New Astra Launch - Millbrook proving ground - November
Discussion
Got an email through the other day offering two tickets to the launch of the new Astra at the Millbrook proving ground, Bedfordshire.
My brother and I are going on the first Sunday, is anyone else going?
We went to the new Vectra launch too and had a hoot, we were the pair chased off the bowl by the marked police car (we didn't realise we wern't allowed on the high speed bowl with the Vectras)
There were a few other cars available back then, the 2.0T Astra was quite fun on the Alpine course.
My brother and I are going on the first Sunday, is anyone else going?
We went to the new Vectra launch too and had a hoot, we were the pair chased off the bowl by the marked police car (we didn't realise we wern't allowed on the high speed bowl with the Vectras)
There were a few other cars available back then, the 2.0T Astra was quite fun on the Alpine course.
still can't decide on these day running lights though suit some cars better than others
Well, the visit was a laugh, the new Astra is a nice looking car, looks like a coupe.
Surprised to hear that they're not planning on doing the 2.0T (apparently). Obviously they will eventually, but the advertising / reps said there were no plans for it.
The alpine course was good fun, even in the piddly 1.6 turbos (180bhp) and when the ESP was off (which we never, ever did) even handled quite well too with predictable understeer.
The handling course was good with the drivers getting some lift-off oversteer and trying to show us how well the ESP reigned the fun in.
Managed to sneak a few pics in, will upload them later.
Surprised to hear that they're not planning on doing the 2.0T (apparently). Obviously they will eventually, but the advertising / reps said there were no plans for it.
The alpine course was good fun, even in the piddly 1.6 turbos (180bhp) and when the ESP was off (which we never, ever did) even handled quite well too with predictable understeer.
The handling course was good with the drivers getting some lift-off oversteer and trying to show us how well the ESP reigned the fun in.
Managed to sneak a few pics in, will upload them later.
Just been today and found it very interesting. Icannot believe how slow the 1.6 N/A Astra was! It was absolutely gutless up the hills,. Ishudder to think how poor the 1.4's would be. Decent enough drive, although I'm not sure the person whose idea it was to include the golf in the back-to-back competitor comparisons will have a job at Vauxhall for much longer! The mkVI was superbly planted round the hill route and really hushed at 100mph on the high speed bowl...Amazing car, definitely best in class.
Yeah, the 1.6NA was absolutely gutless, at the steep LH about halfway round the track it needed 1st gear if you were any slower than about 20mph.
The 1.6T was a hoot, but I was impressed with the 2.0CDTi with its 350Nm of Torque. It may (or may not if VX are watching) have got to about 1.45 leptons (indicated) whereas the 1.6T ran out of puff (or kahoonas) at about 1.3 leptons.
I really hope they re-launch the 2.0T, they can't have been serious about dropping it can they?
The 1.6T was a hoot, but I was impressed with the 2.0CDTi with its 350Nm of Torque. It may (or may not if VX are watching) have got to about 1.45 leptons (indicated) whereas the 1.6T ran out of puff (or kahoonas) at about 1.3 leptons.
I really hope they re-launch the 2.0T, they can't have been serious about dropping it can they?
The 2.0 cdti auto was useless on the hills unless you manual selected gear, but I was surprised by the 1.7 cdti SRi, that was spinning its wheels in the wet.
I went with the www.torqueastra.com site and got unlimited access to drives
I went with the www.torqueastra.com site and got unlimited access to drives
J500ANT said:
Did you get to drive the 1.6 Turbo 180? VERY nice, handled really well.
No, ran out of time... had a go in the 2.0CDTi and thought that went ok if a little noisily. With a manual box it would be a good all rounder. I might even consider a 2.0 CDTi Elite estate as my next co. car. Save a fair chunk of tax over the equivalent Insignia 
ThunderSpook said:
nobody seemed to break more than about 35mph on the hill course, apart from me catching them up!
I would have thought that the sort of person to go to one of these events would have an ounce of petrol in their veins, but it was just like being on the normal roads. We were told to not exceed 55mph, but unless we waited at certain points to get a decent run-up, we were stuck behind numpties doing 20mph.At one point, we waited at the start of the long descent with one astra behind us, I thought he was going to be pissed at the hold-up, but I glanced back and he had a big grin on his face and his thumbs up!!!
The end of the alpine course by the cobbled bit was understeer-tastic too, almost went the bumpy way more than once.
Gassing Station | VX | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff