The Vauxhall Vectra VXR Is A Boistrous Super Saloon That Could Be Yours From £5k

As you may have seen on Discuss or CT Facebook recently, we have a 321bhp Vauxhall Insignia VXR (below) on test at the moment. Our full report is coming soon, but until then, we thought we’d take a look at the car’s predessor - the Vectra VXR - which can be picked up very cheaply indeed.

These cars come with an earlier version of the same General Motors 2.8-litre LP9 ‘High Feature’ turbocharged V6 you’ll find in the Insignia, which in the later examples of the Vectra kick out 276bhp. That all goes through the front wheels, so Vectra VXRs are known to be a little unruly when it comes to putting the power down, but as with the Ford Focus ST, some would argue that’s part of the charm.

That hefty power output means some impressive performance stats: 0-60mph takes just 6.1 seconds, and without the 155mph limiter you usually get on cars from the likes of BMW, Merc and Audi, you’ll be able to hit 161mph if you find a bit of tarmac long enough.

There are downsides, of course, other than the ragged power delivery. The V6 isn’t the most tuneful of lumps and likes a good drink, and time hasn’t been kind to that nasty interior, which was already pretty dated when the car was new.

Still, with prices for the earlier, 251bhp models starting at as little as £5000, these offer a lot of performance for a relatively low sum. If it was our money, we’d spend a little more and get one of the later 276bhp examples, like this one. It’s done 75,000 miles, and is up for £7000.