New Astra VXR may have 300bhp
04.10.2010 - Stuart Milne
(14)
The next performance Vauxhall Astra may be the most powerful yet, if it gets the green light. A source at Vauxhall has told Auto Trader the Vauxhall GTC Paris debuted at this week's Paris motor show is officially a concept, but it is extremely likely to go into production as the Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch.
And when that happens in early 2012, Vauxhall will turn its attentions to a performance model which will have "slightly more than the 290bhp of the GTC Paris".
Our source said the car will be front-wheel drive, something proved possible by the Ford Focus RS, and is likely to feature additional body styling to set it apart from lesser models.
Little is known about the GTC Paris concept, and what will come of the production version, but it's likely to be powered by the same engines found in the five-door Astra, including the revvy 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine and a range of diesels.
The GTC Paris concept features a standard dashboard with racy bits added, and the seats feature a "positive/negative" colour scheme, although this is unlikely to make production.
The wild looks of the GTC Paris are unlikely to be toned down too much - the previous Astra Sport Hatch entered production with few changes from the concept.
