Vauxhall Astra VXR

[Zytek_Fan]

What's stupid about this is you can get an MX-5 or an RX-8 if you wanted the 4 seats for the same cash with much better performance

And you won't torque steer into a tree!

[clutch-monkey]

it looks alright, stickers aside. but then the normal VXR would do just as nicely..

[KonaGreen]

We get the Astra here via Saturn, but I have no idea of we'll get the VXR version. I have to say that the Astra is a rather nice looking car.

[LeonOfTheDead]

the funny thing is that it shares a lot of components, engines and probably even the chassis with my mom's Fiat Stilo, which is all but a sport hatch. I'm still wondering how they managed to make it controllable with 240 hp when the most powerful Stilo was the silly 170 hp 2.4 called "abarth" (it was just a Lancia engine with some stckers and a bad set-up...and an automatic gearbox!)

[Ferrer]

the funny thing is that it shares a lot of components, engines and probably even the chassis with my mom's Fiat Stilo, which is all but a sport hatch. I'm still wondering how they managed to make it controllable with 240 hp when the most powerful Stilo was the silly 170 hp 2.4 called "abarth" (it was just a Lancia engine with some stckers and a bad set-up...and an automatic gearbox!)

It doesn't. The cars you're thinking of are the Corsa and the Punto.

[LeonOfTheDead]

It doesn't. The cars you're thinking of are the Corsa and the Punto.

I can assure you, confront the two cars. dimensions, interior layout. the pannels of the door (interior) are identical for example.

[Ferrer]

I can assure you, confront the two cars. dimensions, interior layout. the pannels of the door (interior) are identical for example.

They don't have the same wheelbase or width. The Astra and the Stilo aren't based in the same platform.

[LeonOfTheDead]

they have the same wheelbase, 2600 mm for the Stilo, with the Astra a little streched to 2614 mm, a difference made with a different suspension set-up without modifying the chassis.
I know there were no official words about this fact, but I'm basing my statements upon my observations.
btw, the shape of the two cars (both 3 and 5 doors) is very similar too.

for as regards the width, the difference is just 3 cm, and againg it's due to the suspensions and it's not so important to say if two cars share the same platform, like the lenght of the car (they have the same lenght though...)

IMO this little differences are due to a re-enginnering of the car which resulted in a better car, even if the Astra, or the Stilo neither, is on top of my list.