Vauxhall Nova GTE 2.0 Turbo Review

Overall Rating

All this talk of Vauxhall Nova GTE 2.0 Turbo, R5's, and old school MG's is leaving me wondering if you're all stuck in a time warp!

I know that in their respective classes about 15 years ago all were okay cars, these days they just don't cut it. They don't offer the handling, brakes, comfort or reliabilty that a modern sports car will offer.

The guy who whinks he runs 10's with 400Bhp is dreaming or on drugs, do you have any idea what is takes to run 10's?

I don't care what you say about having driven your Nova with many engines and it still handling great, the handling isn't that good to start with and the added weight up front WILL make the car less drivable. (It will have a noticable differance on the 'rate of change of direction' when going from corner to corner.)

Note about Cosworth: Sorry to break the news to all you people of think you have something special because parts of your engines are made by Cosworth. COSCAST is actually Cosworth Castings based in Worcester they make normal engine parts for normal cars, they are nothing special. (The only thing that gives them the Cosworth name is actually part of the casting process and nothing to do with the design of the parts.)

Members' Comments onTypeR03680.'s Review

• everthorpe on 17th Sep 2003

  hear hear well done old boy

• gunzi on 18th Feb 2004

  The head that Cosworth did for the 2.0 XE block found in the Astra, Cavalier and Calibra, was unfortunately a Porous head! A slight flaw.
  I feel the point that you are missing is that not every one has £7-8,000 to buy a new 1.0 hatchback, which i'm sure you would rather have all the "boy racers" out there drive. Not everyone who owns one of these types of cars fills it with ICE puts on a big bodykit and changes the air filter, then claims 4000+ bhp.

• Astra2 on 23rd Feb 2004

  The info on the Cosworth stuff you have given is not entirely correct! The early heads were designed AND built by Cosworth Engineering in Northampton (know a few employees shall we say) and Coscast was the name given to the process. NOTHING to do with some parts manufactuer in Worcester! LOL
  
  A 400bhp Nova given a good launch could hit respectable times, if not the 10 second figure being brandished. Not all to do with power. Mid range torque, gearbox ratios, suspension, tyres, driver all play a part. Have seen a 2.0 8v Turbo on nitrous (280bhp) hit 12's at Santa Pod so do the maths.

• Astra2 on 23rd Feb 2004

  Oh and won't cut it today.......................WHATEVER.
  
  Do names such as Bilstein, Eibach, Harry Hockley, Bill Byldenstein, Courtenay Sport etc mean anything to you?! Doubt it. Some of todays performance hatches are watered down, over weight barges that do not have the cred to back up hot hatch. Only thing hot about them is the electrically heated seats!
  
  I can introduce you to a few modified hatches from the 80's that have made 21st century supercars look limp around tracks and up the strip! LMAO at this review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• Big Phil on 21st Jul 2004

  I cant believe my eyes...some of you younger viewers need some school'in (im 30 by the way)..In the 80's there was a phenomenon called GROUP 'B yes these were the days of "homologation"..a fancy term for trial and error...suck it and see where MANUFACTURERS toiled and tried and often errored to bring us FIRE BREATHING MONSTERS with super hot handling and 600+hp..to sum up!! check out the Peugeot 205
  t 16.

• GsiFan on 10th Jan 2005

  I feel that the Nova does cut it today aswell, seeing as I own one I know they are quick as standard and although the brakes are rubbish and the suspension is soft it still holds itself round bends at speed.
  
  Anyone with a bit of brains knows that when you stick a turbo and tune it (200-300bhp) in a car that originally weighed just over 600kg its going to be quick

• vannymagnet on 2nd Feb 2006

  err, Cosscast heads are non porus, its the GM heads that go porus, thats why they are looked upon as being 'special'. And I agree with the above, I have a 2.0 16v trackday Nova on TB's, with heavy headwork, block work and cams etc.., and your 'modern' hot hatches you talk about dont stand a chance. And try doing the same amount of work to these modern 'hot hatches' for the same amount of money. hmmmm, unfortunately you cant as they are all computer controlled and regulated by very tight emission regulations, so in a nutshell, yeah, modern cars are nippy and comfy, but id rather be having fun to be honest!