Superfast new Vauxhall VXR8 Maloo pick-up Goodwood-bound

THE SUPERFAST new VXR8 Maloo LSA makes light work of carrying Vauxhall’s very first car, a 113-year-old ‘5HP’, as the 155mph pick-up prepares to blast up the famous Goodwood hillclimb next week.

But then with 536bhp – 100bhp more than the previous version – the Maloo LSA is Britain’s most powerful light commercial vehicle (LCV). And with a top speed limited to 155mph and a 0-60mph time of 4.3 seconds (estimated), it’s the fastest too.

It was announced at Christmas but has taken a while to get here from the specialists at Holden who build it and hone it to what it is.

But that doesn’t mean that the Maloo LSA is a one-trick pony. With a payload of 500kg, it’s more than capable of accommodating its oldest Vauxhall namesake in its generous load-bay. Built in 1903, the ‘5HP’ weighs just 272kg and can hit a maximum speed of 25mph – barely a sixth of what the Maloo can achieve with over 100 times the power – but quick by early 20th Century standards.

So how would their times compare on Goodwood’s famous hill climb track? While there’s no official timing in the First Glance class in which the Maloo can be seen this year, Vauxhall estimate that it would reach the finish line of the twisting 1.16-mile course in 55 seconds, at least three minutes ahead of the 113-year-old 5HP.

Take into account the Maloo LSA’s performance armoury, though, and it’s no great surprise. Built by Holden with an all-new 6.2-litre, supercharged V8 shared with its Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 sibling – which will also appear in the same class – Vauxhall’s super-commercial deploys its power through a limited slip differential to the rear wheels.

Its driver could make the car disappear in a haze of tyre smoke off the start line at Goodwood, but for a clean getaway, the Maloo also benefits from a neat Launch Control system for maximum-attack starts.

Despite these bookends of Vauxhall’s immense heritage appearing to have nothing in common (see chart, below), there’s one feature which is shared by both vehicles. With surprising prescience, Vauxhall’s 1903 engineers joined the chassis and the lower part of the 5HP’s body into a composite steel and wood structure, effectively creating a very early monocoque design, which is now employed by almost all production cars around the world.

Vauxhall is returning for a second year as sponsor of the hugely popular Goodwood Festival of Speed 23-26 June). Its unique Family Experience area is set to captivate children and adults alike with a mix of fun-filled challenges and more than 30 exciting old and new cars to see.

For more information about Goodwood Festival of Speed, click here.

2016 VAUXHALL VXR8 MALOO LSA vs 1903 VAUXHALL 5HP – 113 YEARS OF PROGRESS