The Insignia VXR is a modern example of a type of car Vauxhall has done rather well in the past. My favourite among its spiritual forebears was the Carlton GSi 24-valve of distant memory. It had quite a lot of power for its time, and it was so brilliantly set-up that, despite being rather large, it seemed to shrink round you as you started to give it large along deserted country roads.Here's how much I loved the Carlton GSi: I would rather have had one than the rightly fabled Lotus Carlton. That is how much I loved the Carlton GSi.The Insignia VXR has a lot more power than the GSi did, though a bit less than the Lotus. It's properly quick, with a 5.6-second 0-62mph time in manual form (the automatic is 0.3 seconds slower, which is still pretty rapid).Don't expect great fuel economy, since neither version can beat 27mpg on the combined cycle, but do expect to be noticed by fellow road users, since the VXR comes with a don't-mess-with-me-little-boy bodykit which, I venture to submit, kicks ass big time.Shallow as I am, I wanted to become a fan of the VXR the first time I set eyes on it. I wanted it to be my Carlton GSi of the 21st century. Didn't happen.It hardly helped that the ride is almost unbearably firm - worse, I was amazed to discover, than that of the VXR8 which I drove on the same roads on the same day. I could just about have forgiven that if the Insignia had been fun to drive, but it never was.The 321bhp of its 2.8-litre V6 turbo petrol engine is divided among all four wheels, so there is no question of the car being overcome by its own power. But although it can go through corners quickly, it doesn't seem to like doing so very much. There is little sense of poise or balance, and nothing of the Carlton's miraculous ability to seem smaller than it really was when the situation required it. The Insignia VXR is a large car, and it always feels like one.Perhaps I'm expecting too much. The VXR is quick, it looks sensational, and that uncomfortable ride might persuade some people that it's a bit of a racer. If this sounds like the sort of thing you'd be happy to spend more than £33,000 on, I'm not going to tell you you're wrong. But, for what it's worth, it wouldn't suit me. Engine 2792 cc, 6 cylinders Power 325 bhp @5250 rpm Torque 258 ib/ft @1900 rpm Transmission 6 speed manual Fuel/CO2 24.8 mpg / 268 g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 6sec Top speed 155 mph Details correct at publication date
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