2008 VAUXHALL VXR8 6.2L V8 6AT (431 HP)

Vehicle Overview

GM agreed to sell the Holden HSV Clubsport R8 on the British market under the Vauxhall VXR8 nameplate.

Holden produced various vehicles based on the European platform provided by Opel and Vauxhall, and it was time for it to pay back something. But it delivered only to the British customers, which drove on the same side as Australians. Europeans were left behind with tears in their eyes as they couldn’t get the Vauxhall VXR8 in an RHD version.

The car’s look was no subtle at all. Its air vents on the hood screamed for attention, its front bumper with LED daytime running lights and the angry-looking headlights matched the car’s performances. The VXR8 sported big vents behind the wheel arches on the sides, and the side sills sent the aftermarket parts makers home. At the back, Holden installed a big wing on the trunk. The carmaker added a diffuser under the rear bumper flanked by two big, oval tailpipes to complete the aggressive package.

Inside, the carmaker installed sport bucket seats with high bolstered areas for the front occupants, while the bench was just flat. All seats sported the VXR logo embroidered on their backseats. It was a way of saying that the middle seat in the back was almost useless for an adult occupant due to the high center tunnel. The carmaker installed white dials with red needles in the instrument panel, complemented by three additional gauges on the upper side of the center stack.

But the essential part of the car was under the hood, where Holden installed an all-American supercharged Corvette engine for Vauxhall VXR8. It was available with either a 6.0-liter or a 6.2-liter displacement.