The Gay UK November 2015 Issue 16 | Page 32

© VAUXHALL

© VAUXHALL

© VAUXHALL

LOVE

CORSA YOU’LL IT

32 THEGAYUK | ISSUE 16 | NOV 2015

The Vauxhall Corsa is a familiar sight on UK roads;
no surprise considering it's the second best selling
car of 2015 with over 57,000 having found homes
this year. Although the majority of buyers will be
drawn to the low purchase price, cheap running
costs and smart (if inoffensive) looks, there's a
variant that adds something extra, excitement. Step
forward the VXR.
Originally launched back in 2007 and heavily
reworked along with the rest of the Corsa range at
the start of 2015, the VXR takes aim at cars such as
the Fiesta ST and MINI Cooper S. Compared to
these, it looks something of a bargain at just shy of
£18,000. That may be slightly pricier than the ST
but it offers more power and a level of standard
equipment higher than the cheapest fast Ford. For
serious driver's there's also the optional
'Performance Pack' that's fitted to our test car.
Regardless of options, the VXR comes with a
muscular 205hp from the 1.6 litre turbocharged
engine, enough for 0-62mph in a rapid 6.5 seconds.
That's almost half a second faster than the Fiesta ST
and enough to make the VXR very entertaining. The
engine is certainly effective but lacks the kind of
aural fireworks that make for a truly great motor.
It's also some way behind rivals in terms of carbon
emissions and economy. While I did manage 40mpg
on a long run, my average for a week was nearer
35mpg. A heavy right foot can see this drop below
30.