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America doesn't have a monopoly on high powered muscle cars – Australia has been building them for years. Britain first became aware when the Vauxhall Monaro hit these shores in 2004.

View more pictures of the Vauxhall VXR8

Now the Vauxhall VXR8 has arrived, sporting four doors, six litres and eight cylinders; a formula which adds up to a barrel of fun. We spent a several hundred miles with one to find out if the VXR8 still appeals away from the winding country lanes.

Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling | Performance
Running Costs | Reliability | Safety | Equipment | X-Factor |

1. Looks

Unlike the swoopy, curvy Monaro, the Vauxhall VXR8 isn't a pretty car but it does offer plenty of aggression. And that's what a bare-knuckle muscle car like this needs. There's a hint of early Nineties Nissan Skyline at the front, and the circular lamps in the rear light clusters are reminiscent of the same Japanese supercar. That's not to say the VXR8 looks dated – it looks every inch the 21st century super cruiser, with huge cooling vents behind the front wheels, big intakes and fog lamps at the front and a big spoiler at the back. And if that's not enough, four exhaust pipes poke from under the deep rear bumper.

8/10

2. Looks inside

After the drama of the exterior, the Vauxhall VXR8's cabin is a slight let down. But most VXR8 buyers will prefer their £35,000 to be invested in the engine and chassis rather than designer, Germanic-feeling dashboards. That said, the steering wheel and gear knob are both chunky allowing a good grip and the half leather/half alcantara sports seats offer a huge amount of support. Three dials sit on top of the dash providing information on battery charge, oil temperature and oil pressure. The general feeling in the cabin is it's been built to a price, but the only real problem is the handbrake. When off it sits flush in the centre console, the button is inaccessible until pulled up, and there are some sharp plastics to avoid.

7/10

3. Practicality

The Vauxhall VXR8 is a big bruiser, and unlike the Monaro which preceded it, has a boot uncompromised by a big fuel tank. That means a cavernous 496 litres of space, enough to house a full-sized, 19-inch spare wheel. Space in the front is plentiful, and the rear has almost limousine-like room.

9/10

4. Ride and Handling

If spinning up those 19-inch rear tyres during smoking powerslides is your thing, there are few better cars available at any price. If not, traction control is best left on – the Vauxhall VXR8 is a lairy beast. There's plenty of grip, as long as the back end isn't provoked out of line, and body roll is well controlled - impressive, considering the good ride quality. As a straight line missile, the VXR8 makes a lot of sense, but feels too big to hustle along narrow country lanes at speed.

9/10

5. Performance

With 411bhp on tap through the Corvette-sourced six-litre V8 powerhouse, the Vauxhall VXR8 was never going to be a slouch. It'll dispose of the requisite 0-60mph dash in 4.9 seconds, before sledgehammering well past the 170mph marker. That top speed is faster than anything BMW builds at the moment. It doesn't always feel quite as rapid as the M3, but that has much to do with the 405lb/ft of pulling power which means the VXR8 can pick up pace from higher speeds, such as 50mph, almost as fast as it does from slower speeds. But unlike the firmly-sprung M3, the VXR8 can do the long-legged cruiser bit, with its lazy engine spinning at around 1,700rpm at the motorway speed limit - meaning it's quiet too.

10/10

6. Running Costs

At £35,105, the Vauxhall VXR8 is a performance car bargain. The BMW M3 is almost £16,000 more which offers comparable acceleration, a lower top speed and less equipment. And limited numbers should mean the VXR8 will hold its value fairly well.

Not quite needing the fuel tanker in tow we'd expected, the six-litre monster returns around 18.5mpg on average. That's made up of 12.4mpg around town and a comparatively respectable 25.9mpg. But the costs don't end with its thirst for super unleaded; group 20 insurance is stinging and tax band G means a £400 a year bill. And don't forget to budget for frequent tyre changes, which measuring 19-inches in diameter won’t come cheap.

6/10

7. Reliability

A big unstressed engine shouldn't give cause for worry, but all that power could make short work of clutches if not driven with a bit of sympathy. Tyres won't last long either. The interior doesn't feel as tough as some of its pricier rivals.

8/10

8. Safety
 
No EuroNCAP crash test results, but the Vauxhall VXR8 should be a safe car. It has the biggest brakes ever fitted to a Vauxhall, which can half the car from 62mph in less than 36 metres; less than a Lamborghini Gallardo. It also features electronic stability programme (ESP), brake assist, brakeforce distribution and driver, passenger, front side and full-length curtain airbags as standard.

8/10

9. Equipment

With no shortage of equipment, the Vauxhall VXR8 comes with climate control, six-disc in-dash CD player, rear park sensors, 19-inch alloys, cruise control, leather trim and electrically-operated front seats as standard.

9/10

10. X-Factor

There's no other performance car on sale today that's so honest about its muscle car roots. There might be faster cars, and ones which handle better; but none with as much character as the Vauxhall VXR8.

10/10