Vauxhall Insignia VXR

Wow. The S6 linked is easily my preferred option out of all the others listed. Why have only 6 cylinders when you could have 10.

After that, the yeah, probably the Turbo X Saab, then the Passat CC.
 
Different car, thats an Aero with XWD, the black one is a bona fide Turbo X. Look at the 0-60 :)

If you want the Insignia chassis then the new 9-5 is pretty much the same thing. Arguably better value but really hard to find and not a sensible purchase, its the only Saab thats really hard to find some parts for. Part of me would still love one though

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201605194112366

That's odd, they have the same power output and the description mentions X. What was the physical difference between them?
Edit:
Just seen the rear badge. How comes such a difference in 0-60 with the same power?
 
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What engine in the mazda you have right now? Presumably a 2.0 n/a? Those really aren't that fast, I'm wondering if you would be able to scratch the itch with less of a jump!

Yep, it's the 2.0L engine. I know it isn't fast, but considering I've never really driven anything much quicker than that, I wouldn't really know. It feels fast enough to me, but I just want something better, preferably with a 6+ cylinder engine. I also want something more refined. The mazda is actually quite fun to drive, but just doesn't feel refined and has awful ride quality.
 
That's odd, they have the same power output and the description mentions X. What was the physical difference between them?
Edit:
Just seen the rear badge. How comes such a difference in 0-60 with the same power?

See my post above, it's mainly due to a stronger gearbox which means the torque limiter in 1st and 2nd is removed but the LSD may help too. There's other kit differences like bigger brakes but the 0-60 is down to the gearbox mainly :) The TX is an exceptionally rare car so doesn't come up very often. There's also a Carlsson which is a TX tribute to the rally driver and has all the Hirsch kit as standard but those are even rarer
 
Yep, it's the 2.0L engine. I know it isn't fast, but considering I've never really driven anything much quicker than that, I wouldn't really know. It feels fast enough to me, but I just want something better, preferably with a 6+ cylinder engine. I also want something more refined. The mazda is actually quite fun to drive, but just doesn't feel refined and has awful ride quality.

I don't think you need a turbo v6 really. Something with a 2.0 turbo will feel significantly faster without costing too much more to run. It's a shame they didn't do a mk2 mazda 6 mps, I really like the mk2 6 but they're mainly diesels or asthmatic petrols. Something like a Skoda Octavia VRS or even an Audi A4 2.0TFSI for something more premium. Or a normally aspirated six will give you the refinement and plenty speed - BMW 330i has to be considered but if you want ride quality then I'd have to include the Mercedes C class
 
He's getting confused by the new gen 9-5 I posted - which I linked to because it's the same car underneath as the insignia. It wasnt a reccomendation nor was it a comment on how quick it was either.
 
Approaching 400HP with bolt ons and a remap though! :p

Just don't even go there. Its a vauxhall. It ain't worth it. Ex Vectra VXR owner here, which has the same VX 2.8 V6 Turbo as the insignia VXR. Worst thing I ever did was mod that car.
 
Thing with the Saab 9-3 is the rear diff is problematic and due to the fact it was made at the end of Saab's life and a rare old beast it can become quite costly if things start going **** up. Also do not forget the Saab is based on the Vectra C platform. The Insignia is based on the next generation platform which in itself is old now. The 2.8V6 isn't really that great either and has its own foibles.

If you want something in a similar vein I would be looking at the VW Passat R36. 13k would get you a lovely example but be prepared to travel the country to find one.
 
The VXR was always advertised as 0-60 5.4 seconds, not sure why some adverts suggest it is more.

I used to have one. They are very nice but very expensive if anything happens. The engine is huge and requires a lot of labor time if any work needs to be done. If you keep a couple of k back in case problems arise it's an amazing car. Common faults are timing chains (was a recall, pre 10 plates are known to stretch). If not included in the recall this can cost a couple of thousand. Also the haldex 4x4 system used to fail, they use an updated part now to fix what was causing the issue, but again if this fails it costs a few thousand. The way to check the 4x4 is good if test driving one is to reverse slowly with full steering lock. If you hear knocking just walk away.

The above though are just a couple of major faults, they may occur, they may not. Once fixed they shouldn't happen again because the main cause has been ironed out. If you need to get new disks you can always upgrade your break setup to the Audi RS6 setup, they are roughly the same price but much better. The coil packs can be picked up for £29.99 each on eBay and they are just as reliable as the original Bosch one. Many people on the VXR forums are using them and swear by them.

If you are after a family size saloon that goes like **** off a shovel and sticks to the road like glue then this is definitely a lot of car for the money. It's a rare beast so still turns a lot of heads. On the other hand there is a lot of choice when spending this much!!
 
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