deanmcreynolds26
Member
Registered: 15th Sep 03
Location: E46 //M3
User status: Offline
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What does everyone think about these??
had a look at one today.. very nice looking car..
Had an offer on the astra i might accept and put a nice wee deposit down 
general spec? about 190bhp or something 
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ed
Member
Registered: 10th Sep 03
User status: Offline
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Oooooohhh, but the bumpers on it are made of fibreglass 
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PainZ
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Registered: 28th Jun 02
Location: Camberley, Surrey - Drives a Black Vectra VXR Esta
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your bought an astra 888??
Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet
They lush imo!!
look minted
Is the suspension setup different from standard astra coups?
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Nismo
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Registered: 12th Sep 02
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They are nice to look at but i think power wise there nothing special , thats just my opinion after seeing them at the pod.
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
User status: Offline
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The aggressive lines of Vauxhall's championship-winning Astra Coupé have been filling TV screens in the past year. And after cleaning up on the British Touring Car circuit, the Luton-based manufacturer has its sights set on Britain's roads with its new Astra 888 Coupé. Prepared by Triple Eight Race Engineering, the chaps who fettle the Touring Cars, the Astra Turbo-based 888 really looks the part.
The body is a lean but dynamic-looking mass of chin spoilers and skirts, but mercifully, the overall effect is more motorsport than lads' mag, although the huge rear wing nearly takes it too far.
Inside, though, the boy-racer theme takes over. The alcantara-clad Sparco bucket seats are set too high for an ideal driving position, and there is the showy addition of 888-embossed aluminium trim on both gearknobs and pedals. The gear selector gate, hand brake and steering wheel are all covered in the same bright blue alcantara as the seats, but a tacky centre console dominates the driver's view, creating a distracting reflection in the windscreen.
The 888 uses the Turbo's excellent 187bhp 2.0-litre powerplant, which pushes the coupé from 0-60mph in only seven seconds and on to a claimed top speed of 152mph. With minimal turbo lag and the rasp of a sports exhaust behind you it feels even faster, though, and the punchy short-shift gearbox makes light work of building speed. The steering has been tightened, while uprated springs and dampers combine with the tarmac-scraping ride height to pin the 888 flat and balance it perfectly through the corners.
The Astra is superbly stable and involving for a road car - but there are some inevitable compromises. After a couple of hours the lack of padding in the seat starts to take its toll, and this is compounded by a spine-jarring ride. Super-stiff suspension and the outlandish 17-inch OZ Racing alloys pick up every imperfection in the road, providing teeth-rattling feedback.
Vauxhall's road-going homage to racing success feels every bit the sporting thoroughbred, the 888 is an entertaining balance between road and race car. Just be ready to take the rough with the smooth if using it every day.
With its combination of head-turning looks, race-like road manners and £20,995 price tag, the 888's limited production run of only 100 will certainly be snapped up.
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Ian
Site Administrator
Registered: 28th Aug 99
Location: Liverpool
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by 1800ed
Oooooohhh, but the bumpers on it are made of fibreglass
The kit is just stick on bits, bumpers are standard coupe.
Whole car is just a coupe turbo with styling mods, different wheels and brake pads, and a different interior. No engine mods.
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Marc
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Registered: 11th Aug 02
Location: York
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I like the look of the 888.
Didnt this have less power than the later turbos though?
This being 187bhp and the later ones being 200bhp??
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Ian
Site Administrator
Registered: 28th Aug 99
Location: Liverpool
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Depends on who you listen to. Mine, my brothers SRi turbo and my mums GSi all drive identically so without rollering them I would say they're all the same output, or at least very similar.
The GSi software is apparently a little different but I don't know how this effects peak power, or whether later coupes also got the improvements.
[Edited on 11-06-2005 by Ian]
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vibrio
Banned
Registered: 28th Feb 01
Location: POAH
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raced one - it lost 
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Doug_SRi
Member
Registered: 1st Sep 02
Location: Aberdeen. Drives: Stage 2 Astra VXR and Nova
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love them, want to get a mk4 gsi next year but thinking about it i never considered one of these until now
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deanmcreynolds26
Member
Registered: 15th Sep 03
Location: E46 //M3
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by PainZ
your bought an astra 888??
Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet
not bought it yet
just pondering over the idea at the moment... 
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nickyboy01
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
Location: Oxford-ish
User status: Offline
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Basicly the same as a Coupe Turbo but with the added advantage of being 1 of only 100 made.
Look the nuts and all the obvious tuning goodies go in hand
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Joff
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Registered: 17th Oct 00
Location: Cambridgeshire
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by PainZ
Is the suspension setup different from standard astra coups?
I should hope so... PVD bought a skip full of Astra Coupe springs and dampers that were on the pre-888 Coupes 
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iceman
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Registered: 22nd Jul 00
Location: Berkshire
User status: Offline
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ask jambo about the performance of the 888 he raced 1 at santa pod last weekend
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GSIJONESY
Member
Registered: 11th Jan 05
Location: Glasgow, Glasgow City
User status: Offline
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wot ya gonna do with the turbo then dean?
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