A Faster Astra – Hot Hatch Legends

There’s a new Vauxhall Astra coming out, apparently. Naturally, this does little to whet our wheeled whistle. However, it did give us a reason to think about Astras of old, of which there have been many. The Vauxhall Astra was released in 1979. Yes, we had to double check that. It’s strange, as the Astra is one of those cars that has always been there, but at the same time, it doesn’t seem like it’s been over forty years. That’s bonkers, frankly, and it makes us feel older than dust. But we’re not here to talk about the existential crisis brought on by a medium-sized hatchback. Instead, we’re going to have a look at the hot Astras, of which there were many.

The hot hatch wars of the ’80s and ’90s were hard fought, and that meant good things for us, the customer. Ford, Volkswagen and Vauxhall were the three biggest players in arena here in the UK and Europe. Volkswagen set the ball rolling, of course, with the Golf GTi. A light, punchy, sharp little B Road blaster. Then Ford, which already had form with the rear-drive Escorts, brought the XR2 and XR3 to the fight. Vauxhall didn’t plan on being left behind though. Like Ford, it had rear-drive history with cars like the Chevette HS, the Magnum and the Firenza. Sure, the need to be front wheel-drive brought new challenges, but Vauxhall relished them, producing some brilliant, speedy Astras in the process.

The Mk1 Astra GTE

This is it, this is ground zero for hot Astras. Genesis. The point of origin for what would develop into a deeply impressive lineage. And deservedly so, as the Mk1 Astra GTE was a damn fine car. It was powered by a 1.8 OHV four-cylinder petrol engine with 115bhp. That might not sound a lot, but the car tipped the scales at a mere 925kg. It wasn’t the most dynamic car, what with a surprising amount of body roll, but that wasn’t the point. You bought the Astra GTE for the looks, the slight hike in performance was a mere bonus. You see, the Mk1 GTE did what no others did. The spoilers, skirts, arch extensions and if you ordered a white one, the bumpers and wheels were all body coloured. Those body-coloured additions were flared and made it look low, wide and mean as hell. It was a statement car, and it looked so, so much more modern and sharp than any of its rivals.

The Mk2 Astra GTE

The Mk1 proved that we, as a buying public, were more than happy to hand over our cash for a fast Astra. As such, when the second-generation Astra rolled out in 1984, Vauxhall wasted no time in offering a hot version. Initially, the GTE was offered with the same 1.8 as the Mk1. It was also offered in five-door guise, too. However, the engine was too slow in the bigger Astra and as such, Vauxhall binned it in favour of a 125bhp 2.0 version of the same engine. It also got rid of the five-door (ironically for a poorly received version, the five-door is now holy grail stuff). Soon people wanted more power, and with Ford building cars like the RS Turbo, Vauxhall had to up its game. Enter stage left the 150bhp GTE 16V, which was powered by a DOHC 16-valve 2.0 XE engine. For many, this is the best performance Astra. And let us not forget that the Mk2 also had a digital dash as standard. it was like driving K.I.T.T!

The Mk3 Astra GSI

The Mk2 Astra GTE was a tough act to follow, but Vauxhall did it. Brand aficionados will tell you it wasn’t quite as good as the Mk2, and given it didn’t have a digital dash, you might be inclined to agree. However, it did have the same 150bhp 16-valve 2.0 engine (though some early cars were offered with a 124bhp 1.8 16-valve engine) so it was a riot to drive. Available as a three-door only, the GSi featured a subtle but also stunning boutique of body changes, like a new front grille, bonnet vents, model-specific bumpers and a rear spoiler. You also got sexy bucket seats, too. Vauxhall actually killed it off at one point, only to bring it back in 1997. However, the later model didn’t have as much grunt, due to being fitted with a more emission friendly 2.0 16-valve Ecotec engine with 134bhp. It didn’t have bonnet vents, either. Boo. But, you could order it with air-conditioning and no sunroof.

The Mk4 Astra GSi Turbo

While the Mk4 was leaps and bounds ahead of the models before it, it wasn’t exactly what you’d call a looker. It was instead a curious machine with a high waistline and Kamm-style rear that didn’t really look right. But, it was safer, it was built better and when Vauxhall’s speed addicts got hold of it, it was bloody fast. There was an SRi version, and an SXi, and even an SRi Turbo with 189bhp. But that wasn’t the peak. No, that came from the GSi Turbo, which packed a massive 197bhp. It was an utter loon of a car, and one that soon found favour in modifying circles, with tuners being more than keen to wind 350+ bhp out of it. Yet, despite being the fastest Astra by this point, it wasn’t a sales hit. Ford’s Focus ST was the winner here.

The Mk5 Astra VXR

With Ford and Volkswagen putting on the pressure, along with seemingly every other brand playing in the hot hatch arena too, Vauxhall needed to knock it out of the park when it came to making the Mk5 Astra fast. Happily, Vauxhall didn’t disappoint, and in turn created a car that would put the Astra back on the performance map. That car, of course, was the turbocharged, 236bhp Astra VXR. It was sharp, it was agile and it was ludicrously fast. Buyers loved it as it was more delicate and nimble than the stockier Fords and Volkswagens. It was also subject to myriad warranty-quashing upgrades to eke even more power out of the 2.0 engine. The ultimate version was the 888, which existed purely to make Vauxhall’s chassis engineers sweat. 295bhp and 371lb ft through the front wheels. Lunacy.

The Astra GTC VXR

Finally, we have the most modern hot Astra in the form of the GTC VXR. For the sixth version of the Astra, Vauxhall opted to make the three-door a halo car, something a bit more bespoke. The result was a coupe-cum-hatchback that proved to be a welcome distraction in showrooms full of Insignias, Zafiras and Mokkas. Visitors would lose their minds, however, if said showroom had a GTC VXR in it. Unapologetically bonkers, the GTC VXR, with its impossibly large wheels, big rear wing and deep bucket seats, certainly looked the part. Especially in Arden Blue as pictured here. But this car was more than looks. It also featured a 2.0 turbocharged engine with 276bhp and 295lb ft, a mechanical limited-slip differential, clever HiPerStrut front suspension as well as active suspension control overall. Sadly, this again lost out to the rivals. But don’t dismiss it. The Astra GTC VXR is destined to be a future classic.