New VXR8

Apart from the chrome, wheels and the stupid (stupid,stupid) audi daytime driving lights on the front. I like it.
 
[TW]Fox;18010611 said:
But the styling is the same. They are the same cars - none of them are different enough for you to like one but hate the other. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and my opinion is that your opinion is a bit weird.
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I gotta say I disagree on this one, Personally I never liked the styling of the Mazda MX-6 but I liked the Ford Probe, I think the Vauxhall VX220 looks rubbish but the Lotus Elise looks awesome. I wouldn't mind a Merc SLK if I was looking for a car in that category/price range but I wouldn't touch a Chrysler Crossfire as its ugly.

You can make a car very different by altering the styling and while the styling differences between the Pontiac G8 and Vauxhall VXR8 are not as extreme as the above examples they are substantial enough for me to think I wouldn't mind the VXR8 if it was cheap enough whereas the looks of the G8 put me off and I wouldn't touch it at any price.
 
ubersonic said:
I gotta say I disagree on this one, Personally I never liked the styling of the Mazda MX-6 but I liked the Ford Probe, I think the Vauxhall VX220 looks rubbish but the Lotus Elise looks awesome. I wouldn't mind a Merc SLK if I was looking for a car in that category/price range but I wouldn't touch a Chrysler Crossfire as its ugly.
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This is not the same thing at all - these were floorpan sharing cars with different bodies.

The VXR8/G8/R8 are not just floorpan shares - they are identical cars. It is the same car but with minorly different bumpers and front grilles to suit the manufacturers home badge. Everything else is the same, the body is the same, the light clusters are the same, etc etc. They are the same car just badged differently.

The difference between a Holden Commodore and a VXR8 is pretty much the difference between an Opel Astra and a Vauxhall Astra.

Nothing.
 
[TW]Fox;18014449 said:
This is not the same thing at all - these were floorpan sharing cars with different bodies.

The VXR8/G8/R8 are not just floorpan shares - they are identical cars. It is the same car but with minorly different bumpers and front grilles to suit the manufacturers home badge. Everything else is the same, the body is the same, the light clusters are the same, etc etc. They are the same car just badged differently.

The difference between a Holden Commodore and a VXR8 is pretty much the difference between an Opel Astra and a Vauxhall Astra.

Nothing.
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Ok perhaps my examples were a bit over the top but your Astra example is quite under the top (if that makes any sense). Mechanicals aside the MG ZS, Rover 45 and Honda Domani are basically the same car with different bodywork but that dramatically changes their looks and personality (if you believe cars have personality ofc).

Lets compare just the VXR8 and the Pontiac G8, the Pontiac has a different front bumper, front wings, bonnet, and a completely different rear end (inc light clusters) it makes the car look totally different even if it is the same car mechanically, its not just the badge that changes, and imo the Pontiac looks (for want of a better word) bloated by comparison and thus makes it less desirable.

*EDIT*

On second looks they share the same bonnet, just looks different because of the angle and the chrome trim, however they also appear to have different side skirts
 
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My mistake they are obviously totally different cars, its the same as the difference between the Audi TT and the VW Golf.

Back end of the G8 has the same back lights etc as the Commodore SS.

http://www.lincah.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/2009-pontiac-g8-gxp-5-588x441.jpg G8

http://image.motortrend.com/f/9472357+w750/112_0704_11z+2007_holden_commodore_SSV+rear_view.jpg SS

The *same* light clusters. The only real difference is the wing.

Sure the R8 and the VXR8 have a different backlight arrangement but it's still fundamentally just different trim levels of the same car..
 
[TW]Fox;18014626 said:
My mistake they are obviously totally different cars, its the same as the difference between the Audi TT and the VW Golf.
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Aww don't be like that, im not trying to offend/insult you or you opinion and im not trying to say their mechanically different we both know better than that just that their brand differences are enough to make them different. I.E its not a simple re-badge like Honda/Acura or Toyota/Lexus, they have different bodywork and are distinguishable from each other. Like the UK and Japanese versions of the Honda Accord, mechanically the same car but with different styling choices that make the JDM one more appealing to some and the UK one more appealing to others.

[TW]Fox;18014626 said:
Back end of the G8 has the same back lights etc as the Commodore SS.

http://www.lincah.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/2009-pontiac-g8-gxp-5-588x441.jpg G8

http://image.motortrend.com/f/9472357+w750/112_0704_11z+2007_holden_commodore_SSV+rear_view.jpg SS

The *same* light clusters. The only real difference is the wing.

Sure the R8 and the VXR8 have a different backlight arrangement but it's still fundamentally just different trim levels of the same car..
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Like you said the VXR8 has different back light arrangement which was my point in the last post when comparing it to the G8

http://images.pistonheads.com/nimg/22914/tn_VXR_2-L.jpg

http://www.thetorquereport.com/pontiac_sema_g8_concept_003.jpg

but the frontal styling is also different:

http://images.pistonheads.com/nimg/22914/tn_VXR_3-L.jpg

http://www.rimsorizer.com/wp-content/uploads2/2009/03/pontiac-g8-gxp3.jpg

Im not trying to say their different cars but the Mitsubishi GTO and the Dodge Stealth were the exact same car with different styling, If I was buying a car like that I would heavily consider the GTO but I wouldn't give the Stealth a second glance. This is the same thing, the G8 is no different to the Commadore/VXR8 mechanically but in my eyes its an inferior car (some Americans will no doubt consider it superior) due to its boring American market styling making it look different.

Put it this way if you were offered one of the three for free would you pick at random or would you make a choice based on the aesthetics? (picking the highest value one to sell on isn't an option :P)
 
Boring American styling? It's stock commodore SS with a new grille and a subtly different bumper.

I would get the Holden but only as I prefer the badge.
 
Said this on vxronline once... The Styling is just way too over the top. Far too busy.

I'd sooner get the more humble c63, rs4 or m3 (If I had the monies of course).
 
[TW]Fox;18015581 said:
Boring American styling?
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Im not sure how to describe it, it just looks chunkier than the VXR8 from the front, I know its an optical illusion caused by the front bumper design but its still there, its like the Chrysler Crossfires boxyness making it look chunkier than the Mercedes it was based on. I just dont know how to put it in words.... If you parked all three next too each other the VXR8/Commadore would look like they were going faster than the G8.

Its been said many times but if the Ford Edsel hadn't been put on sale with a vagina in the bumper it could have been a decent seller not an embarrassment, and when they removed the vagina sales went up tenfold (though not enough to save it) that's the effect subtle styling differences can have, and in this case it makes the G8 (IMO) not as good as the other two, due to the differences
 
Just been reading this on VXRonline

http://www.vxronline.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=125607

Interesting changes from the previous model. This year the HSV badging stays on everything but the exterior badges.

http://www.vxronline.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=125607

Interesting comments regarding the pricing too

I will guarantee that there will not be any cut price deals on these , unless the dealer in question wants to make a loss.

The battle to keep the car under £50k has meant forgetting the usual pricing structure. Of which I 'll leave the prospective customers to discuss with the dealer, and there are only 5 in the UK ( and Astons are not one of them).

The other difference here is there are only the 5 demo cars coming for the 5 dealers. No other stock. If a customer wants a car they order their car in the spec they want and take delivery some 3 months later.

What the dealers sell their demo car at is up to them.....

Stu
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Then somebody comments they've seen one for sale at a reduced price already.

Dougie said:
Yep but they show a GTS picture our Retailers are amazing ](*,)
Yep Clubsport is £45,000

19inch wheels instead of 20inch
No MRC suspension
Cloth Interior 4 Way electric instead of 8 way leather

If I was spending £45k I think the additional £4.5k wouldnt be a problem.

We will not have stock of eithier after the Dealer Demos its sold order only and all Demos are GTS's
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Funny that even the staff at VXL HQ know how poor the dealers are !
 
I'm not sure I like what they have done with the outside, it looks more in your face than it did before ...and it was bad enough then. I think with different wheels and a more subdued colour it would look alright though, I don't like the black plastic trim on the bumper and the bonnet vents at all ...it looks a bit naff around the mirrors too, if all that was body coloured it would be better I think. The interior does look much better though, I'll give them that.

My main issue with it is the price though 50k :o ...that's far too close to really, properly nice car money, Jaguar XFR anyone?

I think 35k would do it, 40k would really be pushing it, 50k ...is a case of hahaha pull the other one Vauxhall.
 
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