The Australians don’t get to have all of the fun. Those in the UK are also able to pony up to an HSV-branded vehicle and experience some of the might that is Holden Special Vehicles.
That would be the 2015 Vauxhall VXR8 GTS, merely a cloned HSV GTS. EVOÂ recently piloted the car equipped with the automatic gearbox to see if the price premium was worth the absence of a clutch pedal.
Long story short: it wasn’t.
Boiling down the VXR8 GTS‘ main competition, the car is classed among the BMW M5 and Mercedes AMG E63. Both of those super saloons offer modern automatic gearboxes, with the Vauxhall and, subsequently, the HSV sticking with a more basic six-speed auto. EVOÂ states that auto works well, but there is a definable delay in shifts when using the steering-wheel mounted paddle shifters.
In the day and age of twin-clutch units, that simply won’t do.
The remedy? Skip the automatic altogether and order your very own 2015 Vauxhall VXR8 GTS with a proper manual gearbox. It’s the Vauxhall’s ace up its sleeve, as neither the Mercedes or BMW offer a manual gearbox, the VXR8 GTS stands out from the pack.
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