coolcarsblog.co.uk

That is the dilemma that I find myself in. I want a new car to go with my new job as a sales consultant in a car marketing company. However, I cannot decide whether or not to buy a used BMW or a used Mercedes?! The fact of the matter is that I do need a new vehicle as my new job involves a lot of client meetings and there will also be the possibility of me having to transport certain people outside of the company to functions and seminars. Therefore, I need a car that will not only deal with my requirements of speed, looks and venom but also for my clientele where it needs to appear professional and business-like. I have looked at both sets of cars; BMW and Mercedes. There were many different styles available but unfortunately I could not quite make a decision and make a purchase. My monthly car allowance does not allocate enough budgets to buy new and so instead the majority of my efforts have been in the used car section of both sets of dealers. The six series by BMW impressed me the most initially but then I saw the CLK by Mercedes and felt torn between the two sets of cars. Business-wise I am sure that Mercedes will be more suited but personally speaking I think that they are for the older generation of mature males – not the young and ready like myself! However, business comes first as they say and so the used Mercedes CLK looks as though it is going to get my reluctant vote. The other thing being that I was adamantly told to buy a car that had five doors as it is more professional and allows for easy access to passengers. I have never had a five door car in my life! On this topic though I do understand why this is required and I would have been more than happy to abide had I been able to purchase an Audi instead. So tomorrow I am off to pay a visit to the local Mercedes used car dealer to sign the agreement for my new motor. I can’t wait!

(2008) 6.2 litre LS3 V8
The HSV Clubsport is a full-size car produced by Holden Special Vehicles in Australia since 1990. The car has also been sold in the United Kingdom as the Vauxhall VXR8 since July 2007, and in 2008 began selling in the Middle East as the CSV CR8 by Chevrolet Special Vehicles. The Clubsport R8 takes its fundamental body structure from the mainstream Holden VE Commodore. It is also the standard model in the HSV Line up. In April 2008, All HSV models will be using 6.2 litre LS3 V8s, instead of the current LS2. the LS3 will power the HSVs at 317kW & 550Nm, the LS3 will also be used in the VXR8 & CR8. HSV has done this so in future HSV models, the LS3 can be tuned.
The R8 is named to be one of the World’s fastest sedans and one of the fastest cars built by Holden.[citation needed]
The Clubsport R8 was introduced as a low-volume import to the UK as the VXR8 following on from the success of the discontinued Vauxhall Monaro VXR, also Australian. The VXR8 is Vauxhall’s first executive car since the demise of the Omega in 2003.
The R8 can accelerate from 0-100km (62miles) in only 4.8 seconds in the manual, or 5.0 in the auto and has a top speed of 175 mph (282 km/h).
350 VXR8’s per year are scheduled for official importation into the UK, at a price of £35,105. Of the 110 ordered before first deliveries were made, 100 had been ordered with the Vauxhall warranted “loud exhaust” package, developed by Wortec. This uses a switchable exhaust system, allowing an electronic alteration of the exhaust gas path through the “standard” muffler, or via the new uprated Wortec muffler. The LS2 V8 is particularly popular among tuners in the USA, so performance parts are widely available. The most dramatic warranted upgrade is the £7,000 supercharger kit, which ups power to 530 hp (395 kW).

The Opel Corsa is a supermini that has been produced by General Motors’ European subsidiary Opel since 1982 and has also been sold under a variety of other brands (most notably Vauxhall, Chevrolet and Holden), and also spawned various derivatives in different markets, all of which are listed in appropriate sections below.
Despite its global presence, it has never been sold in the United States or Canada.
The Corsa is built at Zaragoza in Spain, and also in countries like Germany (Eisenach), Argentina (Rosario), Brazil (São Caetano do Sul and São José dos Campos), Colombia (Bogotá), Mexico (Ramos Arizpe), South Africa (Port Elizabeth), India (Halol), and China (Shanghai).
The front-wheel drive Corsa was first launched in April 1983 to replace the Opel Kadett City. Built in Zaragoza, Spain, the first Corsas were three-door hatchback and two-door saloon models, with four-door and five-door versions arriving in 1984. The basic model was called just the Corsa, which was followed by the Corsa Luxus, Corsa Berlina and the sporty Corsa SR. Two years later, the Corsa received a facelift, which included a new front fascia and some other minor changes. The models were called Corsa LS, Corsa GL, Corsa GLS and Corsa GT. The Corsa was known in the UK market as the Vauxhall Nova. The car became best known in the UK as a popular choice of car driving schools. Although many young British ‘boy-racers’ and ‘Chavs’ customised or ’souped up’ their models which is now a thing of the past as the amount of novas on the road over the last few years has fallen, and only serious nova enthusiasts tend to modify them subtly rather than over the top bodykits that the boyracers tended to prefer, the Nova was usually seen as a dull car.[citation needed] Power came from 1.0 L, 1.2 L, 1.3 L and 1.4 L petroleum engines which were short on performance but strong on economy. There was also a 1.5 L diesel engine available, which was also used in the Isuzu Gemini at around the same time. All of these engines (with the exception of the 1.5 L diesel engine and 1.0 L engine, which were based on the OHV unit from the Kadett C) were based on well proven GM Family II designs. The engines and most of the mechanical components were derived from those used in the Astra/Kadett.
A 1.6 L multi-point fuel injected engine with 100 PS (74 kW) and capable of 186 km/h (115 mph) was later added to the Corsa/Nova, giving decent performance and being badged as a GSi or, in Britain, GTE (only pre-facelifted models, later models were all called GSi). A model with an 82 hp 1.4 L multi-point fuel injected engine also became available as the SRi, which was otherwise mechanically identical to the GSi. The car’s handling and styling were still criticised as being dull. There were also numerous reports of single-vehicle rollover accidents that called the handling into question.
The design was freshened in 1990 with new bumpers, headlights, grille and interior, but the car was showing its age against strong competition such as the Renault Clio and Peugeot 106.
Opel Corsa A Hatchback
Opel Corsa A TR
Opel Corsa A: from 1984 also offered as a five door hatchback
Irmscher Spider
The Vauxhall Nova was produced by General Motors between 1983 and 1993. It replaced the Vauxhall Chevette and Opel Kadett City. All Nova and Vauxhall Corsa models were made in Spain, with the first British customers taking delivery of their cars in April 1983.
It gave Vauxhall a much-needed modern competitor in the UK supermini market, as the Chevette was older than the majority of its competitors, namely the Ford Fiesta and Austin Metro.
Chevrolet also produced a series of cars under the Nova branding in the United States and Canada during the 1970s and 1980s. Its later models were designed by NUMMI and were similar in design to the Toyota Corolla.
Sales in the UK were strong right up to the end, but by the time the last Nova was made in early 1993, it was looking very dated in comparison to more modern rivals like the Peugeot 106 and Renault Clio. Its successor was the Corsa; the first Vauxhall to adopt the same model name as the Opel version. By 1996, the whole Vauxhall and Opel ranges were identically named.
A clever TV advert in 1986 featured the Los Lobos hit “La Bamba” playing in the background as trick computer technology allowed the Nova to drive over vehicles in a busy city. A similar advert in 1989 featured a Nova GTE driving around the higher levels of a building site.
The Nova is becoming a less and less common sight on British roads with time. Many of the surviving cars have been modified or restored by enthusiasts to subtle but show winning standard usually with engine conversions i.e c20xe or c20let engine conversions. As Novas to be found on sale today are often aged or modified, those with low mileage and outstanding bodywork often cost a large premium, and many buyers often pay to have their engine converted e.g. to 2.0 16v. Many sports models have been restored and are usually popular with enthusiasts.
In 1993, a new model was unveiled, and in the UK, Vauxhall dropped the Nova name, with the car now being known as the Corsa. The following year, it was launched by Holden in Australia, as the Barina, replacing a version of the Suzuki Swift sold under that name. This proved a success, and was the first Spanish-built car to be sold in significant volumes in the Australian market. Power came from 1.2 L Family 0, 1.4 L and 1.6 L Family 1 petrol engines, as well as an economical 1.5 L turbodiesel engine. Unlike the previous model, there was no saloon version, but one was designed in Brazil for the Latin American market, as saloons were much preferred to hatchbacks. This was also introduced in South Africa and India. A station wagon, panel van and pick-up truck were also introduced. The wagon version was sold in some European markets (including Italy), badged as an Opel. The Corsa also spawned a small coupé called Opel Tigra. A 1.0 L 3-cylinder Family 0 economy version was launched in 1996, and a Lotus-tuned suspension was added as well as an exterior refresh. Strong competition came from new models like the Peugeot 206, Fiat Punto and Škoda Fabia.
The sedan model is still built and sold in Brazil as the Chevrolet Classic, and Chevrolet Corsa Classic in Argentina and also in Chile. A budget version, the Chevrolet Celta, has bodywork resembling the late 1990s Vectra and Astra. The Celta is sold in Argentina as the Suzuki Fun. Mexico has their version of the hatchback and sedan, known as the Chevy C2, which is also sold in Colombia. All Mexican versions were known as the Chevy, with the names Monza used on the sedan, and Swing and Joy on the hatchbacks.
The saloon and wagon versions were produced in China by Shanghai GM as Buick Sail and Buick Sail S-RV, respectively, until 2005. That year they became known as the Chevrolet Sail and SRV. In September 2006, Chile became the first country outside China to receive the Chinese-assembled Sail; it is called the Chevrolet Corsa Plus, available as a four-door sedan with a 1.6 L 92 PS (68 kW) engine. The Corsa Plus includes dual front airbags, anti-lock brakes, air conditioning, electric windows and central locking as standard equipment.
In India, the hatchback, saloon and wagon versions were sold as the Corsa Sail, Corsa (or Corsa Joy) and Corsa Swing respectively until the end of 2005. The hatchback model is also still produced, and extensively marketed in South Africa as the Corsa Lite under the Opel branding.
The Corsa C was introduced in 2000, with distinctive styling for the three-door and five-door hatchbacks. General Motors dubbed the new chassis Gamma and intended to use it in a number of other models.
A sedan version is also offered in Latin America, South Africa and the Middle East. The Brazilian version of the Corsa sold in those countries features a more conservative front end than its European counterpart. Brazil also offers a pickup truck version of the Corsa named the Chevrolet Montana (sold in some markets as the Tornado), which, as well as the sedan, is exported in completely knocked down form to South Africa for local assembly. GM South Africa markets the hatchback simply as The New Corsa, and the pickup version as the Utility. Since 2007, the Corsa C saloon has been discontinued in South Africa.
A new 1.3 L CDTi Ecotec turbodiesel engine was supplied by Fiat (MultiJet) and a 1.7 L 16-valve DTi Ecotec turbodiesel was supplied by Isuzu (Circle L).
The 1.0 L and 1.2 L Ecotec Family 0 engines are carry-overs from the Corsa B; but the 1.4 L Family 1 engine was replaced with a new Family 0 model of the same displacement. The 1.8 L Family 1 engine is an upgrade for the previous 1.6 L 16-valve engine and produces 125 PS (92 kW) and 165 N·m (122 ft·lbf) of torque. The edition with the 1.8 L engine was named Corsa GSi and was the predecessor of the new Corsa OPC. In 2003, Opel introduced updated versions of these engines with TwinPort technology, and the 1.2 L engine gained another 5 hp (3.7 kW), giving it 80 hp (59 kW).
In 2002, the Corsa chassis spawned a mini MPV called the Opel Meriva, development of which began under Opel in Rüsselsheim (but finished by Chevrolet in Brazil).
The Corsa C is still manufactured and sold in South America. The production plant that produces this car model is located in Sao Caetano do Sul, Brazil.
Since the 2007 model year, the Latin American Corsa C features the Opel-inspired Chevrolet logo with a golden bowtie instead of a chromed one - the new logo was first introduced in the South American market with the new Chevrolet Vectra.
In Australia, the car was launched to much fanfare from many motor journalists, and went on the win the Wheels 2001 “Car Of The Year” (COTY). In December 2005, the Corsa C was dropped from the Australian & New Zealand Holden ranges, as a cost-cutting measure by GM, and was replaced by the Daewoo Kalos, which is now the new Holden Barina.
This Corsa was a huge success for Vauxhall in Britain, being the most popular supermini and second most popular car overall in 2002, 2003 and 2004. It was also Britain’s best selling supermini in 2005, achieving third place overall, but in 2006 (the final year of production) it lost top place in the supermini sector after five years, and was overtaken by the Ford Fiesta. Overall, it was Britain’s fourth most popular car in 2006.
The Corsa D was created using a new version of the Gamma platform, which was co-developed by Fiat and Opel, and is also employed by the 2006 Fiat Grande Punto. The first official pictures of the Corsa D were released by Opel in May 2006.
The new Corsa is available in both three and five-door versions, and once again marketed as a Vauxhall in the UK. The same engines sizes from the Corsa C are available at launch, although the 1.3 L CDTI and 1.7 L CDTI engines were upgraded, with power ranging from 75 hp (55 kW) to 125 hp (92 kW). The 192 hp (141 kW) OPC/VXR version went on sale in early 2007, with a 1.6 L turbocharged petrol engine powering the front wheels. The 75 hp 1.3 CDTI engine was updated in mid-2007 to bring CO2 levels to just 119 g/km, meaning that a full 12 months road fund licence is £35.
It has sold well in Britain, though in 2007 it was unable to regain top spot in the supermini sector from the Ford Fiesta. However, it was Britain’s fourth most popular new car for 2007.
Flexfix is an optional integrated bicycle rack. It is essentially a concealed drawer that can be pulled out from the car’s rear bumper. On it are two wheel-mount bike racks, rear licence plate incorporated in the system,brake/tail lights, indicators and fog and reverse light alternates in left hand drive and right hand drive cars.
At the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, Opel unveiled the Opel Corsa Hybrid Concept, a coupe that combines a belt-driven starter and alternator with a lithium-ion battery .

The Opel Agila is a city car produced by German automaker Opel since 2000. It is badged as a Vauxhall in the United Kingdom and as a Suzuki in many markets.
The first-generation Agila was a rebadged version of the Suzuki Wagon R+, which was produced in Japan. The Agila’s Opel-sourced 1.0 and 1.2-litre petrol engines were smaller than the European-market 1.3-litre found in the European-market Wagon R+, but were more powerful and refined. Equipment levels, low asking prices and running costs also contributed towards the Agila’s success.[citation needed]
The Agila was built at a General Motors factory in Gliwice, Poland. The Suzuki Wagon R+ was built at the Suzuki plant in Esztergom, Hungary until 2004, and since January 2005 has also been built in Poland.
While many city cars such as the Ford Ka, Volkswagen Lupo, Fiat Seicento and Renault Twingo come with just three doors, the Agila came with five. It was as tall as Korean city cars such as the Hyundai Atos and Kia Picanto.
The second-generation Agila was officially announced on May 15 2007 and was presented at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show. Suzuki sells this model as the Splash. The car is 200 mm (7.9 in) longer than its predecessor, that is bigger than traditional city cars and similar to small superminis and mini MPVs like the Peugeot 1007, Toyota Yaris, Renault Modus and Nissan Micra.
Petrol engines are a three cylinder 1.0-litre 65 hp (48 kW) and a four cylinder 1.2-litre 86 hp (64 kW), and the diesel unit a four cylinder 1.3-litre 75 hp (56 kW) with common rail technology.

The Opel Signum is a large family car manufactured by General Motors in Germany since 2003. It is almost exclusively sold in Europe, in the United Kingdom under the Vauxhall Signum nameplate. Introduced in 2003, the Signum is largely based on the Opel Vectra and uses the long-wheelbase version of the GM Epsilon platform, also used by Vectra Caravan.
The car is based on an unusual concept of a very large hatchback with a nearly vertical tailgate. Its dimensions place it between traditional large family cars and executive cars. In most markets, it is also priced accordingly (more expensive than Opel Vectra, but less than e.g. Audi A6). The Signum was intended to partially replace the defunct Opel Omega in its role as an inexpensive yet comfortable executive car, and also capture a whole new market segment.
In North America, General Motors offers a vehicle based on a similar concept (yet targeting a different market) and platform, called Chevrolet Malibu Maxx.
From March 2008, the Vauxhall Signum was no longer listed on Vauxhall’s current price list, implying that right-hand drive production has been discontinued.
Compared to a standard five-door Vectra, the Signum has a wheelbase stretched by 13 cm (5.1 in) and is 23 cm (9.1 in) longer overall, keeping the same width and being slightly (by 6 mm) taller. This provides for very ample rear legroom. Instead of a traditional three-passenger bench seat, the Signum has two separate seats in the rear, which can be adjusted in many ways, including sliding back and forth (just like the front seats) and reclining backrests. There is also a very narrow central section, which includes a folding armrest and can also serve as a third seat (the Signum is fitted with three rear headrests and safety belts). The seats can also be folded down individually to increase the cargo space - a system that General Motors calls Flexspace.
The Signum shares many body panels (including the complete front part of the body) and interior elements (in particular the complete dashboard and front seats) with the Vectra, but the tailgate and rear fender design is unique to the Signum. The Signum was facelifted along with the Vectra lineup in 2005, getting a new front fascia design and slight changes elsewhere.
All Signums are made alongside Vectras in Opel’s Rüsselsheim plant in Germany.
The Signum is offered with a wide range engines it shares with the Vectra. These include:

The Opel Tigra is a small coupe produced by Opel (a subsidiary of General Motors Corporation) based on its Corsa supermini. It was originally available as a small coupé, produced from 1994 to 2000, with a new roadster model introduced in 2004. The Opel Tigra is sold in the UK as the Vauxhall Tigra, in Australia as the Holden Tigra, and was sold in Brazil and Mexico as the Chevrolet Tigra.
The Tigra was based on the concept car of the same name and built on the platform of the second generation Opel Corsa. However, it shared no body panels with the model it was based on, and the interior layout was different too, with a 2+2 seating arrangement. The production vehicle was introduced at the 1993 Frankfurt Motor Show, with production starting in early 1994.
The Tigra was available with two petrol engines options, both from the Ecotec family, a more affordable 1.4 L with 90 PS (66 kW), and a larger sportier version, powered by the 1.6 L engine with 106 PS (78 kW), sourced from the Corsa GSi. Both were DOHC 16 valve engines with electronic fuel injection. The smaller engine was available with an optional 4-speed automatic gearbox.
Added to the mass-market underpinnings was a suspension tweaked by Lotus. However, the car was overweight, with 150 kg (330 lb) over the equivalent engined Corsa models. Acceleration on the 1.6 L model was 10.5 seconds, one second slower than the Corsa GSi. However, a higher top speed of 203 km/h (126 mph) compensated for its acceleration troubles. This speed increase was obtained thanks to the higher gear ratios, a lower drag coefficient of 0.31, and standard 15″ wheels on the more powerful model.
The car was imported by Chevrolet and sold as the Chevrolet Tigra in Brazil and Mexico, and as the Vauxhall Tigra in the United Kingdom. Due to its extremely high price when compared to similar competitors, and much lower performance, the car was a failure in Mexico. Very few copies survive.
The Brazilian Chevrolet Tigra was imported only for a few months, between late 1998 to early 1999, due to a sudden depreciation of the Real, which forced General Motors do Brasil to end importation. Only the 1.6 L model was imported, detuned to 99 PS (73 kW) for tax purposes. The 15″ wheels were also exchanged for more affordable 14″ wheels.
After an absence of a four years, Opel resurrected the Tigra nameplate in 2004 for a new sports car based on the Corsa C. The Tigra Twin Top, as it was called, is a 2-seater coupé convertible with a retractable hardtop in the fashion of the Peugeot 206 CC. The Tigra is produced by French coachbuilder Heuliez.
Like its predecessor, the Tigra Twin Top is available with two petrol-powered engines. The base model uses the 1.4 L engine with 90 PS (66 kW), but now from the Twinport family, different from the previous generation’s 1.4, while the top of the range uses the Ecotec 1.8 L from the Corsa GSi, with 125 PS (92 kW). An economic version, using Fiat’s Multijet 1.3 Diesel engine, was introduced in 2005.
The second generation is marketed in Australasia as the XC-series Holden Tigra, only with the 1.8 L engine.

The Opel Zafira is a compact MPV produced by Opel, a General Motors subsidiary. The Zafira is branded as Opel, Vauxhall, Holden and Chevrolet, depending on the market. In Japan, the Zafira was sold as Subaru Traviq.
The Zafira has seven seats arranged in 3 rows, the back row of which can be folded away easily to create more space, individually or together. At the time of its introduction, this was considered revolutionary, with most similar cars requiring that extra seats are physically removed from the vehicle if not required. The system was named Flex 7. However, older similar vehicles included a similar system, for example, the 2nd generation Mitsubishi Space Wagon.
The car first appeared in 1999, and a second generation model was introduced in 2005.
The first generation of Zafira is usually referred to as Zafira A, as is customary for Opel models. The car was based on the same platform as the 1998 Astra G/B and shared much in common with that car. The Zafira A body was used in GM’s concept hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle the HydroGen3.
The Zafira A was replaced by Zafira B in Europe and Japan from 2005, but is still sold in most other markets, except for Australia and New Zealand, where the model was cancelled altogether.
The Zafira comes with a variety of engines adopted from the Astra. For Europe, there was a CNG-powered version and a 200 hp turbocharged version by the Opel Performance Center. In Brazil, the Zafira is also available with a flexible fuel engine.
European versions of the Zafira had these engines:
The Zafira B debuted in Europe in 2004, and sales started in 2005. It also shares the platform and mechanicals with the Astra, this time the H/C model.
In February 2006, Zafira B was launched in Singapore. By March 2006, the model had only been introduced in Europe, Singapore and Japan, superseding the previous Zafira and the Subaru Traviq, respectively. In April in Mexico and later in September 2006 in Chile, this model was introduced, branded as Chevrolet Zafira.
In Mexico the Zafira was discontinued after the 2006 model year due to poor sales, and replaced by the 5-passenger Chevrolet HHR.
It has so far been a huge sales success in the UK, proving even more popular than its predecessor. In 2006 it was the UK’s tenth best selling new car, proving more popular than the Vectra that just eight years earlier had been the brand’s best selling product.
The Zafira B’s engine lineup is partly adopted from the previous Astra/Zafira generation, but Opel replaced the old 2.0 and 2.2 turbodiesel engines with 1.9 L common-rail turbodiesels developed by FIAT (Multijet). Opel Performance Center developed a turbocharged 240 hp 2.0 L performance version of the Zafira B as well. A CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) version of the new Zafira with a 1.6 L engine is also available.
Zafira B’s marketed in Europe are equipped with the following engines:

The Opel Vectra is a large family car produced by Opel, the German subsidiary of General Motors. In the United Kingdom, it is sold as a Vauxhall and as a Holden in Australasia. The Chevrolet brand has been applied for Latin American markets, although it has since been replaced there.
Since 2003, Opel has manufactured the Signum, which is based partly on the Vectra C. Marketed an “executive hatchback”, it features a completely different layout in the rear, along with a few more refinements than the Vectra C.
The first Vectra, known as the Vectra A, was introduced in 1988 as a saloon and hatchback, replacing the Opel Ascona C. A coupe based on the Vectra, called the Calibra, was also sold. Both cars were designed by then-Opel design chief Wayne Cherry. Vauxhall, GM’s British subsidiary which shared most of its models with Opel, did not call this model “Vectra” but rather marketed it as the Cavalier.
Engines ranged initially from a 75 PS (55 kW) 1.4 L to a 130 PS (96 kW) 2.0 L Family II.
With the introduction of Euro I emissions regulations, the base model was replaced by a 1.6 L with the same output, while the top of the line was given to a 16-valve version of the 2.0 L engine, which powered the GT (GSI) version and had 150 PS (110 kW). All-wheel drive versions were added to the lineup in 1990, and in 1993, the car received a limited edition turbocharged version with 204 PS (150 kW). The 1.4-litre engine was not available in all markets, and even then, it was only available in basic trims (Base/L in United Kingdom, LS/GL in Europe). A 2.5 litre V6 engine appeared towards the later stages of the Vectra’s life, developing 170 PS (125 kW), turning the car into a relaxed motorway cruiser rather than give it sporty pretensions.
There were a choice of two Diesel engines one was an Isuzu 1.7 L Circle-L unit, in both naturally-aspirated and turbocharged form (1686 cc), this one capable of achieving 82 PS (60 kW), and a GM designed 1.7 “low blow” turbo-diesel (1699 cc), and naturally-aspirated diesel unit, delivering up to 68 PS (67 hp/50 kW). Both units have a reputation for longevity, especially Isuzu developed units, which were also regarded as some of the most refined diesels available at the time.
The Vectra also received a refresh in 1993.
The Vectra gave birth to a coupé version, the Opel Calibra, which shared the Vectra’s underpinnings, including the most powerful engines (115 PS and up) and transmissions.
In New Zealand, the Vectra A was offered initially as an Opel, but it wore Holden badges from 1994. It was not sold in Australia, where Holden instead offered a rebadged Toyota Camry called Apollo until 1997.
In Brazil, the Chevrolet-badged Vectra A was not introduced until 1993, when it replaced the Chevrolet Monza, a restyled version of the last Ascona.
In Egypt, the Opel Vectra A was not introduced until 1994 through GM Egypt Dealerships, and started production in late 1994 by GM Egypt through early 1996 with a range of 1.6 GL ,2.0 GL trim and 2.0 GLS trim and only Saloon body style boosting strong sales in Egypt during this short run in Egypt .
The second model, the Vectra B, was introduced in 1995, and the model range included an estate version for the first time. This model replaced the Vauxhall Cavalier in the UK, and the Holden Apollo in Australia. In 1998, Holden began assembly of the Vectra for export to other right-hand drive markets in the region, although this was aversely affected by the Asian economic crisis, and ended in 2001.
Engines started from the 71 PS (52 kW) 1.6 L, Family 1 but eventually the 8-valve engines were all replaced by 16-valve powerplants. The 2.0 L Family II engine, with 136 PS (100 kW) was developed as a basis for touring car racing, but the top of the line was a 2.5 L V6 with 170 PS (125 kW). Diesel power came once again from Isuzu, but now featured direct injection and a 16-valve head.
In 1999 the Vectra was updated, receiving a mildly modified body (that can be identified by the single piece headlight units and body-coloured bumpers) together with somewhat improved handling characteristics and better equipment.
Sporting limited edition models included the touring car championship inspired i500, Super Touring and GSi. The first model was developed in Germany by Opel Motorsport, with the V6 engine’s power increased to 195 PS (143 kW), and the other two were created in Milton Keynes by Motor Sport Developments, the team that run the Vectras in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). Only 3900 GSi models were ever produced, mostly in saloon and hatchback guise. With only 317 estate versions produced during this time, they became one of the rarest production Vauxhalls ever.
A related model sold in the United States was the Saturn L-Series, introduced in 2000 but dropped from the lineup in 2005. It was replaced by the 2007 Saturn Aura, which is based on the current Vectra.
The Vectra B suffered high levels of criticism, particularly within the UK. Criticisms included uninspiring handling, numb steering, poor interior ergonomics and the somewhat poor reliability as demonstrated in satisfaction surveys provided by Auto Express, Top Gear, & Which? magazines. David Morley of the Australian motoring site Drive.com.au noted that some Vectras suffered from ‘Silly Electrical Problems.’
Again In Egypt, the production of the Opel Vectra Continued this time with the Vecta B in mid-1996 with two models intially, a 1.6l 8v GLS trim with manual transmission and a 2.0l 16v CD trim with automatic transmission, later in 2000 the revised model was produced with three models 1.6 16v GLS trim with automatic transmission, 2.0 16v CD trim with automatic transmission, and a 2.0 CDX trim automatic transmission and all with saloon body style, finally in 2002 the production of the Opel Vectra stopped in Egypt in favor for the production of the Opel Corsa Sedan and Opel Astra Sedan.
Built over the GM Epsilon platform the Opel Vectra C of 2002 was initially available as a four-door sedan and a five-door hatchback, known as the GTS. A five-door station wagon was added in 2003, along with an “executive hatchback” sold under the Signum nameplate. The Signum, which is based partly on the Vectra C features a completely different layout in the rear.
The engine range was substantially modified to account for an increased curb weight. While a 90 kW (121 hp) 1.8 litre Family 1 Ecotec engine was reserved for the base model, a 2.0 litre turbocharged Family II engine with 129 kW (173 hp) was also offered, along with a new 3.2 litre V6, with 155 kW (208 hp). Diesel power, which by now was an important for commercial success in Europe, is provided by an Isuzu-sourced 3.0 litre V6 outputting 132 kW (177 hp), but the four-cylinder diesel engine was replaced in 2004 by a Fiat-designed 1.9 litre Ecotec CDTI engine capable of outputting 110 kW (148 hp). Handling is reported to be much better than the old car, but reviews still criticise the overlight feel of the steering, complicated indicator switches and the rather ungainly styling of the sedan version.
The Vectra received a facelift near the end of 2005, and the V6 engine was replaced by an Australian-built a turbocharged 2.8 litre High Feature V6 unit. More importantly, Opel introduced, for the first time, an OPC version the Vectra was launched, using the VXR name in the United Kingdom. These high-performance variants were available only in the hatchback and station wagon bodies. In the United Kingdom, the power on the High Feature engine was increased to 188 kW (252 hp), and maximum speed just falls short of 250 km/h (155 mph). In Australia and New Zealand, the Holden Vectra ZC series was dropped and replaced with the Holden Epica, a badge-engineered Daewoo Tosca in 2007. Due to stockpiling of 2005 model Vectras for the Australasian market, there was enough supply of the car for deliveries to last through to 2007, as a result facelifted Vectra Cs were not sold in those markets.[citation needed]
Sales of the Vectra in the United Kingdom have not been as strong as its predecessor’s. For much of its production life, the original Vectra was the fourth best selling car in the country, yet the Vectra C has never come higher than tenth in the country’s car sales charts, though it is still the second best selling car in its sector behind the Ford Mondeo. In 2007, it finally made the top 10 of Britain’s car sales charts, being the nation’s tenth most popular new car with over 50,000 sales, outselling the Ford Mondeo for the first time since 1999. Also in 2007, the station wagon variant garnered the Estate Car of the Year 2007 award by What Car? magazine.
While the Vectra C is sold in Mexico and Chile as the Chevrolet Vectra, it is not marketed in Brazil, where a new, locally designed Chevrolet Vectra sedan, based on the Astra H was released in October 2005.

Astra is a model-name which has been used by Vauxhall, the British subsidiary of General Motors (GM), on their small family car ranges since 1979. Astras are technically essentially identical with similar vehicles offered by GM’s German subsidiary Opel in most other European countries. For the first two generations, the nameplate was applied to UK spec right-hand drive versions of Opel Kadett (which it was sold as in the Republic of Ireland in right-hand drive), and since 1991, Opel also uses the Astra nameplate, so Vauxhall and Opel Astras are essentially identical vehicles. General Motors’ Saturn division in America also offers the Astra since late 2007.
The Astra name originated with Vauxhall’s 1979 model, though the car was designed and built a year earlier in Germany as an Opel Kadett. This model replaced the Vauxhall Viva in the UK, along with some versions of the Vauxhall Chevette. However, the Chevette remained available for several years afterwards until the Vauxhall Nova was launched. The Astra was Vauxhall’s first model to have front wheel drive.
Production began at Opel’s West German plant at Bochum in August 1979, and the first British customers took delivery of their cars in February 1980.
The car featured a new unified engine for Vauxhall/Opel, featuring an all-aluminium head, overhead camshaft and hydraulic valve lifters. The engine was a huge leap forward from the earlier generation of small engines used in Vauxhall and Opel cars in terms of power, economy and refinement. It was initially available in 1300 and 1600 forms, and later an 1800 fuel-injected version was added, used in the Mk 1 Astra GTE model, introduced in 1983. This version of the Astra was a quick and stylish alternative to the Ford Escort XR3, Volkswagen Golf GTI and Fiat Strada 105TC.
Vauxhall now had a serious rival for the Volkswagen Golf at just about every level, and it quickly became popular with buyers. A 1200cc version which used the older Opel OHV engine was also available.
There were three bodystyles for the first generation Vauxhall Astra, hatchback, so-called “saloon”, and estate, all available with two or four side doors. The saloons were styled exactly like the hatchbacks, except for a different rear window above a bootlid; from the side they looked almost indistinguishable from the hatchback, with no protruding notch at the rear. Not all trim levels were available with all body styles.
There was also a van version which was badged the Bedford Astravan — the Bedford brand at that time being used for GM’s commercial vehicles in Britain. Unlike the previous Opel T-Car, no Coupé was offered.
Production of the MK1 Astra took place in West Germany initially, with production moving to Britain some two years later on 16 November 1981.
Sales of this first Astra were strong, and gave Vauxhall a much-needed boost in the small family car sector after several years of declining sales with the Viva HC. It soon overtook the Austin Allegro as Britain’s second most popular small family car, although it was still a long way behind the Ford Escort in terms of sales success.

Versions available were:
The Mark 2 Astra used the same range of engines and running gear as the Mark 1, but with a completely restyled body with better aerodynamics.
Long-lived, the Mark 2 was available in estate, hatchback, saloon and cabriolet versions. The saloon was launched in January 1986 and sold as the Vauxhall Belmont; this trend to brand saloon models independently of the hatchback was also used by other manufacturers of the period, with examples including the Ford Orion and the Volkswagen Jetta. However, this strategy was mostly unsuccessful, as this was Vauxhall’s only attempt at badging its hatchback-based saloon as a separate model, and Ford had rebadged its Orion range as Escorts by 1994.
Just under 7000 cabriolets were built by Bertone from 1987 to 1992. These came in 1.6 and 2-litre GTE variants, the latter being available with powered roofs and electric windows. These cars are praised for their shake-free shells and their looks.
A new GTE using a 2 L fuel injected engine was also introduced, and early models of these featured an all electronic dash with digital speedometer. This was largely received as a gimmick, and later models reverted to traditional analogue instrumentation. Vauxhall’s twin-camshaft version of the engine, the C20XE, had a high performance version of the GTE created around it. This engine developed 156 hp in standard form, giving sprightly performance, though a common criticism is that the handling was never good enough for the engine. The limited-edition “Champion” Astras from 1990 were fitted with the same C20XE “redtop” engines (so called because of their red spark plug cover), along with Connolly Leather interiors. Towards the end of its production run, sporty models were not designated as “GTE” but were instead designated “GSI”.
This model formed the basis of the Daewoo Cielo, Racer, Nexia and LeMans, and its export versions, the Asüna SE (Canada), Asüna GT (Canada), Passport Optima (Canada) and Pontiac LeMans (Canada, New Zealand and USA).
The second generation Vauxhall Astra, sold in the rest of Europe as the Opel Kadett, was voted European Car of the Year for 1985. It sold well in the UK, and although it was never able to outsell the Ford Escort, it came closer than any other similar-sized car to achieving this.
The two most stolen cars in Britain in 2005 were the Vauxhall Belmont and the Vauxhall Astra Mark 2. More than 1 in 13 Belmonts were stolen.
The Mark 3 model was essentially an evolution of the Mark 2, rather than a redesign.
This generation was the first to be called Astra by Opel as well as Vauxhall, and the first to also be sold by Holden. The Astra F was released in 1991. With the Kadett E’s successor, Opel adopted the Astra nameplate, which was already used by Vauxhall for the Kadett D and E (see Vauxhall Astra). It was offered as a three or five-door hatchback, a saloon (sedan), and an estate (wagon), known as the Caravan. A cabriolet was also offered, designed and built by Bertone in Italy.
The model was launched in South Africa in 1992, where it was produced under licence by Delta Motor Corporation. However, the Kadett name was retained for the Astra hatchback until 1999, which included a variant with a 2.0 L turbocharged engine called the 200TS, unique to that market. Saloon and estate models were offered under the Astra name. Controversially, the Kadett and Astra in South Africa won the title of ‘Car of the Year’ in two consecutive years (1992 and 1993) even though they were versions of the same car. South African nomenclature was denoted in decilitres, so the Astra and Kadett ranges featured 140, 160i, 180i and 200i models.
The Astra also became available in Australasia badged as a Holden, first in New Zealand in 1995, and then Australia in 1996. The first models were imported from the UK, but the current model is imported from Belgium. The original Holden Astra was originally a rebadged Nissan Pulsar, first sold in Australia in the mid-1980s.
The Astra F consisted of two main revisions and was revised in 1995, with the launch of Opel’s new Ecotec engine. For a short period, a submodel which consisted of parts from both revisions was produced. The submodel used all the new Ecotec running gear, but many parts from the previous revision were used in order to use up leftover parts. Other main changes included mildly-altered exterior styling, and availability of new specification models.
Aside from the South Africa-only 200TS, the lead model was the GSi - a petrol model powered by a 147bhp 2.0 16v engine (C20XE, also named ‘Redtop’, because the red L-shaped spark plug cover), or 1.8l 16v petrol injected model with 124bhp available as a 3-door only. It also featured sports bodykit and interior. The GSi ceased production in 94 but was then too updated in 1997, with the engine being replaced for a lower-powered but more modern ‘Ecotec’ version (2.0l 16v with 134bhp)the bodykit was slightly altered on these models - a longer rear spoiler with integrated brake light, fluted side skirts, a bonnet without vents, and removal of the GSi16v badging from the bumper and tailgate (replaced by the later chrome effect Vauxhall Astra 2.0 16v badging).
The Astra F was phased out in the spring of 1998 after almost seven years on sale. However in Hungary, the Opel Astra Classic 1 was produced from 1998 - 2002 later replaced by the Astra Classic 2. The Mk3 was the first of the “Astra Classic’s” This means the Astra Mk3 holds a mighty production span of 11 years; more than any other Astra.
In the UK, Vauxhall offered the following trim levels (and in some cases, engine size):
The car also had ’special edition’ badging, which indicated special trim:
In later Sport and GSI models (from 1995 onwards) Lotus Sprung Suspension was used to give better ride.
Many British police forces use the Astra as a workhorse, used for simple duties and sometimes for pursuits, if the high powered divisional area car is unable to respond as rapidly as they can be dispatched. The Metropolitan Police Service use a collection of the MK IV and MK V Astras, mostly as of 2007, the mark in popular use is the Mark V, these are used as Incident Response Vehicles (IRVs) and are commonly seen on the roads of London.
The MK1 Astra was a strong seller in the UK and quickly established itself as Britain’s second most popular small family car, but was never able to match the runaway sales success of the Ford Escort.
The MK2 Astra was a bigger seller than its predecessor, though again it failed to match the Ford Escort in terms of sales success. It further widened the gap between Vauxhall and rival products from Austin Rover, although the combined sales of ARG’s Rover 200 and Austin Maestro ranges were often at least a match for the Astra’s total sales.
The MK3 Astra took Vauxhall from strength to strength in the small family car market, and further narrowed the gap with the Ford Escort.
The MK4 Astra was also a huge success, and by 2001 it was the second best selling car in Britain overall.
The MK5 has so far been the most successful version of the Astra. It was Britain’s second-best selling car in 2005, 2006 and 2007, further narrowing the gap between itself and the market-leading Ford Focus.

Vauxhall Combo Tour, Manual 5Spd MPV NCV, 5 doors