Vauxhall Old and New to appear at this years Goodwood Festival of Speed Hill climb.

• Vauxhall’s new Goodwood Festival star lugs first precious load

With 107 times the power of its forebear it’s no surprise that the new Vauxhall VXR8 Maloo LSA, which will be tearing Tarmac at Goodwood’s Festival of Speed next week, makes light work of carrying Vauxhall’s very first car.

With 536bhp (544PS), the Maloo LSA is Britain’s most powerful light commercial vehicle (LCV). And with a top speed limited to 155mph and a 0-60mph time of 4.3 seconds (both estimated), it’s also the fastest too.

But that doesn’t mean that the Maloo LSA is a one-trick pony. With a payload of 500kgs, it’s more than capable of accommodating its oldest Vauxhall namesake in its generous load-bay. Built in 1903, the ‘5HP’ weighs just 272kgs and can hit a maximum speed of 25mph – barely a sixth of what the Maloo can achieve – but quick by early twentieth century standards.

So how would their times compare on Goodwood’s famous hill climb track? While there’s no official timing in the First Glance class in which the Maloo can be seen this year, we estimate that it would reach the finish line of the 1.16-mile course in 55 seconds, at least three minutes ahead of the 113-year-old 5HP.

Take into account the Maloo LSA’s performance armoury, though, and it’s no great surprise. With an all-new 6.2-litre, supercharged V8 shared with its Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 sibling (which will also appear in the same class) Vauxhall’s super-commercial deploys its power through a limited slip differential to the rear wheels. Its drivercould make the car disappear in a haze of tyre smoke off the start line at Goodwood, but for a clean getaway, the Maloo also benefits from a neat Launch Control system for maximum-attack starts.

Despite these bookends of Vauxhall’s immense heritage appearing to have nothing in common (see chart, below), there’s one feature which is shared by both vehicles. With surprising prescience, Vauxhall’s 1903 engineers joined the chassis and the lower part of the 5HP’s body into a composite steel and wood structure, effectively creating a very early monocoque design, which is now employed by almost all production cars around the world.

Vauxhall is returning for a second year as sponsor of the hugely popular Goodwood Festival of Speed (June 23-26). Its unique Family Experience area is set to captivate children and adults alike with a mix of fun-filled challenges and more than 30 exciting old and new cars to see. The area, which features a large, free crèche and hospitality area, is the only one of its kind at the event and is guaranteed to be an instant hit with families.

2016 VAUXHALL VXR8 MALOO LSA vs 1903 VAUXHALL 5HP – 113 YEARS OF PROGRESS

	5HP	Maloo
Engine capacity	978cc	6,162cc
Cylinders	1	8
Power	5bhp	536bhp (544PS)
Torque	N/A	671Nm @3850rpm
Engine construction	Integrally cast head/block	All-aluminium heads/block
Fuel delivery	Vauxhall spray carb	Electronic fuel injection
Crankshaft	2-bearing	Cross-bolted, 5-bearing
Transmission	Clutchless, 2-speed	6-speed manual
Drive	Via chain to rear axle	Via limited slip diff. to rear axle
Suspension – front	Spiral springs/no dampers	MacPherson Strut
Suspension – rear	Spiral springs/no dampers	Fully independent, multi-link
Steering	By tiller / plenty of faith	By wheel / rack & pinion
Brakes  - front	None	367mm diameter ventilated discs
Brakes – rear	Drums	372mm diameter ventilated discs
Wheels	26-inch / wire construction	20-inch / alloy
Tyres – front	26/3	255/35 x 20
Tyres – rear	26/3	275/35 x 20
Top speed	25mph	155mph (limited/est)
Acceleration (0-60mph)	Uh, never…	4.3 seconds (est)
Fuel consumption	38mpg (unofficial)	18.5mpg (official combined)
Price	130 guineas (£136)	£54,520

vauxhall is determined to ensure that the UK builders end up in the ditch, which they will in the updated Maloo.

• New Maloo LSA gets power-boost with VXR8 GTS-based, supercharged engine
• Hilarious prospect of 0-62mph in 4.6 secs from a CV capable of hauling half a tonne
• Over 100PS and 100Nm power/torque increase versus outgoing model
• Design revisions and additional colours for VXR8 GTS saloon

Vauxhall only sells one pick up vehicle these days, and while our rivals will wow you with improvements in emissions and fuel economy in a CV’s new model year, our offering – the new Maloo LSA – is more likely to impress with the arrival of its all-new, supercharged 6.2-litre, 536PS V8 engine.

So while it’s possibly not a contender for next year’s MPG Marathon, the Vauxhall Maloo LSA will haul… well, up to 540kgs from standstill to sixty in an unfeasibly short space of time, and do so with the utmost composure, despite the fact that it’s classed as a commercial vehicle (business users can even claim the VAT back from its very reasonable £54,500 on-the-road price).

For 2016, the new LSA engine brings maximum power up from 431PS for the outgoing LS3 V8 to 536PS, and an increase in torque from 570Nm to 671Nm. First seen in the current VXR8 GTS launched last year, the LSA is essentially the same unit fitted to the Camaro ZL1, albeit in a slightly re-tuned form. An Eaton 4-lobe supercharger, stand-alone water-to-air charge-air cooling system and high-flow exhaust system with bi-modal exhaust function turn the Maloo into the fastest production ‘ute’ manufactured in Australia, and the fastest CV available in the UK.

To cater for the extra 105PS of power and 101Nm of torque compared with the outgoing Maloo, modifications have been made to the vehicle’s chassis. Spring and damper rates have been stiffened to reduce body-roll and further improve turn-in, while the unique rear suspension module delivers improved rear stiffness and rear braking efficiency.

Also now standard on the Maloo LSA are Launch Control (manual models only), a limited slip differential, sat-nav, Bluetooth, Onyx Leather trim, and EDI (Enhanced Driver Interface).

In addition to more power and standard equipment, the 2016 Maloo also benefits from a raft of exterior styling upgrades. The front end features a re-designed fascia incorporating a subtle splitter, while the addition of pitch-black bonnet air vents help deliver an even more aggressive look.

The pitch-black theme is carried through to the mirror-backs and wing-vents, with a new 20-inch, five-spoke alloy wheel design completing the styling package. Two new colours – Slipstream (vibrant blue) and Some Like it Hot (metallic red) - complement the Maloo’s fresh new look.

Vauxhall’s VXR8 GTS, the other model in Vauxhall’s V8, rear-wheel-drive range, also has some subtle changes for 2016. While power remains unchanged at 585PS, and torque at 740Nm, the five-seat, four door saloon receives new bonnet vents, bumper grilles and side sills, as well as a new centre-stack arrangement inside the cabin and two new exterior colours. On the road price for the 2016 VXR8 is £55,500 with six-speed manual transmission and £57,200 with the six-speed auto, with oil cooler.

France to gradually pahse out Diesel powered cars in favour of electric powered one.

France wants to gradually phase out the use of diesel fuel for passenger cars and will put in place a system to identify the most polluting vehicles, Prime Minister Manuel Valls said.

Next year, the government will launch a car identification system that will rank vehicles by the amount of pollution they emit, Valls said. This will make it possible for local authorities to limit city access for the dirtiest cars.

"In France, we have long favored the diesel engine. This was a mistake, and we will progressively undo that, intelligently and pragmatically," Valls said.

About 80 percent of French motorists drive diesel-powered cars.

Taxation would have to orient citizens towards more ecological choices, Valls said in a speech on Friday. The 2015 state budget measures would seek to reduce the tax advantage of diesel fuel versus gas.

The government has announced it will raise the so-called TICPE excise tax on diesel by 2 euro cents per liter, bringing in 807 million euros to state coffers in 2015.

Valls also said the government was working on plans to widen the number of beneficiaries of a subsidy for the conversion of old diesel engines in areas with anti-pollution plans.

Energy Minister Segolene Royal announced earlier this year that drivers scrapping diesel-powered cars to buy an electric one would be entitled to a bonus of up to 10,000 euros ($13,500).

REPORT HERE