• The fastest and maddest street-legal Astra ever

• It will have well over 296 bhp

• Carbon Fibre Hankook tyres

Mind the road please, as a Vauxhall Astra VXR Extreme with “over 296 bhp” will soon hit the road. Vauxhall has revealed its most powerful front wheel drive car ever dubbed the Vauxhall Astra VXR Extreme. The British manufacturer wasn’t kidding when they called it Extreme, set to debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show. This Extreme version will have a front wheel drive through a six speed manual gearbox and limited-slip differential, which is same as the standard Astra VXR. However, race-spec adjustable dampers, uprated Brembo brakes and specially developed Hankook tyres are added on the Extreme model.

The Extreme gets a carbon fibre front splitter, bonnet, roof, rear wing and diffuser, while the front wings are made from aluminium instead of steel. Inside, the rear seats have been swapped for a rollcage. All this slashes 100kg from the standard VXR’s 1,475kg kerbweight. Vauxhall claims the Astra Extreme will be put through a 10,000km endurance sign-off programme at the ‘Ring, before going on-sale.Prices are likely to be significantly more than the £26,995 Vauxhall charges for the Astra VXR. The Astra VXR can complete the 0-62mph run in 5.9 seconds and hit 155mph flat out. The Extreme will debut at next week’s Geneva Motor Show. If the public reaction is positive, a low-volume production run is very likely to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the launch of the Vauxhall VXR brand.