Driven: Vauxhall Astra VXR (2005)

If the pure driving experience were the only measure, I'd say undoubtedly that it was. Indeed the very fact that Vauxhall's engineers (with a lot of help from super-talents at Lotus) have been able to create a car capable of directing so much power through its front wheels alone is no mean achievement; ten years ago the result would have been a monster to drive. But in 2005 it's quite the reverse. Indeed I think the single most impressive aspect of this frankly astonishing new hatch is the fact that the engine, for all its power, is far from its best feature. What really makes this such an outstanding driver's car is the way it tackles a really difficult road.

How difficult? Well I spent an afternoon thrashing it round the original Nurburgring race track (not the Nurburgring-lite facility next door where they hold the European Grand Prix each year) and that, believe me, is the toughest stretch of tarmac on the planet. And it coped just fine, scorching through plunging twists and turns and flashing over blind crests with an aplomb many rear-drive, two-seat sports cars would be proud to emulate. Even its brakes, usually the first things to wilt under the heat of such an environment, stood up to the punishment without complaint.

In fact, if Vauxhall have made any mistake with this car at all, it is perhaps that it is a shade too track-happy, something that soon becomes apparent on a conventional road. For while it's perfectly useable everyday and just as fun off the track, stiff suspension and inconsistent throttle response can irritate in slow-moving traffic and similar urban conditions.

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