We all know that General Motors plans to sell the Australian built Holden Commodore sedan as a rebadged Pontiac in the US, but what we didn’t know is that its UK division, Vauxhall, will be offering the high-performance HSV Clubsport R8 variant as its new VRX8. HSV is an acronym for Holden Special Vehicles, a tuning company that specialises in modifying V8 Commodore sedans, and now its latest E-series Clubsport will be hitting showrooms in the UK.
The new model features the same 6.0L LS2 V8 engine shared with the Corvette, developing a very healthy 420hp and 550Nm of torque. Expect the 0-100km/h sprint to take just 4.9 seconds for the conventional six-speed manual. A performance bargain at just £34,995. For an extra £1,400, customers can opt for a new six-speed automatic with manual mode that’s just half a second slower to reach 100km/h than the manual. Huge 365mm front disc brakes will slow the big saloon down from 100km/h to a standstill faster than a Lamborghini Murcielago or BMW M5. Options include sat-nav and 20inch alloys.
Although the new VXR8 is expected to be based on the Clubsport R8 model, there are rumors that the more potent GTS version equipped with GM’s magnetic ride control suspension system and a possible supercharged version may be hitting the streets.
