► Month two with the Vauxhall Corsa VXR
► Has the potential to be a fast and fun car
► Leaves the driver feeling disappointed
On paper, the Corsa has the perfect ingredients to deliver a piping hot-hatch. Grunty turbo engine, trick exhaust system, stiff and stubby three-door chassis, uprated Koni dampers, big Brembo brakes, Drexler limited-slip diff and sticky Michelin Pilot Supersport rubber. Mix that all up with a hefty visual dose of gobby yobby VXR attitude, a sprinkle of Recaros and 18-inchers, and you should have a slightly unhinged hoonmobile that majors on fast and frisky fun. You should, but you don’t. The VXR is undeniably brisk, and can slingshot its way through corners with alacrity, but it’s just not that much fun to drive. It feels leaden and inert with little of the effervescence and sparkiness I was expecting. Only when it’s taken by the scruff of its thick metallic green neck and wrung to within an inch of its life does it shake off its dynamic torpor and show its true mettle. Which is great on a deserted and well-known B-road. But for the remaining 99.9% of the time I’m behind the wheel, it makes for a frustratingly disappointing daily driver.
Logbook: Vauxhall Corsa VXR
Price: £17,995
As tested: £22,135
Miles this month: 1716
Total miles: 2767
Our mpg: 32.1
Official mpg: 37.7
Fuel this month: £336.55
Extra costs: £0