Table of contents for Summer 2018 in Performance Vauxhall

No prizes for guessing what we’re focusing on in this bumper issue of Performance Vauxhall! As I write this introductory piece, I’m wondering what recently built Vauxhalls, Opels, Holdens and Bedfords (shout out to the Rascal owners) will be on display when PVS kicks off at Santa Pod Raceway on Sunday 24th June. There should also be plenty of action to witness the day before, when the Vauxhallonly Run What Ya Brung session comes into force shortly before the night’s entertainment (laid on for the benefit of those of you with weekend camping tickets). We’ve decided to use this jam-packed edition of the magazine to highlight some of the cars, special display stands and features you can expect to see at the show. Turn to page 55 for everything you…

*TO THE MAX Looking to make your Vauxhall perform and handle as well as Power Maxed Racing’s dominant BTCC Astras? Who better to trust than the people who build and run them?! Using parts from team partners, Milltek exhausts, ITG air filters and Eibach springs, PMR’s engineers can take your race or road car to the next level, utlilising Viezu Tuning software along the way. Visit powermaxedracing.com *ALL CHANGE Vauxhall MD, Stephen Norman, has announced the refranchising of the manufacturer’s entire dealer network. This move will see all existing main dealer contracts terminated at the end of a two-year notice period, after which dealers will be invited to submit fresh franchise applications. A reduction in network size is intended to improve dealer profitability. *VIVA LA VBOA! This year marks the…

Organised by the guys and girls of Z20LET Lovers (thought to be the largest Vauxhall/Opel enthusiast group in the world), Race Wars was a popular fixture in the calendar of Griffin owners far and wide when it launched at Kendrew Barracks in the East Midlands last summer. Affording owners of some of the UK’s most powerful two-litre, turbocharged hot hatches the opportunity to test the abilities of their cars in a safe, controlled high-speed environment, the event saw powerful Vauxhalls line up side by side before they sped off into the distance, their proud pilots hoping to score impressive sprint times along the mile-long stretch of runway the RAF’s Harrier GR9 squadrons used to call home. Unsurprisingly, demand for a repeat of last year’s event was high thanks to reports…

“Precision handling is crucial regardless of engine output” Who are you and what do you do? My name is Dan Robson. I’m one of the Managing Directors at Vauxhall tuning specialist, RnD Motorsport. Pleased to meet you, Dan! When was RnD Motorsport established? My business partner, Mark Riley, and I laid the foundations for the company six years ago. It became our full-time pursuit two years later. Where is the company based? Our workshop can be found in Tholthorpe, just north of York. How many people work with you at RnD Motorsport? I take care of most of the mechanical work, mapping and fabrication. Mark is responsible for anything electrical, such as wiring and ECU installation. We’re joined by our employee, Will, who manages the parts supply side of the…

35 th BIRTHDAY DISPLAY A If there’s a performance Vauxhall that’s held its own through the good times and bad, then the Nova is it. A mainstay of the Griffin tuning scene ever since the model’s launch in 1983, the Chevette’s replacement was the chariot of choice for successive generations of modifiers, gaining it notoriety during the mid-1990s for eagerly wearing outlandish fibreglass body kits and retina-scalding paint jobs which did little to promote the car’s qualities as a seriously good hot hatch with massive performance and motorsport potential. Badged as the Corsa A outside of the UK, the Nova’s popularity among all demographics ensured it a healthy decade-long production run. In fact, Nova sales remained strong during the entire time the model was a feature of main dealer showrooms.…

How fast can you change a wheel? We’re going to provide the car, all you need to do is prove yourself against the clock! How hard can it be? Easy, eh?! It sounds straightforward enough, but you’ll be surprised at how even seasoned professional tyre fitters crumble under pressure! If you’re feeling confident and fancy bagging yourself a prize from one of the show’s sponsors, then head over to the Performance Vauxhall Show Tyre Challenge stand opposite the Nova, Corsa and Vectra GSi displays, and have a go at proving you’ve got what it takes to fit a set of wheels faster than anybody else in attendance.…

20 th BIRTHDAY DISPLAY As if two anniversary stands at this year’s Performance Vauxhall Show isn’t enough, we’ve only gone and pulled a third together! This time, we’re celebrating two decades of Vectra GSi. That’s right – twenty years. Time flies as fast as a Vauxhall powered by an MSD-fettled V6. As the successor to the Mk3 Cavalier, the Vectra B had a lot to live up to. It’s worth noting that in keeping with time honoured tradition, Vauxhall didn’t care much for Opel’s choice of designation for the Vectra A; instead of towing GM’s party line, the big wigs in Luton chose to stick with the Cavalier name until 1995, at which point the newer car arrived in British main dealer showrooms wearing the Vectra badge. As had been…

Direnza was established in 2012 as a specialist supplier of components for European performance vehicles. The company’s knowledgeable team prides itself on delivering high quality tuning products manufactured to exacting standards, and has earned an enviable reputation for exceptional customer service. Take a look at the ‘recommended products’ pages in each issue of Performance Vauxhall and you’ll see Direnza’s offerings are advertised at low cost. Be it a VXR spring kit or a GSi radiator, the firm buys from its suppliers in bulk, meaning it can provide owners of modified Griffins with excellent quality tuning parts at extremely competitive prices. Furthermore, Direnza offers free shipping, massive discounts (up to fifty percent off purchases placed through the company’s online store) and the assurance each product sold has been subjected to a…

As ever, this year’s PVS retail village will feature trade stands from a number of aftermarket and OEM parts suppliers familiar to readers of Performance Vauxhall magazine. Leading the charge will be our friends at Autovaux, Nevlock, KSport and Imperial Performance. Be sure to head over their respective displays, where a huge range of parts will be available for order or collection. You’ll also be able to take advantage of special offers and big discounts exclusive to PVS attendees.…

Back in 2004, Vauxhall grabbed many of the headlines generated by stories written about the year’s Sunday Times Motor Show. Automotive journalists far and wide scribbled fevered ramblings about the hugely aggressive selection of cars on the manufacturer’s unusually large exhibition stand, which was set up to promote the launch of the now legendary VXR brand. Standout Griffins being touted by the lads and ladies from Luton included a new sporty performance Astra packing suspension fine-tuned by Lotus. Presented alongside the sharply dressed three-door was the VXR220, a low volume production version of the VX220 Turbo. Limited to just sixty-five units, riding on Ohlins suspension and sporting matte black Speedline five-spokes, the raucous roadster left little doubt regarding the seriousness of Vauxhall’s intent to corner the performance motoring market. THREE…

While you might not see them out and about every time you hit the road, there’s a significant number of HSV-derived Vauxhalls in the UK. Primarily taking the shape of Monaros, VXR8s and Maloos, these V8-powered monsters offer a lot of bang for your buck and are proving increasingly popular now the wider tuning community has cottoned on to the fact that production has ended in Holden’s home of Australia. A lack of new VXR8s means desirability and prices on the used car market are increasing, with prospective owners coming to the Vauxhall V8 scene where they might have previously been unimpressed by VXR-basged Astras, Corsas or Vectras. Unsurprisingly, owners of V8-propelled Griffins are an enthusiastic bunch, as you can see from the fantastic turnout at MW Performance’s annual HSV…

Modifying cars is great fun, but with today’s tuning tech making seriously big bhp possible from Vauxhall’s line of turbocharged two-litre engines, the chance of mechanical failure as a consequence of pushing a C20LET, Z20LET, Z20LEH or even an A20NFT to its limit is high. And when things go wrong, they tend to go badly wrong. Just ask Ethan Eaton, the owner of Astra VXR Nürburgring Edition #348. “I was driving flat-out along my local bypass when the car’s engine decided to dump its oil,” he sighs. The loss of a Vauxhall’s lifeblood is bad no matter when it occurs, but as if to add insult to injury, Ethan’s ‘Burg decided to give up the ghost a short while after being on the receiving end of a fresh engine build.…

“I FIRST SPOTTED THE CAR AS PART OF A JOB LOT, WHICH INCLUDED AN ESCORT RS1600I AND A FIESTA RS TURBO” Every now and again, a video, image or rallying cry published on the internet goes viral in spectacular fashion. A gazillion shares across multiple social media platforms turn whatever’s being distributed into an online sensation. The Ice Bucket Challenge, pictures of Rene Zellweger’s new face, The Fappening. They’ve all been the subject of mass hysteria resulting in huge amounts of traffic to the websites responsible for the posts being shared. Even Kim Kardashian’s butt cheeks were claimed to have broken the internet after they were spread far and wide across digital media. Nice. Ordinarily, eBay listings get less attention. Sure, mates with shared interests might point you in the…

Performance Vauxhall Show is delighted to welcome the world’s leading high performance brake specialist, EBC Brakes, as one of the event’s sponsors. With a worldwide workforce of more than 400 people, EBC Brakes is an independently owned and managed leader in the brake equipment market, proud of its staff, its products, its customers and its success. EBC produces the largest range of brake pads and discs in the world, with over 5,000 part numbers covering every type of moving vehicle. The majority of EBC brake discs are made in the UK, although the company also has a Stateside manufacturing facility. Despite modern trends towards cheap, imported brake pads and rotors, EBC leads in terms of technology, quality control, product performance and customer service. Cars, trucks, SUVs and even mountain bikes…

New for PVS is the handling course and dedicated strip time brought to you by Z20LET Lovers, the team responsible for Race Wars (see page 24). Put your Vauxhall though its paces on a dedicated circuit designed to test your driving skills as you try to control the way your car handles around twists and turns in pursuit of the quickest finish time of the day. VBOX Motorsport professional datalogging and video hardware will record your efforts, and for just five pounds, you’ll be able to take home a USB stick containing the captured footage, enabling you to relive the experience over and over again. Awards will be given to the three quickest participants. Santa Pod’s quarter-mile strip gives you an opportunity to test your Vauxhall’s speed and acceleration to…

Ten of the Best (TOTB) is a competition aimed at finding the best modified cars and drivers in Europe. Handling, top speed and a quarter-mile drag contest are challenges used to determine success across front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive applications. Amazingly, all cars competing in TOTB are fully road legal, with tax and test. Many of the Vauxhalls taking part are heavily modified, some to the extreme. More often than not, entrants have built and tuned their own vehicles. Garages specialising in the types of cars eligible for inclusion are well-represented. Team Vauxhall is always in the finals. As ever, the lads will be competing at this year’s Performance Vauxhall Show, taking to Santa Pod’s recently laid concrete quarter-mile and accelerating from a standing start in the shortest…

We had a great response to our appeal for entries to this year’s PVS Show and Shine competition. The standard of cars submitted was very high, and we can’t wait to showcase the twenty great Griffins that’ll be battling it out for the trophy (not to mention the bragging rights!) on offer at Santa Pod Raceway when PVS gets underway on Sunday 24th June. Highlights of this year’s contest include former Performance Vauxhall feature cars. One of those confirmed for inclusion is Nick Rance’s Mk4 Astra GSi, a beautiful blue turbocharged treat many will know from its starring role in the May 2015 issue of the magazine (order a back issue copy at bit.ly/issuespv). The pictures printed here were taken at the time of the car’s cover story, but expect…

There’s no two ways about it, taking photographs of your Vauxhall can be a tricky business. Poor lighting, incorrect camera settings, adverse weather and clutter in the background of your shot can be unwanted contributing factors making your best pics look less like what you’d see on the cover of a magazine and more like the kind of snap you’d find buried in the classifieds. Thankfully, technique is something you can improve greatly with a few pointers from a pro. The beauty of it is you already have the car, a location can be almost anywhere you feel like parking, and we’re pretty sure you’ll have something to take a photo with, even if you’ve only got a smartphone to hand. And unlike mastering portrait or wildlife photography, your subject…

When it comes to classic Griffins and their Blitz-badged cousins, there are models which the passage of time has treated incredibly well. We’re not talking about resistance to corrosion. After all, vintage Vauxhalls and old Opels love to rust! No, we’re referring to the meteoric surge in popularity and iconic status enjoyed by some of the older performance products in the back catalogues of our favourite manufacturers. These cool cars are arguably more revered today than they were during their time in production, with many seen to be mega-desirable because of their old-school charm and an ability to accept modern tuning equipment, thereby increasing the potential for street smiles over and above what was originally offered from the factory. Few cars are held in the same high regard as the…

In the Vectra’s last project progress report, I revealed the decision to cover the car’s Arden Blue paintwork with a striking new 3M vinyl wrap in advance of PVS. Those of you who attend the show will see the big reveal on the Performance Vauxhall stand after the VXR returns from the workshop of expert wrapping outfit (and supplier of wraps to the BTCC), Joyce Design. You’ll also see the car rolling on new wheels, which arrived just as we were about to go to print. I reasoned that the impact of updated bodywork might be diminished if I left the Irmscher Sport Stars in place. They’re great rims and are in Irmscher’s difficult-to-source offset of ET30 with staggered fitment, but if the intention is to give the car a…

In our last issue, I outlined my 1991 BTCC Super Touring Cavalier GSi’s history in the hands of star driver, David Leslie, after the team he was working for (the Scottish stable of Ecurie Ecosse) bought the car from Vauxhall’s works concern in time for the 1992 season. After finishing the championship in seventh place, both car and driver parted company when Leslie hopped into the famous Penthouse-sponsored BTCC Cavalier for 1993’s campaign, but not before he led the inaugural TOCA Shootout (view the amazing footage on YouTube by pointing your browser at bit.ly/016shootout92) in the car I would buy twenty-five years later. If the livery worn by my GSi when Leslie was at its controls made it almost impossible to recognise as the works car driven by Bob Berridge…

We started the year in style thanks to Senna Proctor’s unprecedented victory at Brands Hatch. For those of you who missed the occasion, the northern wonder took the chequered flag in sensational style after starting from twenty-seventh on the grid, piloting his Astra K like a man possessed. The team was understandably on a high as the second round of the season drew near, an event held – as tradition dictates – at Donington Park. The Derbyshire-based racing venue was subjected to a comprehensive overhaul following successful takeover by MotorSport Vision (MSV). The changes implemented have vastly improved the site and its facilities, meaning even the cold and rain didn’t deter thousands of BTCC fans (including Performance Vauxhall designer, Julian) eager to see Senna do battle with those looking to…

BEHIND THE WHEEL We’ve packed the events timetable (page 61) full of quarter-mile track action for you to take part in, as well as laying on a selection of drag car, jet car and Ten of the Best demonstrations to show you how it’s done! Whether you’re a seasoned drag warrior or somebody new to Santa Pod Raceway, you can take your place at the start line and attempt to pass the quarter-mile marker in the fastest time possible. Pure enjoyment is yours for the taking, but bragging rights are also up for grabs, especially if your recorded times are much better than those registered by the mates you’re with! Your mission is simple: accelerate from a standing start and cover Santa Pod’s newly-laid concrete quarter-mile in the shortest time…

Photography UK will be making a welcome return to PVS. Those of you who’ve attended the show in previous years will know the company shoots photographs of each and every Griffin as it arrives at the event, affording you the chance to bag a special souvenir snap depicting you and your car making your way through the gates at Santa Pod. Put simply, if you attend the show, there’ll be a picture of your car on display! The Photography UK stand can be found in the heart of the retail village. Thanks to the firm’s on-site printing facilities, you’ll be able to buy 9x6-inch and 12x8-inch framed or unframed copies of your arrival photo. The same image can be printed on a coffee mug, a smartphone case and several different…

25 YEARS YOUNG! This year’s Performance Vauxhall Show will play host to a special display of Corsas in celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of what is one of Vauxhall’s best-loved models. We’ll be presenting ten outstanding examples of the ground-breaking supermini, ranging from a spotless Corsa B SRi through to heavily modified Corsa E VXRs. In 1993, Britpop was getting ready to unleash its full force, Bill Clinton was sworn in as the forty-second President of the United States and the Maastricht Treaty took effect, formally establishing the European Union. In the motoring world, all eyes were on Vauxhall, a company ready to launch the successor to the fantastically popular Nova. Opel had been using the Corsa name for years. Indeed, Nova is the UK designation for what the majority…

SHOW LAYOUT All attractions correct at time of going to press. All attractions subject to change. Asterisk denotes weather permitting. CLUB DIRECTORY Arctic Edition Owners Club Astra #Twintoppersclub Astra J Uk (Vxoc) Astra Mk4 Owners Association Astra Nurburgring Club Astra Owners Network Boost Crew Uk Car Girl Culture Club Vxr Club-Vaux Corsa Black Edition Club Corsa D.E Uk Corsa E Owners Club Eastside Vectra Owners Generalmotorsclub Just Opel Vauxhall Mig Performance Vauxhalls Modified Vauxhall Scene Opel Vauxhall Owners Club Performance Nova Group Saabworx Scottish Vauxhall Owners Team Arden The Griffin Gang The Mad Bus Club The Mad Vauxhall Club Total Vectra Ultimate Vauxhall Owners Club (Uvoc) Unit 6B V4xhl Vaux Mad Vauxall Vauxdrivers Everywhere Vauxhall Dirty Diesel Club Vauxhall Insignia Misfits Vauxhall Insignia Owners Vauxhogs Vauxlife Vaux-Web Vectra Enthusiast Club…

Readers of Performance Vauxhall will be well aware of the awesome anchors offered by performance braking system manufacturer, KSport, not least of all due to the high volume of KSport-kitted cars we showcase. Needless to say, we’re delighted to welcome the world’s largest KSport distributor, KSport UK, back to PVS as a show sponsor. KSport UK has been working closely with the factory since the release of the very first KSport prototypes many years ago. No other distributor has more experience of KSport big brake kits, which have proven themselves to be able to hold their own against the most established performance braking systems on the market, not only in terms of outright performance, but also when it comes to levels of reliability and durability. The special twin-piston seal design…

Every now and again, a manufacturer stuns motor show attendees with a surprise design study. Taking the form of a wild and wacky prototype – often based on an existing production model – the purpose of the presentation is to ‘test the water’ as far as automotive styling and the tastes of the car buying public is concerned. If a crowd signals its approval, then the car maker in question can begin to introduce elements of the custom creation to its production line. In contrast, if the assembled masses register hatred for what’s been unveiled, then the design team responsible for generating such negative feedback know they need to go back to the drawing board. Whatever the response, these automotive anomalies usually end up mothballed and left to collect dust…

We’ve all seen race cars and seriously quick road cars decorated with fancy carbon-fibre aerodynamic aids, but far from simply giving the vehicle in question an enhanced appearance, these weird and wonderful add-ons are intended to act as function over form. Their job is to control the direction of air, ensuring it is channelled in such a way that increases the host vehicle’s aerodynamic performance. Get it wrong, however, and all you’ll do is increase your Vauxhall’s drag coefficient, resulting in the car not fulfilling its potential to cover ground quickly. Vauxhall has a long and fruitful history of raising the bar when it comes to aerodynamics. Arguably the manufacturer’s greatest success in the field was the Calibra. When launched in the summer of 1989, it was the most aerodynamic…

“GEAR LINKAGES CAN BECOME SLOPPY WITH AGE, LEADING TO EXCESSIVE PLAY” Launched in 1993, the Corsa GSi followed the Nova GTE (and later GSi models), a car which successfully forged a reputation for being competent, quick and affordable. The new arrival had a lot to live up to. Whereas the Nova featured sharp, aggressive lines, the Corsa was softer, rounder and significantly more refined. It was, however, less well equipped, which goes some way towards explaining the lower purchase price; the Corsa GSi cost £10,970, a full £710 less than its predecessor. Crucially, the Corsa was significantly cheaper than similar offerings from rival manufacturers, including Renault, whose Clio 1.8 16V emptied wallets for close to £1,800 more than Vauxhall was asking for. A What Car? road test from 1993 rated…