VXR Track day thread

Liverpool-Lad · 11 Jul 2007 at 19:48

You liked the Vectra then? Did you get lap times?

cymatty · 11 Jul 2007 at 19:50

Liverpool-Lad said:
You liked the Vectra then? Did you get lap times?

Didn't get lap times, the Vectra I got in last and because I was drying sedately I got lots of laps. Was a very quick car but didn't want to push it to hard as I was more concerned with getting the correct lines around the track, the instructor said the lines were "perfect". We were on the track on our own at one point everyone else had gone in as the session had ended we were chatting and so did not notice.

Gibbo · 11 Jul 2007 at 19:58

cymatty said:
Didn't get lap times, the Vectra I got in last and because I was drying sedately I got lots of laps. Was a very quick car but didn't want to push it to hard as I was more concerned with getting the correct lines around the track, the instructor said the lines were "perfect". We were on the track on our own at one point everyone else had gone in as the session had ended we were chatting and so did not notice.

Hi there

The Vectra's I went in did not feel like 280BHP cars to me. Think I too did 6 laps in the Vectra and if memory serves me right by/under the dunlop bridge I was seeing 105-115mph, obviously let down a bit by the poor corner speed. Its a nice car but it certainly suffers understeer, torque steer was present too and I think the weight of the thing makes it feel more like a 200BHP hot hatch. I found the most chuckable and direct cars of the range were the Corsa and VXR8. For me the VXR8 was the most fun though, very easy to induce oversteer with the loud pedal.

Gibbo · 11 Jul 2007 at 20:00

Shaz]sigh[ said:
I'll be there tomorrow afternoon wearing... um... jeans... and shoes... er yeah.

I'll be in the black CTR. Come say hi so I don't feel like a peon.

Hi there

How do you think the FWD VXR's compared then against the Civic Type R?

I've driven the older Type R Civic and on the handling side I'd say it was better than all the FWD VXR cars. Obviously the Astra is not bad and has quite a bit more poke in a straight line but the Type R is definetely the more focused track car, so how would you say yours compared as I believe you have the newer model?

cymatty · 11 Jul 2007 at 20:13

Gibbo said:
Hi there

The Vectra's I went in did not feel like 280BHP cars to me.

Coming from a 98bhp Saxo they all felt fast, and I wasn't going at full speed I was actually driving a bit like a wetter. This was my first track day and my first prolonged period of time driving faster cars so I was a little over cautious. I was actually quickest in the Corsas out of the FWD crowd and I was in 4th gear all the way round in the VXR8 from 40-115mph.

Gibbo · 11 Jul 2007 at 20:33

cymatty said:
Coming from a 98bhp Saxo they all felt fast, and I wasn't going at full speed I was actually driving a bit like a wetter. This was my first track day and my first prolonged period of time driving faster cars so I was a little over cautious. I was actually quickest in the Corsas out of the FWD crowd and I was in 4th gear all the way round in the VXR8 from 40-115mph.

Hi there

Yeah the instructor guys were telling most people to stay in 4th in the VXR8 due to the torque.
When I got in he asked what I drove and basically said just have fun so I just used 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th, the instructor never said a word but I enjoyed it.

Also hence how I discovered the car also locks it rear wheels on downshifts though, that I did not expect considering all the other RWD vehicles I've driven have not done such a thing, but supposedly its common on the VXR8.

Shaz]sigh[ · 12 Jul 2007 at 08:04

Twas indeed me in the new shape CTR. Was in the green group too.

Great day but didn't want to swap when it came to doing non-track stuff.

With regards to the cars....

Corsa VXR, fun, planted, felt like it could handle more power though (in fact getting out of an Astra it did feel slow). I'd actually buy one of these...shocking.

Astra VXR, again, fun. Did feel a bit light on the old steering though which gave the feeling of floating. The turbo makes it stupidly easy to drive fast however. When I got used to it I really enjoyed it, again quite shocked.

Vecta VXR, actually quite fun due to the massive understeer, had to concentrate more.

Zafira VXR, awful gearstick positioning, awful driving position but it did go round corners and I overtook a VXR8 in one (rofl).

VXR8, couldn't get going on the layout applied to the track. Easy enough to kill yourself in though.

With regards to the CTR... well. I believe the CTR would have been a lot faster round the track but you actually have to work at it. The instructors tended to limit shifts to 3rd and 4th... and you know what VTEC is like. Turbo cars just feel lazy

The steering is also a lot heavier at speed and you can actually feel the road. I'd say that the CTR feels more gokarty (like the corsa) but has the speed of the Astra.... rubbish comparison I know but hey ho.

Think I'd like to take the CTR out on the track but unfortunately I'm selling it to get some pennies together for a possible house move

The corsa seats were cool though

cheets64 · 12 Jul 2007 at 10:51

So it was you then

I was in the yellow group so we ended up doing the track driving at the end of the day was class, the sun came out and it was roasting all the cars had A/C on

Had a good chat with Tom Chilton in the car, while he was doing some crazy moves, said hes got an Astra in blue but better alloys on, spied his Rolex as well, said hes only 1 of 4 drivers in the BTCC who get paid.

Shaz]sigh[ did you go out with Tom or Paul

ThomP · 14 Jul 2007 at 14:00

I did my trackday at Oulton on thursday AM. According to the VXR site we should have had an awards ceremony, did anyone else have an awards ceremony?

The Running Man · 14 Jul 2007 at 14:07

ahh yes i was at oulton park on Thurs am too. got a good lap with Chilton. he sure can drive those corsa's at the limit, felt like it was almost on 2 wheels going round some of the corners at crazy speeds well faster than the "faster" astra and vectra;s.

the VX8R was okay, but didnt feel as quick. but i suspect this is because i wasnt driving it in 2nd and redlining it up throuhg the shifts.

id gladly own an astra VXR on that showing though!

i also loved the way the autox astra's had VXR scrawled all over the side... but then said like "dynamic" on the side, with 1.6 on the back...

ThomP · 14 Jul 2007 at 14:13

Yeah was a sweet day. Liked the Corsa & Astra.

Mervia wasn't too bad managed to overtake a Vectra & a VXR8 with that LOL I was pants at the handbrake turn, but managed to get 2nd best in my team for the auto-test. Was cool to see russ swifts team there... The 1.6 Design astra's marked as 'vxr' was funny. lol

MrCake · 14 Jul 2007 at 16:35

Fianlly got my pack through the post for Brands on Thursday AM and from reading this thread I cant wait! For anyone that has been - has there been many oppertunities for photos. Just wondering whether its worth taking the dslr

ThomP · 14 Jul 2007 at 18:20

MrCake said:
Fianlly got my pack through the post for Brands on Thursday AM and from reading this thread I cant wait! For anyone that has been - has there been many oppertunities for photos. Just wondering whether its worth taking the dslr

yup lots. you get two attempts @ hand brake & 2 attempts at auto test. after that, you sit n watch everyone else. so lots of time to take photos of others...

Overlag · 15 Jul 2007 at 20:06

ThomP said:
yup lots. you get two attempts @ hand brake & 2 attempts at auto test. after that, you sit n watch everyone else. so lots of time to take photos of others...

i wana take my camera but i dont know if there will be anywhere to store it while out on the track? thats the only thing worrying me...

what did u do with yours?

blueboy2001 · 15 Jul 2007 at 20:58

You can get to your car throughout the day to store your camera - parking is in the paddock behind the pit lane.

cheets64 · 15 Jul 2007 at 23:17

I noticed the dynamic Astra's and to be honest the engine and brakes where making funny sounds during the cone test.

I had to go first on the cone test so was a bit nervous as everybody was watching me, did ok on my first run took the right path but second run stalled it when I reversed and tried to turn around, was gutted, the car wouldn't even start after I stalled it, had to wait 30 seconds for it to start up again :confused:

Overlag said:
i wana take my camera but i dont know if there will be anywhere to store it while out on the track? thats the only thing worrying me...

what did u do with yours?

at oulton there was 2 people at the refreshments all the time so someone will put it aside and look after it. Plenty of photon opps.

http://www.cheets.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/vxrvid.3gp vid of corsa and astra shifting out the pits, wonder who was driving them

Sirrel Squirrel · 18 Jul 2007 at 18:16

Just got back from the afternoon session at Brands Hatch, excellent day out and I have to give Vauxhall 10/10 for the effort, very well organised and well presented!

I really liked the Corsa, think it looks very nice and it was no slouch around the track, think I got it up to about 120 on the straight past the pits

I thought it handled pretty well too. The Astra had a bit more power but overall I preferred the Corsa.

The VXR8 is an animal, it was the first car I drove round the track too, had no idea how quick it accelerated, I pulled out of the pit lane and the instructor said slow down because I'd already hit nearly 90 and was approaching the first corner!

Had a go of the Vectra as well, nice car and pretty quick but felt a bit heavy as did the VXR8. Also had a go of the Zafira as it was the only car left at one point.

On the Autotest I managed to get the fastest time of 37.3 seconds and the guy looked very impressed

I then had a head to head with the 2nd quickest person but I struggled to get in reverse and messed that bit up so I just thought sod it and smoked the tyres out after doing a very fast reversing 180

Hawk Tuah · 19 Jul 2007 at 10:34

Sirrel Squirrel said:
On the Autotest I managed to get the fastest time of 37.3 seconds and the guy looked very impressed I then had a head to head with the 2nd quickest person but I struggled to get in reverse and messed that bit up so I just thought sod it and smoked the tyres out after doing a very fast reversing 180

I was there in the morning session. I hate to tell you I beat you in the Autotest.

I was the secoud group that did it, so before I had a go I got to see lots of people doing it and I'd decided I was going to do a few things a bit differently if I was allowed. When I got in the car I asked the instructor and he said do it as I like. Unlike everyone else taking it easy on the practice run I did at full speed doing all the manouvres I wanted to do, so on the real one I was absolutely ready.

I hammered it down around the cone slalom keeping it as neat and tidy as possible, then I braked hard, turned really tight around the 'garage', and then handbraked it around and drifted the car into the parking position. Then I reversed hard up and then J turned it hard and managed to carry on without stopping, straight into the 360 cone where I handbraked it around.

There were a few guys that got in the 36's in my session, but I got a 32.7 secs.

I was with the instructor that looked a bit like Stingray, and when he told the other instructor my time he looked a bit shocked.

Just to pee on my bonfire 'stingray' had a go after us and did it in 30secs dead. I could see where he made the time up so much. He reversed all the way to the 360 cone hitting the rev limited then J turned it so hard the car flicked off the ground :eek:

2 slightly used Astras for sale. Any takers......

I won the head to head too.

The track driving was a bit of a let down for me tbh. There was always someone going slower than me in front, and they never indicated to say I could pass. You'd constantly got this instructor telling you when to brake and turn. I had a go in the VXR8 and the guy wouldn't even allow me out of 4th gear. Out of all the cars I think I enjoyed the corsa the most. Lovely driving position and a really chuckable little car. Plus the instructors seemed to let you have a bit more fun in them. I had no problem catching up with VXR8's with it. The astra was good too, certainly had a lot of punch to it. The biggest surprise was the meriva. When you were driving it, if felt no different to the corsa. I avoided the Zafira. The vectras were ok, but just felt too heavy for my liking. I managed to get one sideways a bit aroud one corner.

I think the best bit of the day though was going out on the hot lap with the BTC driver. My god that was exhilirating, he was a complete nutcase. He drifted it around the whole first corner going over that dip as we were racing the other guy in the corsa. It was just unreal how close to each other they keep the cars. They were diving inside each other around bends, accelerating hard out of them, even though we were only a couple of inches behind the other car. Was just unreal to see how good they can drive. They were just carving their way through a field of 'n0obs' driving identical cars.

All in all it was a really good day and well worth the price!

Liverpool-Lad · 19 Jul 2007 at 11:23

37 secs? Thats pretty slow. Fastest on ours was 29. I flicked it around reversing out of the 'bay' and couldnt find first, managed to pop it into reverse and fumbled for a few seconds, bah, and even I managed 33 or something.

Did 2 laps with the BTCC drivers in both the Astra and the Corsa when it was wet, handbraking, drifting, sideways, the lot

Hawk Tuah · 19 Jul 2007 at 11:30

Liverpool-Lad said:
37 secs? Thats pretty slow. Fastest on ours was 29. I flicked it around reversing out of the 'bay' and couldnt find first, managed to pop it into reverse and fumbled for a few seconds, bah, and even I managed 33 or something.

If you fumbled a gear and still got 33 secs, then your track must have been different. The majority of drivers were getting over 40 seconds at Brands Hatch.