Vauxhall VXR8 GTS-R

At £94 per bhp, the Vauxhall VXR8 GTS-R creates an interesting tension in a 600-car catalogue. Its used price of £55,000 places it at 415th for cost, meaning 185 cars in the collection are more expensive, yet its 587 bhp places it 230th for power. The numbers suggest a car that does not chase the very top of any single ranking, but instead asks a more useful question: how much capability belongs in the space between price and performance? The answer is yes, the VXR8 GTS-R is worth considering.

The reason is the combination that defines its position. A supercharged V8 with rear-wheel drive is not a common recipe in this catalogue. Just 30 of the 600 cars pair a V8 with supercharging, and only 132 use the V8 and RWD combination. That places this Vauxhall in a distinct group where the layout itself becomes part of the appeal. Its 6.2 litre engine delivers 587 bhp and 740 Nm, giving the car the kind of figures expected from a serious performance machine while remaining within a saloon body style.

The performance rankings show a more nuanced picture. A 0 to 100 km/h time of 4.2 seconds is faster than 254 cars in the catalogue, placing it 346th overall, while its 250 km/h top speed sits at 414th. Those figures are not about dominating every measurement. They show a car built around a particular balance, a supercharged V8, rear-wheel drive, four or five seats, and the practicality of a saloon.

That balance also explains its place as a UK car in the collection. There are 160 cars from the United Kingdom in the catalogue, but Vauxhall contributes only three. The VXR8 GTS-R represents a small part of that national presence, with its own clear character inside the wider selection.

The opening figure changes meaning once the full picture is considered. The £94 per bhp cost is not simply a calculation of power against money, but a measure of how this car sits within a garage of 600 choices. The VXR8 GTS-R does not need the highest price or the fastest rankings to justify attention. It offers a rare combination of supercharged V8 performance, rear-wheel drive and saloon usability, making it the choice for a collection that needs something distinct rather than simply something expensive.