The Vauxhall VXR8 was a full-size rear-wheel-drive performance car sold in Britain from 2007 to 2017. It was based on Holden Special Vehicles models from Australia and was the last Vauxhall with a big, naturally aspirated or supercharged V8 at its heart.
Vauxhall VXR8 at a glance
| Maker | Vauxhall (Holden Special Vehicles in Australia) |
|---|---|
| Production | 2007–2017 |
| Based on | HSV ClubSport R8, then HSV GTS |
| 2007 engine | 6.0-litre LS2 V8, 411 bhp |
| Later engine | 6.2-litre LS3 V8, 425 bhp |
| Bathurst S (2009) | supercharged LS2, 552 bhp |
| GTS (2010) | LS3, 436 bhp |
| GTS (2013) | 6.2-litre LSA, 576 bhp |
| GTS-R (2017) | supercharged LSA, 587 bhp, 15 cars |
| Also sold as | Vauxhall Maloo coupé utility |
Written from the English Wikipedia article on the VXR8, with the German article for background.
History of the Vauxhall VXR8
The VXR8 was introduced in 2007, based on the E-Series HSV ClubSport R8 from Australia. It was initially powered by a 6.0-litre LS2 V8 of 411 bhp, later upgraded to the 6.2-litre LS3 V8 of 425 bhp. Like the Monaro before it, the VXR8 existed because Holden’s Australian engineering produced large rear-wheel-drive cars that General Motors could sell in Britain under the Vauxhall badge, and it gave Vauxhall a performance flagship that no European-built model of the range could match.
In 2009 Vauxhall added the VXR8 Bathurst and Bathurst S, named after the Bathurst 1000 race in Australia. The Bathurst used an LS2 of 425 bhp, while the Bathurst S used a supercharged LS2 of 552 bhp. The VXR8 GTS followed in 2010, based on the HSV GTS, with an LS3 of 436 bhp. In 2013 a new GTS based on the Gen-F HSV GTS arrived with a 6.2-litre LSA engine of 576 bhp, and in 2017 fifteen VXR8 GTS-Rs were fitted with a supercharged LSA of 587 bhp.
A two-door coupé utility was marketed alongside the saloon as the Vauxhall Maloo, the first Vauxhall coupé utility since the 1950s Velox. The VXR8 was discontinued in 2017 because Holden closed its Australian factories and the HSV GTS went out of production, ending a ten-year run of Australian V8s in Vauxhall showrooms.
Design and features
- Big V8: engines from 6.0 to 6.2 litres, naturally aspirated or supercharged.
- Rear-wheel drive: a full-size saloon in the Australian muscle-car tradition.
- Bathurst editions: named after the great Australian race, up to 552 bhp.
- Maloo: the coupé utility version, the first since the 1950s.
Vauxhall VXR8 versions
- VXR8 (2007): LS2 6.0 with 411 bhp.
- VXR8 (2009): LS3 6.2 with 425 bhp.
- VXR8 Bathurst and Bathurst S: 425 and 552 bhp.
- VXR8 GTS (2010 and 2013): 436 and 576 bhp.
- VXR8 GTS-R (2017): 587 bhp, 15 cars.
The VXR8 followed the Australian-built Monaro and took the performance role once held by the VX220. More cars are in the Vauxhall collection.
Sources
- Vauxhall VXR8, English Wikipedia: models, engines, Bathurst, GTS, end
- Vauxhall VXR8, German Wikipedia: model background
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