Vauxhall Astra VXR Extreme Pushes 296HP to Front Wheels

Vauxhall will be heading to this year’s Geneva Motor Show with its most powerful front-wheel-drive model yet, the Astra VXR Extreme.

Based on last year’s Astra Cup race car, the Astra VXR Extreme features a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with 296 hp and is a street-legal race counterpart to the Astra VXR. The all-aluminum powerplant is the most powerful four-cylinder engine Vauxhall has ever created and it will be mated to a six-speed manual transmission equipped with a limited-slip differential.

SEE ALSO: 2014 Geneva Motor Show Preview

Compared to the standard Astra VXR, the Extreme model is 220 lbs lighter thanks to some carbon fiber components including a rear wing, a rear diffuser, a front spoiler, the hood, suspension braces, engine cover, wheels, rear wheelhouse ventilation and even the roof.

Braking performance has been amped up too with a set of Brembo six-piston calipers up front. Inside, Astra has stripped the interior, removing the rear seats and installing a roll bar in its place. A set of Recaro bucket seats cradle both the driver and passenger who are both held in by six-point harnesses.

GALLERY: Vauxhall Astra VXR Extreme