Astra VXR Down Under? Quite Possibly

[2ndclasscitizen]

HSV's pocket rocket
Jaedene Hudson
02sep05

The first small car from Holden's performance car arm, HSV, is expected to debut at next month's Sydney Motor Show and could be on sale within a few months.

The two-litre turbo-charged hot hatch (in an Astra coupe body) will have 184kW of power at 5600 revs and 320Nm of torque at 2400 revs. Holden has already said that the hottest Astra in its range, the SRi turbo, is expected by Christmas.

The new Holden Special Vehicle hatch will sprint to 100km/h in just six seconds and is mated to a six-speed manual.

The car will be based on Opel's OPC Astra launched at the Geneva Motor Show this year.

While the final name is yet to be decided, the VXR is a strong possibility. The same car is already known as the Vauxhall Astra VXR in the UK. Apart from the beefy engine, the hatch will add some other hot stuff over and above the Holden Astra's range – including 19-inch alloys, sporty front grille and bumper, fog lamps, rear-roof spoiler and special instrument panel and race seats.

HSV director of sales and marketing Chris Payne says the car will be a trade with the UK company. "It will technically be an exchange. We have given them a large V8 [the Monaro] and they will give us the VXR. It will be specially imported for HSV," he says.





The car is the result of more than two years of planning between Vauxhall and HSV to fill one of the areas HSV has, until now, been lacking in. "We would not expect a high conversion rate from the V8-type customer but we would expect the VXR to be the second HSV in the family, the second car, or the car for a younger family member, and those who had never considered an HSV before," Payne says.

The price has not been determined but is expected to be above $40,000.

HSV expects to sell 100 of the cars a year.

The Daily Telegraph
http://carsguide.news.com.au/news/story_page/0,8269,16447848%255E21822,00.html

[fpv_gtho]

Good one HSV, thats a total 180 from their stance when the F6 was launched :rolleyes:

Should be interesting though, although a few people who have test driven the car overseas havent had the best of things to say regarding its handling incomparison to some of the more established hot hatches. Regardless, Ford needs the new ST Focus in the country quicksmart.

[Spastik_Roach]

Only 100 a year? I would think they'd sell more than that..

[fpv_gtho]

Well no matter what, they should be able to say that demand is outweighing supply at least

[SlickHolden]

But that Astra won't out speed the V8 HSV's as the F6 does to all of the V8 FPV's.
At it's price and speed it's going to rip holes in everything when it's true colors come through. And that 6 speed auto might be the thing that highlights it's performence over the V8's. And cheaper to boot.

If holden or HSV done a V6TT with 280kw 480Nm. $?? 65,000 guess:D
I had a top of the range VYII GTS $108,000.
And if that pulled next to me i would be a little toey thinking i paid a bucket and a half out for this car and the V6TT might beat my Arse. I would hate that.
And i'm sure there might be some GT-P owners thinking the same thing when they See a XR6T not just the F6. The V8's need more power over the Turbo's. Or we will drive Turbo's cause they are cheaper and faster.
I seen a F6 take off from the lights. Off she went in a blaze of glory i thought **** that was fast from a stand still:eek:.

[fpv_gtho]

Well thats true i suppose. FPV and Ford are now showing signs of loosening the reigns on the T6, whilst you have to wonder if HSV would have no doubt over the V8 being quicker in any aspect

[SlickHolden]

I think the Phoon is the sleeper of 06, They have got so much more to stick in that it's scary:D
I think HSV fear the BarraT6 and not the Boss8. Maybe that's why they moaned about it a little.

[fpv_gtho]

ask the wrong bloke at HSV and he'll tell you theyre not afraid of a bunch of pussy's from cambellfield who wouldnt know how to make a performance car if given the blueprints, but there would be HSV's downfall in underestimating the market.

[SlickHolden]

They would only think the 6 doesnt work cause in the past they have offerd one and it hasnt been a real big winner.
But there downfull has been the V6 they offer was only a little more if not the same as a exec power. Who will pay for that? Not me.
They had the engine to make 220kw 570nm from the V6 Supercharge. Never gave it a go. Now yella terra have blower kits for $1500 that give you 220kw with 570Nm or more. As they say it's a killer off the mark it's a real 0-100 car with that blower kit.
But you can't offer Acclaim spec with HSV suspension brakes body-kit and Badge for $25,000 more then a Acclaim with same donk. I would buy the Acclaim blower kit it get suspension wheels brakes gloss it up and rip it's arse apart with money in the bank still:D

[fpv_gtho]

Well when Holden first got their hands on the Supercharged Ecotec, "their" V8 was only making 179kw and HSV were getting 195kw. The 5.7 stroker on the other hand was getting 220kw, so it was alot closer. Problem was, just as the Supercharged Ecotec found its legs, Holden dumped the 304 for the long overdue LS1 and kept the pricing the same

[SlickHolden]

I always had a dream that if i got my hands on a V6S/c i would ring it's nads:D.
Get that blower kit, HM headers exhuast package Twin, Shift kit the Auto. SS Cold air inatake. LSD3.5 ? 3.9?.
Camber kit kingz springs low 55mm, Pedders shocks, 19" rims GTS VT. Win keno :p.
But that would be a nice 1/4m car :D

[Blue Supra]

bring it on. Its an area the domestic market has lacked in for ages! Ford dont have a counter to it (they dont have a T4 hatch) so i think HSV are hoping to catch the market all to themselves. I think only 100 is unrealistic, theyll sell more then that they just want to be able to pat each other on the back when it goes over 100. The Ford T6 is still in its own class, this Astra wont touch it. (FWD 4cyl turbo vs RWD 6cyl turbo?)

Its about time HSV has a long hard look at themselves and this is a step in the right direction.

[fpv_gtho]

They do have a counter, the new Focus ST has a 165kw T5 Volvo engine

[Blue Supra]

will it be here in time to be a rival ?

[fpv_gtho]

hard to say, but ford havent confirmed anything yet and their main focus would probably be on sorting out the supply problems at the south african plant

[Blue Supra]

so in short:

probably not

?

[fpv_gtho]

my feeling is it'll come eventually, but probably some time next year whilst HSV might be able to sneak in the Astra before then

[Blue Supra]

I'm looking forward to the wheels/motor match ups. Ford Focus Turbo vs Holden Astra Turbo! oooooooooo yeh!

[fpv_gtho]

well the focus will actually be a turbo this time...the old ST was NA and got raped by the SRi and Sportivo Corolla...

theres still the same 20kw difference though, but the Focus chassis is supposedly alot superior to the Astra, so i think it'd be quicker around a track. in a straight line though its anyones guess

[P4g4nite]

I think the hothatch market is already stuffed to the gullet.
Although ...the thought of kiddies wrapping themselves around telegraph poles in their 240hp knee draggers is interesting.

The Vectra VXR is more to my liking of the VXR range.

[fpv_gtho]

I think most kids are drawn too much towards WRX's and SS's to even notice the hot hatch market personally

[P4g4nite]

Wow, you guys must be rich over there.

The kiddies here all ride about in lancers and excels.

....and bogan utes covered with bundy stickers.

[SlickHolden]

Speaking of a ute. The other week this VY SS ute Gen3 very hot and loud came near our park and drove on the nature strip in the wet doing burnouts:eek: I turned to my mum we seen the hole thing and i said to her it's hotted up it's wet everywhere it's not like this Clown can't do a wheelie on the road or road when dry, They just like to make a mess here at times we have some real top class clowns around.

Down the road here is a house of young boof heads.
2 Cars WRX 2 SS one VXII and VTII. One white Supra from tiime to time.

[fpv_gtho]

Wow, you guys must be rich over there.

The kiddies here all ride about in lancers and excels.

....and bogan utes covered with bundy stickers.

I think with everyone that went out and got an apprenticeship at 16, theyre getting these novated leases and paying the cars off in 5 years no fuss, theres definately alot of people under 25 in XR6T's that done it that way.

[clutch-monkey]

....and bogan utes covered with bundy stickers.
living at gatton on most weekdays i can symphathise with this :)

[P4g4nite]

Apprenticeships pay shitty enough as it is without having to take car payments out of it.
They must basically be trading 4 years for a car ..whatever makes 'em happy I guess.

[Blue Supra]

We have a local ute club that takes pride in "Countrifying" their utes to the point of it being silly, you know the 6 foot UHF aerial, massive bullbar, 10000000000000 bundy/alcohol/outback related stickers, orang lights running the skirting (semi trailer style) spotties on the roof. The whole lot. They all wear flannies and Akubras too :D

Apprentices get paid stuff all, Loans and Leases are all the rage.

[fpv_gtho]

i dont see as many as i used to these days, theyve kinda died off in the last couple of years, perhaps theyre too afraid to bring them out around here :p

[SlickHolden]

I almost had a Apprenticeship @ 15. At ultra-Tune. I didnt go through with it in the end and the guy talked me out of it. He was leaving after 40 years in the Buss. He said it's getting so high tech now and i'm a old man i like the old ways so it's time for me to move on. He was saying that the Apprentice there was in school 60% of the time learing the new stuff and learing computers since out the back they had a 5 foot tall computer that needed servies 6 times a year. He was getting out before they sent him back to school:p.

[fpv_gtho]

Well getting advice from someone becoming redundant isnt the best of ideas as theyre probably as biased as anything. I wouldnt have thought you could get an apprenticeship that early, but i suppose some people are 15 and a half when they get out of yr10

[SlickHolden]

My 16th birthday was 2 weeks away. This guy came from Nissan and he just didnt want to learn anymore, And last week when i was down there they ahve all gone now the boss all the workers have left, But i guess that was 14 years ago:D.
One bloke there loved his VK Calais 5lt. Was so scared noone could take pics of it:p
And he would go off tap if it was called a Commodore lol So i did 3 times:p Not happy jane:D

[clutch-monkey]

We have a local ute club that takes pride in "Countrifying" their utes to the point of it being silly, you know the 6 foot UHF aerial, massive bullbar, 10000000000000 bundy/alcohol/outback related stickers, orang lights running the skirting (semi trailer style) spotties on the roof. The whole lot. They all wear flannies and Akubras too :D

yeah that happens at gatton, sometimes i feel out of place driving a normal car :D

[fpv_gtho]

Ah well i suppose hes just gotta face the fact that it IS a Commodore, despite the badge. I imagine there'd be alot of disgruntled current gen Monaro owners falling victim to that same thing :p