| This week I test drove the Vauxhall Astra VXR | | | | hijacking aren't part of the Vauxhall lifestyle but in |
| and was asked whether I was the type of | | | | many ways, the Astra VXR is part of the |
| person who'd buy this type of car - a | | | | automotive equivalent of The Usual Suspects. The |
| powerhouse of a hatchback. "Well am I?" I | | | | world of the hot hatchback has always been |
| thought, so here's my CV. I don't profess to be | | | | comprised of familiar faces that have been |
| many things but I like to think of myself as a nice | | | | slugging it out over many years. The current crop |
| guy, who's hard-working, law abiding, music loving, | | | | includes the main five suspects: Vauxhall Astra |
| car worshipping and sport mad. I also like to | | | | VXR, Honda Civic Type R, Ford Focus ST, |
| advertise myself as somewhat of a film expert | | | | Volkswagen Golf GTi and RenaultSport Megane. |
| and enjoy dropping into conversation with | | | | It's a formidable line-up worthy of the silver |
| like-minded people the Spanish language film I saw | | | | screen but seeing as I had the keys to the Astra, |
| last night or what actually happened in The Matrix. | | | | let me throw some facts and figures at you - |
| Until this week however there was a gaping hole | | | | starting with the styling. Aggressive doesn't begin |
| in my film repertoire that ensured that my | | | | to do the Astra justice - even Vauxhall's |
| cinematic ramblings were denounced quicker than | | | | advertising slogan of 'GTi - RIP' had an air of |
| Usain Bolt running the 100 metres - I had never | | | | hooligan about it. Huge alloy wheels adorn the gaps |
| seen The Usual Suspects. | | | | in the wide and low-slung body kit, with a roof |
| Having been garnered with more stars in reviews | | | | mounted spoiler and mesh front grill completing |
| than the night sky above me, it seemed odd that | | | | the look. It's a bold statement which gives the |
| I'd never taken time out to watch it. The content | | | | impression the car is travelling at serious speed |
| seemed up my street too, with the film being | | | | even when parked at the kerb. |
| billed at the time of release as 'the Reservoir | | | | When the 2.0 litre turbo-charged engine is awoken |
| Dogs of 1995', so plenty of guns, violence, | | | | it does happily propel you to speeds that befit its |
| swearing and death then - not Toy Story in other | | | | looks. Developing 240bhp, the Astra VXR covers |
| words. So I finally settled down 13 years later | | | | the 0-60mph dash in a mere 6.2 seconds but |
| than intended and can report that if I had any | | | | more importantly for a front wheel drive car, |
| clout as a film critic there would be another | | | | develops no discernible torque steer thanks to |
| maximum five stars winging their way to Bryan | | | | more processing power than a string of computer |
| Singer's masterpiece. | | | | shops. Vauxhall honed the Astra's chassis at the |
| The premise is far from simple, but involves five | | | | fabled Nurburgring racing circuit in Germany and it |
| criminals being brought together by the police in | | | | shows. Despite the twisty roads and sheep that |
| unusual circumstances and being blamed for a | | | | kept darting out in front of me, the Astra |
| lorry hijack they (in all probability) didn't commit. | | | | avoided becoming an abattoir on wheels thanks to |
| Whilst biding their time before release, they decide | | | | responsive handling and the aggressive front end |
| to wreak revenge on the police and make a tidy | | | | scaring them off. |
| profit whilst doing so. Throughout the film a | | | | My only concern is that to develop 43bhp more |
| mystical master criminal called Keyser Soze is | | | | than the Volkswagen Golf GTi and Honda Civic |
| mentioned and via a serious of flashbacks and | | | | Type R, Vauxhall have bolted on a turbo that |
| narration from one of the five suspects the story | | | | with all the will in the world means one thing - lag. |
| unravels, culminating in a bloody finale aboard a | | | | Often I found myself in the overtaking position |
| container ship and a twist so implausible that it | | | | only for all that power to have a sit down, make |
| contorts your brain into believing it's possible - | | | | a cup of tea and then decide to get to work. |
| who is Keyser Soze? The beauty of the | | | | There were also occasions when having zoomed |
| storytelling is that you know there will be a twist | | | | past the car on my inside that the engine wanted |
| but cannot pinpoint how or who will be involved. | | | | to have another brew before stopping the flow |
| It was a similar scenario I found myself in whilst | | | | of power. That said 43bhp is one heck of an |
| driving the Astra VXR. Obviously gunfire and | | | | advantage over the rivals so it's worth waiting for. |