Vauxhall Astra VXR Nurburgring Edition launched

For those Vauxhall buyers who like a lot of chocolate on their already tasty Astra VXR there's now a new club they can join. It's called the VXR Nurburgring Edition and full membership is available now.

For a one-off subscription rate of £21,295 OTR, Vauxhall Astra VXR fans can sign up to a lifetime of Nurburgring thrills and spills without ever having to get a German stamp imprinted on their passports.

Having joined the hot hatch pack since its launch in October 2005, the Astra VXR had spent most of its formative years being put through its pre-production paces at the Nurburgring – the legendary proving circuit popular with car manufacturers when testing new models - so it's fitting that Vauxhall should acknowledge the VXR's specific association.

Based on the standard Astra VXR - albeit dressed in its all-white Friday, fight-night kit - Vauxhall has tooled-up only 835 UK-spec Nurburgring Editions, with each one made ready to rumble with 18” bantamweight white-hued rims, bad-boy window tints, carbon fibre masquerading mirrors and B-pillars and sporting eye-catching checkered flag body graphics.

Once the VXR Nurburgring has stripped its white tracksuit top off and limbers up roadside, 0 – 62mph is a 6.2 second warm-up event, whilst its top speed is limited to 155mph. Like it or not, the 237bhp punched out by the boggo Astra VXR was considered fast enough by Vauxhall bods.

Again, like the standard VXR, the six-speed transmission suffices, and the suspension has been dropped and uprated and benefits from ESP. Dynamics-wise however and the Nurburgring Editions front and rear tracks have been widened, and ventilated disc brakes both ends bring rapid journeying to abrupt halts should it be required.

Familiarity might often breed contempt, yet the VXR's trademark blue-painted calipers find its way on the Nurburgring regardless. Developed with a little help from Vauxhall's British Touring Car Championship operators, Triple Eight – in the Remus sports exhaust department anyway – proves its only other difference over the stock VXR. Which at least gives it the marginal advantage over rival the Ford Focus ST500, which offers zip more than its donor car.

The insides are as themed as you'd imagine, carbon fibre being the main assailant on the sight and being double-blinked on the door trims and elements of the fascia. An individually numbered 'take your pick from 835' plaque adds kudos and serves as a constant reminder to the drivers numerical advantage over standard VXR owners.

The leather Recaro's backrests in the front support a stitched Nurburgring circuit outline and buyers can spec up Nurburgring Editions to include 'leccy climate and folding door mirrors, cruise and adaptive forward lighting.