VAUXHALL VXR8 6.0 V8 4dr (2007)

Prepare to have your wallet drained! But a worthwhile cost!

I’ve got over the brand snobbery and decided to go for something which everybody knows is amazing but doesn’t come with a German badge. And I can safely say I do not regret my decision. Obviously all the magazines say that this offers BMW M5-type performance and I must be honest, I’ve never driven an M5 but judging by the VXR8, it would have to be pretty good to trump it.

The beauty of it is that it is absolutely lethal if you put your foot down and yet can be quite a refined ‘wafter’ when you feel you need to calm down. There is less ‘wafting’ in my car and more pedal to the metal action (where I’m legally allowed obviously). It’s an absolute hoot to drive and I don’t think you could find as much fun anywhere for less than this sort of money, it really is very impressive. B-roads are undoubtedly the best place to take this because it really comes alive and you can explore the immense handling a bit more. The noise is also immense, most of the time. I haven’t had the privilege of taking it on a particularly long journey yet but I really can’t see myself getting tired of the noise.

I won’t lie, the VXR8 is quite a big car and because it’s so good in the corners, you forget about its sheer size which can be a problem when you approach what you think is quite a big parking space. I would also say that visibility can be something of an issue at junctions.

Inside, there is so much space and a whole host of fancy gadgets. I know that the quality of the interior is not as good as a BMW but I really don’t care (see paragraph about performance above), interior quality is something I’m willing to sacrifice.

The costs on this car reduce me to tears so I don’t think I can repeat them without getting upset. Let’s just say that they are big and the mpg rarely tops 20mpg.