If you read our review of the 2011 Buick Regal, it was pretty plain to see we liked the car a lot. It's probably the most fun, nicest-looking, sporty FWD mid-size sedan in the market. And we're saying that about a Buick, not an Acura TSX or Mazda6.

The Regal is more or less exactly the same as the Euro-spec Opel Insignia, which means by commutative property, since we like the Regal, we like the Opel Insignia. When GM takes that enjoyable, 220 HP front wheel drive car and puts a stonkin' 325 HP, 2.8-liter turbocharged V6 with a six speed manual and a Haldex all-wheel-drive system in it capable of rear-axle torque vectoring, it's a fair bet we'll be giddy with excitement. Then they add 14-inch (front) Brembo binders, Recaro bucket seats, 20 inch wheels and body work so aggressive it makes one's inner hoon squeal. GM brought one along during the Regal drive and let us have a crack at it.

It might not be the fastest, hardest cornering, most extreme factory tuner in the world, but God damn it looks good. This could have the three-cylinder wheeze-fest from an old Geo Metro and we'd still want to roll around naked on it. That's not to say it isn't fast, 0-60 MPH takes 5.8 seconds, which is impressive for a car that weighs 3,990 Lbs.

But lifting off the accelerator is a high crime. Maybe it's the super-grippy Recaro buckets, the Darth Vader meets Tron interior graphics or the knowledge that you're driving one of the only OPC's to ever grace these shores, but you can't help but drop the transmission down a couple cogs and obliterate the speed limit with dangerous regularity. It's easy to find oneself hunting for even the slightest bend in the road to exaggerate into a high speed corner. The car's good, but more importantly, it's involving.

The OPC bases much of its greasy bits on the Saab 9-3 Turbo X powertrain, though it's tuned to a higher level, it makes many of the same moves. That Saab had only 280 HP, but the torque vectoring AWD system is identical.

Compared to the Regal, the Insignia OPC is more of a boy racer, such things are obvious based on the obnoxious body work and giant wheels, but it lives at an interesting intersection of hooligan and grown up. The car is tighter in corners, but doesn't punish you over jarring bumps, turn-in is faster, but it isn't tiresome. Should you lose your mind and want a more sedate experience, you can turn the car down a couple notches with three different suspension settings, each progressively softer until its throttle response and damping rate is rather pedestrian.

The fact that GM brought this car to a Buick Regal media launch is not a signal lost on us. We aren't saying GM is preparing a version for the United States, but the shoulder shrugs and veiled smirks from GM engineers say they're at least thinking about it. Although there was much talk of the letters "G," "N," and "X" but none of it coming from anyone wearing a GM badge — and unfortunately, GM's CEO's already nixed the idea. Still, a car fan-boy can dream, can't we?

Take all the benefits of GM's Insignia VXR, the turbocharged 2.8 liter V6 good for 320 HP, the all-wheel-drive, electronically controlled limited slip differential, Brembo brakes, tighter suspension, bigger wheels and tires, the aggressively handsome styling, gorgeous Recaro bucket seats and then open it up in wagon form for a total load area of a whopping 54 cubic feet and you've got a totally lustworthy automobile.Unfortunately the colonies will not be receiving this latest foreign-only masterpiece. General Motors, our patience with you is wearing very thin.

With the Buick Regal proving to be a huge sales success here in China, and the Regal 2.0 Turbo planned for a reveal at the Shanghai Auto Show next week, the chances of a high-performance version being developed (or badge swapped) is entirely within the realm of possibility.

As strange as it may sound, Audi is Buick's biggest competitor here in the People's Republic of China and the A4 is the Regal's main foe. Audi also sells the high-performance S4 model here, which is also the Opel Insignia OPC and Vauxhall Insignia VXR's performance target. Why not slap a Buick waterfall grille and a GNX badge on this biatch and call it a day? We've seen stranger things happen.

We're absolutely pleased to see this newest performance sedan from GM's European performance studios. Aiming, with no excuses, directly at the Audi S4, is a 2.8-liter V6 turbo ECOTEC engine. That engine's a derivative of the top-of-the-line Insignia model, producing a fairly stout 325 HP and 295 lb-ft of torque thanks to such features as a micro-alloy forged steel crank, die-cast alloy oil sump, twin-scroll turbocharger and variable valve control. Enthusiasts will get to row through a six-speed manual gearbox helping the new performance Insignia reach 60 MPH in 5.8 seconds and with an electronically limited 155 MPH terminal velocity.

The Insignia OPC/VXR receives a performance-tuned chassis as well as a 10mm lower and stiffer suspension featuring new HiPerStruts, all-wheel-drive and a new electronic limited slip differential (eLSD). Helping to stop the new sport sedan is a set of color-matched Brembo calipers and vented/cross-drilled discs that sit behind a bespoke set of 19- or 20-inch lightweight, forged alloy wheels wrapped in sport rubbers...you know, to be safe.

Vauxhall's Marketing Director, Andy Gilson, had this to say about the Vauxhall Insignia VXR (same goes for the Opel):

'The Vauxhall Insignia VXR is not just about absolute power, but a combination of usable performance and chassis sophistication which is the match of premium rivals, such as the new Audi S4. In essence, it's an ultra-fast performance saloon that will appeal to buyers who appreciate subtle yet distinctive styling, but who need to know that there's real substance below the car's metal.'

Those of you lucky enough to live on the other side of the pond, will be able to check out the new 2010 Opel Insignia OPC and 2010 Vauxhall Insignia VXR on May 7th at the 2009 Barcelona Motor Show, which coincidentally is the ten year anniversary of the first OPC model.

[via GM]

The car for when even an Astra VXR isn't VXR enough...

# Astra VXR Nürburgring Edition, on sale now
# Exclusive white paint, embossed seats and graphics
# Priced at £20,995 on-the-road

There are plenty of hot hatches on the market, but it's the Astra VXR that's the undisputed Ring leader...

And to prove it, Vauxhall has pulled the wraps off the Nürburgring edition, named after the car's spiritual home, where much of its pre-production development was carried out.

Based on the standard Astra VXR and priced at £20,995, each individually numbered Nürburgring edition will come with an exclusive all-white paint finish and lightweight white 18-inch alloy wheels, equipped with bespoke Dunlop tyres, are also specified. Other exterior features include dark tinted windows, carbon fibre effect mirrors and B-Pillars and distinctive chequered flag body graphics, to further emphasise the car's incredible performance.

Mechanically similar to the standard VXR, the Nürburgring Edition produces 240PS in factory tune, giving it the ability to accelerate from 0-60mph in 6.2 seconds and on to an electronically-limited top speed of 155mph. Each UK-specification car will also come provided with a Remus Sports Exhaust, developed with Vauxhall's BTCC race team, Triple-Eight Race Engineering.

Like the standard car, the Nürburgring Edition benefits from a six-speed manual gearbox and lowered, uprated VXR suspension with ESP as standard. Ventilated 321mm diameter disc brakes at the front and 278mm diameter discs at the back help slow things down, while blue-painted calipers remain a VXR trademark.

The Nürburgring Edition theme continues inside, with carbon fibre detailing on the door trims and fascia, leather trim with the Nürburgring circuit graphic embossed into the unique Recaro front seat backrests and an individually numbered plaque showing each car's build number.

In fact, the only thing it doesn't come with is one of those Nürburgring bootlid stickers you can buy when you do a lap of the circuit. Such a shame, as it means you'll have to drive it there and buy one yourself. [Source: GM]

Chalk up another benefit of being a right-hand drive nation of the Commonwealth Realm — first dibs on muscle cars. Right, so before the Pontiac G8 GT makes its first appearance among the Yankery, Brits will get their shot at its Australian cousin, the Holden Commodore HSV Clubsport R8. In the UK, it'll be badged a Vauxhall VRX8, natch, but the VXR8 will be identical to its brother from down under. That means 414 hp and 406 lbs-ft of torque via GM's 6.0-liter V8. That's quite a shade above the Pontiac G8 GT's prospective 362 hp and 391 lbs-ft, but that's because its gotten the once-over from Holden's HSV performance group. But will the Brits bite? They may, considering at 35,000 pounds, it's a bargain compared to competitors from Germany. Of course, Clarkson will hate it for its crudeness, and it'll become the butt of jokes told over pints. But we'll be here slugging down weak, over-cold beer and pining away. Sometimes it's good to have a queen. [Thanks to Joe for the tip.] – Mike Spinelli

[via Car]

Related:
Chicago Auto Show: Pontiac G8 GT Show Car [internal]

Earlier this year, we got a glimpse of the new hot mini-hatch in the way from the General's Teutonic outpost at Opel. Now, the company's revealed the Corsa OPC, the latest Opel (oh sorry, blokes, and Vauxhall too, as the VXR) to be so lettered. As a hot hatch, the Corsa has all expected accouterments, including 192 hp from a 1.6-liter turbocharged four and and a listed zero-to-60 time of 7.2 seconds — specs competitive with similar Peugeots and Seats of the genre. What's more, an "overboost" function provides a temporary torque upswing (hyperspace?) from 170 lb-ft to 191. If we were betting sorts, we'd lay odds this Corsa will never hit the states as a Saturn, like so many other Opels (and, soon, the base Corsa) have. But hope springs eternal, unlike some half-in-the-bag conventioneer's cash-advance card at the Sahara. – Mike Spinelli

Press Release:

Opel has shifted into top gear with the new Corsa. Following the successful market launch of the bestseller's fourth generation, Opel now sends the sporty top version on to the road. The OPC model is the quintessential expression of the Corsa's dynamic character, with top-level agility and vehicle control promising pure driving fun. Its 1.6-liter turbo engine with 141 kW/192 hp accelerates the compact three-door from zero to 100 km/h in 7.2 seconds and enables a top speed of 225 km/h. The maximum torque of 230 Nm, which can be temporarily increased to over 260 Nm via an 'overboost' function, is delivered to the front wheels by the standard six-speed transmission. This level of performance provides the newest member of the sporty OPC family with superb propulsion power in all driving situations. For instance, accelerating from 80 to 120 km/h takes just 6.7 seconds in fifth gear. The Corsa OPC requires 7.9 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers, a moderate figure in this performance class. It makes its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in early March, shortly before its market launch.

The top-of-the-line Corsa's look also reflects pure sportiness. The roof spoiler, as well as the powerful front and rear aprons with distinctive gill-like air intakes and outlets make the OPC a real eye-catcher. Elements such as the darkly contrasting diffuser with integrated, centrally located triangular tailpipe and specially designed exterior mirrors are just a few examples of how much attention to detail was put into further developing the Corsa's bold, sporty character.

The Corsa OPC's chassis has a unique, even sportier character thanks to extensive modifications. Through intensive tuning drives on the N rburgring Nordschleife, engineers were able to achieve a sophisticated balance of agile handling and pronounced vehicle control. Key modifications include a stronger rear axle profile and adjusted torsion beam rear axle weld-in angle, new spring/dampener tuning, lowering of the chassis by 10 mm and a larger stabilizer. The standard ESP system, which can be deactivated, has also been tuned to the car's sporty character. The new Corsa OPC comes with 17-inch alloy wheels with 215/45 R17 tires ex works, while 18-inch rims and size 225 tires are available as an option. The large 16-inch brake system with blue painted brake calipers ensures powerful deceleration: the Corsa OPC boasts internally ventilated, 308 mm front disk brakes and 264 mm disk brakes at the rear.

Sportiness also dominates the Corsa OPC's cockpit. In addition to the typical OPC door sills, chrome-ringed instruments with red pointers and blue-ringed air vents (also available in silver), the flat-bottomed leather sports steering wheel is especially eye-catching. Also reminiscent of motor sport vehicles, the steering wheel features a blue (or optionally silver) ring at its crown, while the center console in piano lacquer finish and aluminum pedals underline the sporty, high quality ambience. Particularly striking are the newly developed Recaro sports seats with integrated head restraints. The race-car-like seats protect both the driver and front passenger with integrated side airbags a world premiere for this type of seat.

The introduction of the Corsa expands Opel's OPC program to five model lines. The top-of-the-line Vectra OPC with 206 kW/280 hp is available as a sedan or station wagon. The Zafira OPC the fastest production van in the world with a top speed of 231 km/h and the Astra OPC both have a 177 kW/240 hp, two-liter turbo engine. The Meriva OPC is powered by an engine similar to that of the Corsa OPC: with 132 kW/180 hp and a top speed of over 220 km/h, the versatile five-seater is unique in the minivan segment.

"The OPC models embody pure sportiness, infusing the brand with emotion and passion. That is why the OPC version fits brilliantly to the new Corsa, which is positioned as a young car offering plenty of fun," says Alain Visser, Executive Director, European Opel Marketing.

As an option. The large 16-inch brake system with blue painted brake calipers ensures powerful deceleration: the Corsa OPC boasts internally ventilated, 308 mm front disk brakes and 264 mm disk brakes at the rear.

Sportiness also dominates the Corsa OPC's cockpit. In addition to the typical OPC door sills, chrome-ringed instruments with red pointers and blue-ringed air vents (also available in silver), the flat-bottomed leather sports steering wheel is especially eye-catching. Also reminiscent of motor sport vehicles, the steering wheel features a blue (or optionally silver) ring at its crown, while the center console in piano lacquer finish and aluminum pedals underline the sporty, high quality ambience. Particularly striking are the newly developed Recaro sports seats with integrated head restraints. The race-car-like seats protect both the driver and front passenger with integrated side airbags a world premiere for this type of seat.

The introduction of the Corsa expands Opel's OPC program to five model lines. The top-of-the-line Vectra OPC with 206 kW/280 hp is available as a sedan or station wagon. The Zafira OPC the fastest production van in the world with a top speed of 231 km/h and the Astra OPC both have a 177 kW/240 hp, two-liter turbo engine. The Meriva OPC is powered by an engine similar to that of the Corsa OPC: with 132 kW/180 hp and a top speed of over 220 km/h, the versatile five-seater is unique in the minivan segment.

"The OPC models embody pure sportiness, infusing the brand with emotion and passion. That is why the OPC version fits brilliantly to the new Corsa, which is positioned as a young car offering plenty of fun," says Alain Visser, Executive Director, European Opel Marketing.

Related:
Spy Photos: Opel Corsa Hot Hatch; Another Saturn?: Opel Reveals Upcoming Corsa [internal]

If you thought badge engineering was a purely American game, check your head. GM's bringing a version of the UK's Vauxhall (Opel) Astra VXR to Australia as the Holden VXR. Never one to leave well enough alone, Holden's HSV performance group — likely gone dingbat on Aeroplane Jelly, Redback and pie floaters — worked up the 2006 HSV VXR, unveiled at the Sydney show this week. Powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter 16-valve Ecotec-4 producing 237 hp and 236 lbs-ft of torque, the lil' hatch can get from zero to 60 in 6.4 seconds. It rides on 19", 10-spoke alloys and comes with ESP, traction control, ABS and brake assist and Recaro seats. Maybe one day we'll see a Saturn that's similarily equipped, but we wouldn't bet the gee-gees on it. – Mike Spinelli

Related:
Hold on, Holden! Secret HSV E-Series Photos Leaked [internal]