General Motors British arm Vauxhaull has unveiled a new hotter version of the mighty VXR8 named after the fearsome Bathurst race track. As you know the base for this car is Chevrolet Lumina which goes on sale with different names in different parts of the world, CR8 in middle east, VXR8 in the UK and Holden something in Australia! It doesn’t matter what you call it, because this is one helluva good car. It is famous for delivering BMW M5 performance for half the price, and with this new 560hp edition it’s getting even better and it all comes for £44,995.

The combination of the LS3 V8 engine and a Walkinshaw Performance 122 Supercharger result in a massive 560 hp and 715 nm of torque. The supercharger package includes a large capacity intercooler, high-flow fuel injectors, a separate cold air intake and Walkinshaw-developed ECU map, and delivers the power through a proper manual gearbox which is upgraded with a high-torque capacity clutch.

Coming in Bathurst and Bathurst S editions, the new VXR8 has some distinctive visual upgrades as well, like the bonnet and side stripes, lip spoiler and new set of wheels. This car in its standard 430 hp form is one of the best and most enjoyable cars for drifting and long powerslides, and now with this much power I think even I can get into it and become the world drift champion! Well done Vauxhall.

PRESS RELEASE

Few will claim that Vauxhall VXR8 super-saloon is lacking in the power stakes, but just in case there were any doubters, the Vauxhall VXR8 Bathurst S Edition will put them straight.

Thanks to the addition of a Walkinshaw Performance 122 Supercharger, the Vauxhall VXR8 Bathurst S dispenses 560 V8 horsepower, compared with the standard car’s 431 horsepower, and produces searing acceleration throughout the rev-range and a spine-tingling, banshee wail when you hit the loud pedal.

The Vauxhall VXR8 Bathurst S Edition joins the normally aspirated Bathurst Edition at the top of the Vauxhall family tree, with both cars receiving a raft of technical and cosmetic upgrades over the standard VXR8. Only a limited number of Bathurst Editions will be sold through selected Vauxhall retailers.

To exploit the Bathurst’s greater power potential, six-pot front and four-pot rear callipers are now standard on both models, along with stiffer, height-adjustable springs and Walkinshaw-developed coil-over dampers. The bespoke damper units have 15 separate valve settings with independent corner adjustment for the owner’s preferred setup.

Dynamically, both Bathursts retain the VXR8’s much praised ride quality, but body control is enhanced and the handling made more exploitable for the enthusiastic driver.

At the heart of the Vauxhall VXR8 Bathurst S is Walkinshaw’s 122 Supercharger, which not only boosts power by 30 per cent, but escalates torque from an eye-catching 550Nm to an eye-watering 715Nm. Such is the strength of the LS3 V8 engine that extracting bigger figures would have been possible, but retaining the VXR8’s driveability and durability was Walkinshaw’s priority.

In fact, the 122 Supercharger is so much more than just a bolt-on blower. The comprehensively engineered package also includes a large capacity intercooler, high-flow fuel injectors, a separate cold air intake and Walkinshaw-developed ECU map, while the standard manual gearbox is upgraded with a high-torque capacity clutch.

As with most supercharged cars, the S’s power delivery is exceptionally linear, with a huge slug of torque available from very low down in the rev range; but push the engine towards its redline and there’s no let up in the car’s performance, just a seamless stream of power.

Outside, both Bathursts are instantly recognisable by their distinctive graphic packs, front fog light covers and ‘Bathurst’ badges (only the addition of a discreet ‘S’ badge reveals the supercharged model’s extra 129PS), while inside a console-mounted badge showing the car’s build number complements the ‘Walkinshaw Performance’ tread plates found inside each door opening.

Putting icing on the cake for serious drivers is the option of the new Bi-Modal Exhaust, which is available on both Bathurst models. Raising power by up to 10PS, the ingenious system allows drivers to select one of two noise settings: ‘Street’, with an upper limit of 92dbA, or ‘Optimum’, which releases the LS3 V8’s full 102dbA. The two-and-a-half inch diameter system is manufactured from stainless steel with unique chrome tail-pipe finishers and costs £1600.

Both Bathurst models retain the VXR8’s standard colour palette, and can also be specified with optional 20″ alloy rims at £1500. List price for the Bathurst Edition is £37,995 – just £2757 above the standard VXR8 – while the Vauxhall VXR8 Bathurst S costs £44,995.