The best Vauxhall specific event takes part at the Santa Pod Raceway, dont miss it, this one's going to be good.

• Britain’s premier show for fans of performance Vauxhalls
• Takes place at Santa Pod, Beds, June 12, 2016
• Almost 2,000 club cars already booked in
• Early bird tickets still available with £5 entry discount

It’s the show that will leave you Griffin from ear-to-ear…

Britain’s premier event for fans of performance and modified Vauxhalls is gearing up to be one of the busiest yet, with club stand space already sold out and individual tickets selling like hot cakes.

The Performance Vauxhall Show (PVS) takes place at the famous Santa Pod drag strip on Sunday, June 12, and includes a number of features that are guaranteed to capture the attention of over 10,000 expected visitors.

With on-strip action, including the chance for owners to enter their own Vauxhalls in a VX-only ‘Run What Ya Brung’, Santa Pod will be spilling over with Griffin greats, be them retro Novas, Chevettes, Cavaliers and Astras, or more modern VX220s, Monaros and VXRs.

When classic and modern Vauxhalls aren’t going head-to-head on the iconic strip, the famous Santa Pod Jet Car will be in action. The record breaking Fireforce 3 develops more than 10,000bhp from its helicopter engine, and can reach a terminal velocity of over 300mph on the ¼-mile strip. But be warned – bring your ear plugs!

For those wanting to run something a bit tamer, drag strip tickets cost £20 per car on the day, or £10 on the Saturday for those who arrive early.

As well as the drag strip action, PVS promises a host of other features including a lively retail village for the latest parts, mods and memorabilia, a show and shine, and some of the best and busiest club displays going.Fast Car magazine will be there, along with Performance Vauxhall, with a special show subscription offer of £15 for six issues.

Further fun features include drift trikes, a firing range and a ‘Best Wheels’ award, sponsored by Wheel Whores.

Although the show itself takes place on the Sunday, part of PVS is the party atmosphere, and camping at the show on the Saturday evening is where the fun really begins. Weekend tickets, including camping, are available for £25 per person if booked in advance (saving £8). A late night bar, DJ and Santa Pod’s funfair will all be in action for the evening.

An early bird offer also applies to show day tickets - £18, as opposed to £23 on the gate. To buy tickets, visit

www.performancevauxhallshow.co.uk

PVS promises to be an action-packed weekend and a true highlight of the Vauxhall calendar, but hurry, because tickets are selling out fast…

Vauxhall celebrates many milestones with open day.

TMW THOUGHTS

As much as Vauxhall loves to promote these heritage centre open days, to class the Shed at the bottom of a car park as a Heritage Centre is a bit much, when we went last year, we were shocked to see so few cars there, just about 12-15, with over 100 years of history behind Vauxhall, and the many dozens of significant, historical and concept cars they have at their disposal, this shed is an embarrassment.

Why they cant build something, like an over sized unit, to promote their cars, both old and new, is beyond me, they could make so much more of what they have, like Rover did with the BMIHT at Gaydon, now that's a stunning place, with dozens and dozens of cars from many manufacturers, hopefully one day, they will get their finger out and do something like this, after all, it could be a real money spinner.

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• Heritage Centre Open Day Sunday, 24th August 2014
• Free Entry
• Over 50 historic Vauxhalls on display, from 1903 to the present day
• A year of anniversaries including 10 years of VXR and 100 years of D-Type Staff Car

Vauxhall will be showcasing its private collection of historic cars to the public for one day only on Sunday, 24^th August, 10:00am until 4:00pm.

Based at the Heritage Centre in Park Street, Luton, visitors will be able to view the company’s collection for free, including over 50 veteran, vintage and post-war Vauxhalls from 1903 to modern times, as well as a number of unique concept cars.

This year, the Vauxhall Heritage Centre’s Open Day will highlight a multitude of milestones from the collection. The D-Type Staff Car, a true icon of the First World War, celebrates its centenary in 2014, while the Firenza ‘Droop Snoot’ marks 40 years since start of production, and the Calibra and Lotus Carlton each hit the quarter century.

Back to the 21^st Century, the all-new 576bhp VXR8 GTS will be on display, along with the very first VXR model – a VX220 – which launched the sporty brand 10 years ago.

The open day will run from 10am to 4pm with food and refreshments on sale, as well as entertainment including pedal cars and face painting for children. The day is perfect for all ages of car enthusiasts and a great way for all the family to celebrate a collection of anniversaries!

Vauxhall celebrates 10 years of VXR in the United Kingdom, with best ever range.

• New VXR8 GTS completes 2014 VXR range as it celebrates 10 years in UK market
• VXR range offers more power per pound than almost any other performance brand
• Two iconic pre-VXR performance Vauxhalls also mark significant anniversaries in ‘14

Vauxhall’s VXR brand has come of age in 2014 with the latest addition of the mighty VXR8 GTS marking ten years since the VXR brand made its debut on UK shores.

With total sales now exceeding 20,000, the VXR range has been embraced by UK car enthusiasts, who have built up a loyal following to the brand. As a result, Britain has always been the leading market in Europe for Vauxhall/Opel performance cars, known as OPCs in other countries.

There are currently five cars in Vauxhall’s VXR range: the Corsa VXR, the 210PS Corsa VXR ClubSport, the 280PS Astra VXR, the 325PS Insignia VXR and the 576PS VXR8 GTS. With a combined power output of nearly 1,600PS, there are few performance car ranges that offer so much power per pound.

The first cars to bear the VXR nameplate were the VXR220 and the Monaro VXR, both of which were launched at the British Motor Show in Summer 2004. Number One VXR220 still resides in Vauxhall’s Heritage Centre, while the Monaro VXR – ‘…a true rear-wheel drive car for enthusiasts’ – was 40 per cent cheaper than a BMW 6-series at launch, yet developed 330PS from it 5.7-litre V8 engine.

But sports cars and rear-drive coupes haven’t been the only models subjected to VXR makeovers. The Zafira and Meriva MPVs were unlikely candidates, but proved that up to 240PS in a front-wheel drive people-carrier needn’t be an unruly experience. Chassis development at the Nordschleife helped, as did a raft of cabin upgrades, including Recaro front seats.

More recently, models like the Astra VXR and Corsa VXR ClubSport have adopted sophisticated differential technology to cater for ever increasing power outputs. Manufactured by Drexler, the units help power to be applied more effectively through bends, giving the impression that driver is being pulled towards the apex under power.

And technological innovation is now the VXR bedrock. Torque Vectoring and magnetorheological damping (VXR8 GTS), adaptive all-wheel drive (Insignia VXR), FlexRide adaptive damping (Astra and Insignia VXRs), as well as generous levels of standard equipment in all VXRs have made the range a firm favourite with British enthusiasts.

This year also marks the anniversaries of two iconic performance Vauxhalls that never wore the VXR badge. Launched in 1989, both the Calibra and Lotus Carlton are now celebrating their first quarter-century. The Calibra was unveiled at the Frankfurt show, and with a Cd of just 0.26, it became the most aerodynamic car in its class, which when combined with up to 200bhp and all-wheel drive in later models, made it a credible rival for cars like the Sierra Cosworth and Lancia Delta Integrale. The Calibra was produced until 1996, by which time over 40,000 had found homes in the UK.

More than 65 years after producing Britain’s first 100mph road car, Vauxhall proved that it was still adept at causing a stir in the performance car world when it launched the fastest four-door saloon in the world: the Lotus Carlton.

With 377bhp from its twin-turbcharged, straight-six engine, Vauxhall’s super-saloon could crack 176mph and accelerate from 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds. And with a chassis developed with Lotus Engineering, the Lotus Carlton was an assured and finely balanced car that was equally adroit on fast British A-roads or belting along de-restricted Autobahns.

And 25 years on, perhaps the Lotus Carlton has finally met its match with the latest VXR8 GTS… Either way, the VXR range continues to go from strength to strength.

10 years of Vauxhall VXR models

Summer 2004 – VXR 220 & Monaro 5.7 VXR

August 2004 – Monaro 6.0 VXR

October 2005 – Astra VXR

November 2005 – Vectra VXR & Zafira VXR

January 2006 – Meriva VXR

March 2007 – Corsa VXR

June 2007 – VXR8

September 2009 – Insignia VXR

March 2011 – VXR8 E3 Saloon and Maloo

August 2011 – Corsa VXR Nurburgring

July 2012 – Astra VXR

April 2013 – Insignia VXR SuperSport

March 2014 – VXR8 GTS & Corsa VXR ClubSport