It’s nearly time for the 2010 Paris Motor Show, which starts on October 2nd, and it’s going to be an important event for hot hatch fans as two new performance models are set to be unveiled.
The new Vauxhall Astra has been out for almost a year but up until now we’ve only had access to the five-door version. Vauxhall are all set to show us the sporty 3-door with its coupe-like styling, and that also means that they might be willing to tell us a bit more about the next Astra VXR.
Little has been announced about the new VXR, other than a few concept screenshots appearing on the web. However, Vauxhall have been caught napping by their competitors as the power battle has increased. The VXR now languishes behind models such as the Focus RS, Golf R and Leon Cupra R, and so speculation is rife about what will be under the bonnet. The most likely scenario is a Focus RS-rivalling 300bhp from a reworked version of the familiar 2.0-litre turbo.
Another big unveil will be on the Ford stand where they’ll be showing off the all-new Focus, set to hit showrooms next year. A new model means there’ll have to be a new Focus ST, and it’s believed that Ford will be showing off a pre-production version of this new hot hatch.
Thanks to the demise of the 2.5-litre 5-cylinder (thanks to melting rainforests or something) the next Focus ST will be powered by a 2.0-litre Ecoboost engine and is tipped to have around 250bhp and 260lb/ft of torque. Not enough to rival the Astra VXR, but that will be the job of the next Focus RS – expect this to exceed 300bhp and maybe even feature some electric hybrid technology to boost the output from a smaller petrol engine.
Expect more news to leak from the PR departments as the show gets closer.
