car

[@robsmall6466]

See them now and then in the UK. Normally in electric blue. The Astra and Corsa VXR are much more common though

[@marfrandema1884]

@@robsmall6466 i believe between 500 and 1000 were made if not mistaken.

[@robsmall6466]

@@marfrandema1884 Seems to be around the 1000 mark. The estate is a unicorn though. Always wanted a VXR but didn't get the chance unfortunately

[@Inazuma68]

Ha en schwarze Kombi gha, nie en andere gse. Immer problemlos gloffe.

[@colti98]

Ahhh Jay bless you..Doing a good job of trying to be kind to the old thing.This was a fairly typical example of Vauxhall never quite managing to compete with Ford for desirability...Though the Mondeo V6's were also going out of fashion at the time.

[@Lukesummers94]

The vauxhaull style shot bit made laugh, great video!

[@Inazuma68]

I have a bit of a weak spot for that car. I owned an estate in black from new and it looked pretty good. Never had a car wirh more space. It weighted at 1630 kg, so it was quite fast. Traction was horrible but from 50 kmh in 3rd gear, it pulled strong. Once a R8 4.2 tried to overtake me (and my family…) and failed 😂. Maybe with the longer wheelbase (12cm) the ride was a bit better in the estate. Anyway on German Autobahn it was on the quicker side. Compared to my Insignia VXR, the newer car is more grown up with the 4x4 but 300 kg plus doesn‘t help from stand still. When I drive my 996 GT3 I remember what a light car means….

[@VXRretro]

Appreciate the comments and review you have made, but there is a few points i want to raise. It was available in auto, but why would you 😅. Next is that exhaust is definitely been modified, most likely had the rear boxes sleeved if the rest of the exhaust is standard making it look unmodified. Next is there is no torque steer on the standard open diff, it sounds like it has a LSD. I cant comment on the power as im no tuner but mines has been remapped to 300 on the dyno albeit it has 413lbft. I see there is a few comments on handling. Ive had 4 vectras and two of them were VXRs and have never had any issues with handling(apart from in the wet) but a well aligned car and good tyres makes all the difference. Ive since put Bilsteins on the car and that has made a big difference.

[@pmr01]

i'm with you. far better car than people give it credit for. evo gave it a a good enough review in a group test with a subaru, evo and a 330i

[@SilkyBadger]

Got the ex-police version of this with auto box and stage1, will never sell it. Just a great car under all conditions, from cruising round town to blasting the open road. PS 320BHP is s1 power, so defo mapped.

[@MrFredscrap]

@11:00, About the Insignia being slower, insignia was heavier *and* the boost for 1st and 2nd gear on the Insignia was limited because it exceeded the max torque of the transmission....

[@TheSaabClinicUK]

The engine was actually borrowed from the SAAB 9-3 Turbo X as GM owned SAAB at that time. As you say its a Holden V6, but it was SAAB that redesigned it for turbocharging.

[@BigUriel]

They didn't "redesign" it they just lowered the compression and slapped a turbo on it, stop trying to make Saab seem relevant.

[@TheSaabClinicUK]

@@BigUriel Shows how much you know then. The pistons are different, the conrods are different. Entirely new crank. And the webbing in the block around the mains is increased to give extra strength. Im an ex SAAB Master Tech and attended the introduction course for the TurboX.

[@johnwebster6360]

Would love to see a review of the 24v Carlton please

[@bentullett6068]

The BTCC helped sell these cars being that Vauxhall ran these as the factory team cars with a lot of success. The same happened with the Astra VXR before this.

[@aaronamarok]

It's quite interesting just how different the Vectra is to my Saturn Aura, despite having the exact same face. Very good review!

[@NickyLong89]

Always preferred the GSI to the vxr. That front bumper was 👌

[@ElmoBHD]

I had 2x Vectra C's. They were fantasic. both SRi. Star Silver. BTW: both built better than my current Tesla piece of crap.

[@nuttylivett2713]

Got the Sri petrol on a 08 plate and in starlight silver love it

[@RichieRouge206]

The sound is fantastic and sharing the drivetrain with the Saab 9-3 Aero. Torque steer is definately a big problem on these which is a shame. Shame it isn’t rear wheel drive. But still likeable for it’s unusual looks, rarity and one of those cars that appeals because it’s the underdog

[@martinevans1256]

Had one of them brand new in 2007 had it 3 years and sold it with 12 k on the clock and still miss it today

[@Inazuma68]

Same 👍

[@hartoz]

My wife had one of these, we were living in Sydney, and the Australian version was a little different. In Australia Holden put an even bigger engine in it (3.6 no turbo), and it's the one car that my wife said was "actively trying to kill her" every time she drove it. Handling in corners was dangerous, unless you kept a neutral throttle in the corner. Torque steer was immense. Terrible car, we traded it in for a Holden Commodore (same engine but rear drive), which was heavier but ultimately faster in day-to-day driving (because it handled better).

[@paulmoor595]

James. I have to disagree about the performance comments. You are judging against modern day in a tired example.. As the boss of the Essex Police ANPR interceptors team back in the day circa 2009, we had an unmarked grey one of these. It always outperformed the, Scoobys Evos and BMW 330 petrol when they were in pursuits together..at the top end..In the real world driven flat out, the boys thought it was a missile !.. Good memories of it. It can be seen in action on Police Interceptors..

[@geeteebloke1979]

I agree... when he says nippy but not devastatingly quick... nippy compared to what a 911 turbo ? mine goes like stink 😂

[@Envy701]

Great cars. I only had the 1.8 petrol variant but I knew a few people in the Vectra C owners club who had the VXR. Had a few great rides in these. The best one had Bilstein B10's fitted (I believe) and was mapped and that handled so much better. It was a tad scary but much fun.

[@mynt253]

Insignias are really quite common here in Germany

[@garside6425]

I currently own a 2009 estate vxr and find it handles fine, I've driven the length of the country on all kinds of roads and find it a nice drive. I had various performance cars in my past, subaru stis, m135i, r32, foucs st's, rs fiesta...list is endless...I really don't find the vectra bad at all, always puts a smile on my face when I jump in the drivers seat. Cracking all rounder if you ask me. I don't quite get how you praised the other vectra C then jumped on the same bandwagon as everyone else and slated the vxr, same engine, just slight more power in the vxr with added stability measures so how was it a worse drive than the other?

[@weeevilswine]

Maybe not worse to drive than the standard vectras, but he will be comparing it to the sportier offerings from bmw etc from the same time period since it’s a more powerful car, which I’d imagine it doesn’t compare greatly considering the price difference at the time

[@MrRohanThomas]

The person who drives it is what matters in handling, I've seen many people unable to adapt to a different vehicle for it's suitable handling characteristics and then shocked when someone else drives it way out their imagination

[@EdgyNumber1]

Great fun under acceleration but absolutely shocking in the bends, even with some fancy PS4S tyres.

[@jameswingrove7421]

I had a Saab 93 Sportwagon with the same engine as this. Mine had all the Hirsch performance bits fitted from factory including exhaust, suspension, brakes, and the all important ECU tune which gave it the same power as this VXR. I always felt it had a bit more than the quoted 280 horse power and 295 torque. A dyno run proved that at 304bhp and 312 torque. Great car, still miss it.

[@daniellissenburgh1584]

You could get the suspension upgraded for a small amount of money, then a remap would make it more fun, bare in mind the vxr's we around 8-10 grand cheaper than their competitors like fords RS's, and a top spec BMW would have been double the price!

[@darkchild130]

I bought my Z4 coupe based on your review and now you’re talking about a car I’ve been considering for my next daily for some time now. Why are you in my mind mate?

[@JayEmmOnCars]

Just don't look at that pot plant in your room too closely

[@larssonk22]

Did the 5th Gear production team make that VXR advert? Feels like it could have been part of a review!

[@antonrouse1196]

I always wanted one of these but in the vxr blue

[@rougeyrogue]

Had one of these on test at work when they were new. Starting it up in the downstairs car park set all the other car alarms off 😂

[@brxn538]

I have a 2.0 z20net vectra they are the ones to get better engines than vxr👌

[@TheSimonhammond]

I like the Vectra C especially the first gen with it's mk2 front and mk3 rear Cavalier styling. The whole point of owning a fast Vauxhall is it is ridiculous.

[@jarokenny]

my first car was Opel Vectra 1.7D..without power steering..I think nowadays no one would would accept live without it..

[@thehumanoid6543]

First here lol. This car is fucking amazing. Back when vauxhall made some really good cars for the masses, not just "trendy" ev's, which can't be bought by anyone below 40. As someone who's below 20 and is now looking for a used car, I'm really short for options. I have 6 grand, I'm in LA and there is nothing much I can find. Miatas are all about 8, TSX is about 10, ford focus st's are also 10. The world is now making cars for 45 year old millenials who think ev's are the only way forward and that all cars should cost 50000 dollars and weigh more than hummer h1's. 2000's was a great decade for car enthusiasm:(

[@baronvonjo1929]

Never been any affordable cars for us young folks. Even when the Ford Fiesta, Fit etc were here they were still unaffordable. Unless it's under 10k we can't afford it without taking a huge chunk outta savings.

[@A500-g6g]

@@baronvonjo1929 there are boys u just got to look in the right places. Focus at mk2 mint low miler goes for 4 grand, Mazda mps 2.3 turbo can be had for 2 to 3k, look at fiesta sts the older ones and even motorcycles for big speed

[@vauxaholic]

About time 🎉❤❤❤

[@keithnewton8981]

These vxrs and other versions all seemed to have much lower offical bhp than in reality the v6 twin easily had 300bhp as standard. I had several vectra c all where great car my first was 2.2 diesel turbo auto that had a little sticker by the headlight know saying this car is fitted with more options than stated . It was an elegance trim press car that dad got at 6 weeks old as he worked for Vauxhall I need a auto car he told his boss and this car appeared heavy discounted and it was lovely I feel in love with the wood trim the velour seating in sand beige two tone dash and so well put together sat nav cd cassette, dab, hard drive for music adaptive suspension tri zone climate su roof I loved that car in in three year I cover 150k not one issue. Everyone who travelled in could not believe it was a Vauxhall friends with audi A4 even converted it was the dot dash this meant the moulding had to be perfect vauxhall opel really did build a good car it was safe and boring but so are bmw and mercedes.

[@MrWilliam.Stewart]

MPG, ah, so blessed am I to have the metric system. That said, wheels have hung on to the fingers and foots measurement ways, an that seems to work ok.

[@markymark-r]

I love them. They’re terrible but that’s what makes them different. People talk about them, may well be for the wrong reasons, but they do get talked about. For that reason and their rarity…… future classic.

[@sleebanger]

love the variety on this channel. what are your opinions on the 997.2 gt3?

[@pauldunne3069]

I have a 2007 one and I do think by the sound of it that the back boxes are sleeved there a very quiet car standard it looks standard from outside

[@psircos]

The stalks and gear knob look the same as from my MkII astra merit, from 1995! This seems to be a case of taking an average engine and bolting on a turbo, without due care and attention. The 3.2busso, with roots in the 60s, managed 250hp on air. The BMWs were leagues ahead at the time. Someone correct me, but did the equivalent M3 not have 330hp from its 3.2 NA lump? Anyway, I did always like how they looked, the astra VXR too, had something about it which was easing to the eye. Understeer, particularly in the wet, was the order of the day though. I've seen a couple in a field, on a bend, in my time. Much like the fiat coupe 20v turbo! Turbo lag, turbo lag turbo lag....right, here's your 220hp all at once and, off the road you go 😂

[@VXRretro]

It was actually saab that tuned it. Its a holden engine the smallest displacement in the Alloytech range.

[@TheSaabClinicUK]

@@VXRretro SAAB redesigned the Holden engine to support Turbocharging, as the engine was originally "normally aspirated".

[@user-ue6iv2rd1n]

You can't compare it to an M3 the price difference was massive, even more so today. It made about what you'd expect from that engine, being a turbo engine you could always just turn the boost up and get around 300 anyway. I've got an e46 BMW from that era and the build quality is terrible, they haven't aged well at all. The driving position is rubbish too, steering wheel and pedals both misaligned in opposite directions to the seat.

[@omarf2406]

10:54 The insignia is significantly heavier. That might explain it.

[@Inazuma68]

True had the Vectra and now the Insignia. It is plus 300 kg and the drivetrain consuming too much power. Anyway love both of them, they never let you down

[@zackaboy1236]

Please review the zafira VXR!!

[@markknoxx7164]

My local boys in blue were given two of those vxrs and wrote them both of in some spectacular style with in a month of them joining there fleet 😅😅😅😅

[@rekordi]

That wobble or shake under acceleration can be inner cv joint. The slightest play here makes vectra feeling all broken.

[@ProMilkshake]

The "flatness" fron 3K rpm is likely down to the standard factory engine mapping. Those engines are tuned to have very flat torque. Presumably to tame the torque steer and save gearboxes.

[@Toolsandtech868]

They did make some of the vectra vxr in auto from late 2009 at the end of the run of the vectra c it wasn't many of them

[@snbala]

I know George really well, he loves his cars. This is a bit of a left field choice I guess, I think it got a lot of stick from Clarksons review and people just didn’t warm to it or give it a chance, plus the VXR badge does attract the wrong crowd. I don’t see these on the roads, nor the Insignia VXR, no wonder Vauxhall discontinued it.

[@Mouse2113]

Flawed but I like it, lovely noise too

[@markdoyle6414]

I see loads of insignas up here in Northern Scotland.

[@garethshaw5165]

My mate had one and it shat it’s gearbox. After some haggling with the local Vauxhall dealership they eventually replaced after claiming it had been driven too hard. About 6 weeks later the car never gave him any more hassle after somebody broken into the house stole the keys and off it went into the night never to be seen again

[@MrJOlle007]

Nice vid, but i must say, i see multiple Insignias every day... very popular car

[@wpjohn91]

I had an astra with the adaptive dampners. They went pop easily and cost a fortune to replace

[@larssonk22]

I recently got a GTC VXR, it's better than I imagined it would be (having previously owned a modified MK5). No ridiculous burble tune from factory! Oh yes the torque steer is hilarious but the car is quite predictable so it's easy to control. Only thing I dislike is the heavy clutch makes slow traffic more like a gym session.

[@katyg3873]

If you can get home if one, do the omega v6. The 3.0 mv6 ex police ones are surprisingly rapid.

[@euanweir2464]

The VXR was available with a automatic transmission, just very rare. I belive only 20 or so where sold in the uk. Also I can categorically say that that exhaust is not standard. I also own a vectra vxr and they're deadly quiet with a standard exhaust. The one in the video sounds the same as mine which has a middle silencer removed and the back boxes sleeved. The wheels on the video car are also non standard.

[@channex8179]

I have never liked Vauxhalls and as a mechanic I should have known not to touch one, But against my better judgement I went and bought a new facelift Corsa D VXR as i liked the look of them and those Recaros CS Sportsters were amazing, What a mistake that was!!!! It was twitchy, understeered like mad and the torque steer was of the chart not to mention ticking time bomb on cylinder 4. I should have bought the Clio RS200 which was the other car I was looking at the time. Luckily my wife crashed it and I was payed out and Bought a Abarth 500 Competizione spent the money I had left over on modding it and ended up with a 250bhp pocket monster!

[@TundeEszlari]

Amazing video.

[@donaljamescaddye3805]

Glad that old girl got saved ! There was a massive cull on them Vectras up until recently - They are no Mondeo but ! The Mk3 Mondy ST220 is a great handling car in comparison - Ford really took it to Vauxhall at that time - No cars like them anymore - Save one today i say !

[@davehudson6279]

Interesting vid - I'm actually an owner of one also in black, 76XXX miles. Just a minor correction - you could actually get the VXR with automatic transmission, although almost none were sold. Someone could confirm, but I think it was possibly single figures. Crazy.

[@thomasshepard6030]

My brother had one in automatic it was a cracking colour light blue metallic can’t remember the actual name I loved driving it I had the insignia VXR 2.8 4WD manual I preferred driving the vectra auto

[@V6weeks]

The evo mag review I have here says it “split the two hardest rally wannabes down the middle “ being the evo and Imprezza

[@matthewpumfrey2178]

More of the funky drive by shots please 🤣

[@goose4150]

To me the massive mistake has been offering it in only Fwd variant, especially when you consider that the other cars on that platform had an awd version, in particular Saab

[@BigUriel]

There's also the thing about manufacturers in the late 2000s thinking it was a good idea to make FWD cars with 250hp+ V6 engines and not even a limited slip diff.

[@Stevie-disciplesOfSin]

Never mentioned its party piece, its top speed

[@bripolar8124]

Cool video

[@stevewandel9317]

I'm curious about the engine. It never appeared in any vehicles here down under. I'm trying to remember if we even got this model Vectra or not. I know we got the 1st one, and then square one.

[@will_n775]

Mad car😂 you should check out the Mazda 6 MPS, great car and very, very rare.

[@quickreviewchannel6931]

Pls do a review on a Mazda 6 mps! They are amazing! 4 wheel drive with 260bhp and low drag of 0.29 make it a fasty even though it’s slightly fatty.

[@rotoehu9266]

The real batshit crazy was when Mazda put that drivetrain into the CX7 crossover. Wasn’t uncommon to see 18mpg around town, and I once saw 12mpg after a bit of a blast on some good twisties…

[@RotrexfezST]

I had a gen 1 3 mps,which was a good car. The 6 has many flaws over the 3 which has quite a few. Fragile cars sadly

[@iain4]

Ahh the golden GM days, now a sad shadow of itself under PSA / Stellantis ownership 😪. We will not see oddball cars like this again.

[@waterzap99]

That's Chrysler

[@gerbentvandeveen]

I am myself. Again looking for an Opel Vectra 2.5 V6 B caravan automatic. I got rid of mine. In 2018. With 32200 km on the odometer. 160000 Miles. Year of manufacture 1997. I have had this car for almost 8 years. And bought for €1000. And received €450 back for my Nissan Micra 1.3 SRI. 1998.

[@losslessification]

To be fair to Vaux interiors of that era, they aren't the best looking, and the control weights of everything is a bit excessive. But, all the materials do wear pretty well, especially the seat fabrics.

[@jefferysmith3930]

If you really want to something tragic, look up the US variant: the Saturn L series. Why they didn’t just bring it over as is, I’ll never know

[@jimmyfarley5581]

I did like your comment about the odd pop and crack on a well executed upshift. Those were the days! Days when you worked for the pops and cracks. Modern cars sound like they're being driven flat out on a rally stage when looking for a parking space in an Asda carpark. So false and fake. So damn annoying.

[@rjbiker66]

Strange that Holden never used this engine in any of their local cars. They stuck to the normally aspirated 3.6L V6, and perhaps that's what they should have stuck in the VXR

[@blainecarelse4155]

Pretty please review the 2016 Vauxhall Astra K 1.6 turbo sport🙏🏽

[@geeteebloke1979]

I have an insignia vxr if you would be interested in featuring it in the near future ?

[@andyhunt457]

Im sure there was a revised edition that fared alot better in the handling stakes

[@FleetAdmiral215]

This Car looks good on the outside but that era of interiors is awful, Used to love Vauxhall's from 1983 to 1994 & had Cavaliers & Carlton's , Great video James

[@retroecho]

What a tame shirt!!

[@matthewpotter8491]

Even when this car came out, I thought the design was dated. At the time I preferred the previous generation. Still do after all these years.

[@andymiller8877]

Sounds like it's had the very large centre box removed from the exhaust.

[@captgutter]

I liked the idea of the VXR badged stuff like the Astra and Zafira but with the Vectra, that was beyond polishing a turd. The Vectra was second rate by miles, behind Mondeo, never mind anything German. The VXR8 and Monaro on the other hand. They got hairs on the back of my neck up.

[@johnny6476]

The mondeo is a boring car, I had a vectra Sri for 5 years absolutely loved it. I would love the VXR someday wanted one of them for years, It’ll be a great weekend car.

[@asifnoaman8978]

the Mondeo looked hideous

[@deaks25]

Even back in the day when the Vectra VXR was new I thought Vauxhall got a bit carried away from the success of the Astra VXR, which was apparently also a cheap-and-cheerful, lairy torque-steering nut-job, and I think Vauxhall thought all they had to do was stuff a mad engine into the Vectra, put it on sale at a lower price-point job done. When actually things like the Mazda 6 MPS, ST220, 335i, S4, even arguably the V6 Peugeot 407 were all better one way or another while a 4-door hatchback was never going to appeal enough to the yobo-culture the Astra VXR found so much success with. I think this is destined to be one of those cars that is beloved by VXR fans but will end up forgotten in general. Fair play to the owner for bringing it out, I'd be a little nervous if my car was something of a driving project and then plastering it on ye-olde KZbin for the world to slate its condition.

[@andyshank]

that number plate is unforgivable

[@fylt_s1ph0n8]

The exhaust does not sound fully stock, ive got one

[@thedetailingdoctor5746]

The ultimate chav wagon no surprise I kind of like them is it 😂 not sure I’d like the understeer though !

[@sputumtube]

When Jeremy Clarkson reviewed it (along with an ST220 Mondeo), I recall him saying the understeer was 'catastrophic'..! Lol.. ;)

[@egosummagna3338]

​@@sputumtube put any fwd car with decent power on full lock, plant your foot to the floor and they all understeer badly, even the ST220. The review was a farce. The ST220 did ride better though.