This was the first new car I bought. White with white alloys , it had just come out with the 2 ltr engine giving 130BHP over the previous 1.8 Ltr's 115BHP.
It was the quickest of the hot hatches at the time, but the handling wasn't quite up to it and the lights most certainly were not! Whoever sold a car with 120 MPH capabilities with the same lights as the 1300 van should have been shot.
The handling improved no end with Koni shocks all round, and if the lifted off, waited for the roll oversteer and then planted it you could set it up well for most corners. The rear vision was however appalling, both through the rear window and with it's huge filled C panel you could never join a Motorway unless you could see a gap AHEAD of you and then accelerated into it.
I had taken it to Austria, Belguim, Germany, France, Denmark and all over the UK, racked up over 120,000 miles and used it in 12 cars and road rallies, autotests and sprints, brought my son home from hospital and blasted from Bridgend to Plymouth Hoe at over 120 mph and in less than 3 hrs. Tried to find one recently but they have all been ripped apart for their engines.
Do You Remember Vauxhall Astra GTE 2.0LTR?
Do You Remember Vauxhall Astra GTE 2.0LTR?