I think the ZETA did well against the much lighter 335i , good to hear the interior was on par with the beemer also !

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BMW 335i vs Vauxhall VXR8 (Pontiac G8)

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Vauxhall’s brawny VXR8 is a lot of car for the money, but is BMW’s 335i the smarter choice?


Culture clash

Text: John Barker / Photos: Andy Morgan October 2007

'How big is the engine?’ asks the filling station attendant. He nods appreciatively when I tell him it’s six litres and delivers over 400bhp. This is the third time today I’ve answered this question and it makes me think that maybe Vauxhall has cracked it this time.

The previous Griffin-badged Holden, the Monaro, didn’t attract this much attention, even though the 6.0 VXR version had a near-identical outsize V8 and a similar bargain price. But the value of that softly styled and rather impractical coupe was much less easy to grasp than that of the new VXR8. This is a BMW M5-style saloon for 335i money.

And on the other side of the pumps sits an M Sport 335i, although it appears not to exist in the company of the big black Vauxhall because, as well as being built on a larger scale, the VXR8’s slightly menacing looks hoover up all the attention. In profile there’s a hint of Lotus Carlton about it, but its best angle is almost dead-on rear, the muscularity suggested by its tall rump enhanced by the glimpse of swollen wheelarches and the glint of 19in alloys down its flank.

At the outset, some 200 miles south of this petrol station on the edge of the North York Moors, it seemed likely that the BMW would see a lot of the Vauxhall’s rear end, mostly as it disappeared from view, but it hasn’t worked out like that. Improvements in the efficiency of the Corvette LS2 V8 have lifted its output from the 398bhp of the Monaro to 411bhp, yet with just half its engine capacity the little BMW has proved as difficult to shake off as warm chewing gum on a plimsoll.

We’ve taken the scenic route, naturally, which you’d expect to play more to the strengths of the BMW with its lesser bulk and greater agility, but it has been as much the 335i’s remarkable twin-turbo straight-six that has kept it in touch. With a small turbo for instant response at low engine speeds and a larger one for strong boost at the top end, the 302bhp engine feels naturally aspirated and at least a litre bigger than its 2979cc.

Just as unexpected, though, for anyone who’s spent time in Monaros, is the more European flavour of the VXR8. It’s evident from the moment you settle behind the wheel. Better quality switchgear, styling and materials plus better shaped seats enhance its appeal, the only ergonomic fumbles being the over-designed handbrake and the fact that the wiper and indicator stalks are transposed. More significantly, this more European tailoring extends to the dynamics. In the Monaro there was a sense that the wheels and the suspension components were heavy duty and rather softly located. The chassis of the VXR8, meanwhile, feels crisper and more responsive, with less pitch and yaw and a taut, smooth ride on A-roads.

The one area where the VXR8 takes a backward step is noise, specifically the lack of it from the engine. I reckon the V8 is more muted than those from Audi, BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes (we’d certainly recommend the Walkinshaw Performance sports exhaust).

There’s nothing apologetic about its delivery, though, which is instantaneous, beefy and insistent. The lighter BMW may offer surprisingly similar pace, but there’s something more dramatic about a big, powerful engine getting its shoulder behind a heavy car and urging it up the road. It lends the acceleration a satisfying, epic quality, though a suitably thunderous soundtrack would make it even more memorable. As with the Monaro, the gearing is long (about 40mph per 1000rpm in top) but the shift is a bit snappier and the clutch light and easy.

Step from the Vauxhall into the BMW and you’re clearly in a smaller car. It’s not cramped, just a little less airy, while its design and materials don’t set it above the VXR8. The straight-six sounds gorgeous, crooning with a rich timbre at idle, and it revs more smoothly and higher, redlining at 7000rpm. The short-throw shift of the six-speed ’box makes it a joy to snap between ratios too; the VXR8’s gearchange feels a touch ponderous in comparison.

If anything, the ride of the BMW is more tightly controlled yet more compliant than the Vauxhall’s, which is a bit of a result given that its Bridgestone Potenza RE050As are run-flats. Experience has shown that the 3-series is much less agitated by run-flats than the 1-series and Z4, but still every so often the 335i encounters the wrong sort of bump and the calmness is shattered.

Even so, dynamically it’s the BMW that’s ahead on points when the roads get more challenging. According to John Hayman, following in the Vauxhall, the back end of the BMW looks a bit ragged when the road gets nadgety. I’m surprised to hear this because the 335i feels superb under pressure, its front end delivering terrific turn-in bite and holding the line resolutely. A bit more steering feel would be welcome, and the traction control is rather busy mid-corner if the throttle is pinned too early, but the poise and grip of the chassis are impressive, while the firm lateral support offered by the seats enhances the sensation of control.

Over the same stretch of testing asphalt the Vauxhall feels a little less composed and comfortable. It’s nothing to do with its size or the power that its rear tyres have to cope with, it’s not even an issue of grip, of which it has an abundance. No, it’s all in the detail. Earlier in the trip there was the feeling that the damping was having a couple of bites at controlling the wheels over some quick-fire bumps. This road occasionally elicits the same response and, when it does so on turn-in, it takes the edge off your confidence, especially as the steering, which is firmly weighted on-centre, feels a fraction light and lacks feel on lock. As Hayman says, the cornering force feels like it’s generated by the tyres rather than mechanical grip; he even wondered if perhaps it had a duff nearside front shock absorber.

On the upside, if you’re a fan of oversteer, the VXR8 will oblige in a manner that the 335i seems incapable of. Disable traction control, get the nose hooked into a tight corner on a trailing throttle to lighten the tail, then nail the throttle. The limited-slip diff spins up both fat Bridgestones, you wind on opposite lock and some yards later the slide peters out quite gently.

Despite its power, the 335i resisted all attempts to get it out of shape, refusing to slip more than a few degrees out of line, even with DTC fully disengaged. Most drivers will appreciate this benign nature, because it makes pretty similar speeds between the corners and encourages you to carry more speed in. Indeed, the more pressure you put the 335i under, the more impressive it feels. Off the main routes that border the moors there are some wicked roads, ribbons of tarmac that drop and turn unexpectedly, and the composure of the 335i, most notably its front-end response and bite, never desert it.

It doesn’t look much for £34K though, does it? A 318i driver will be able to spot the M Sport wheels and lower suspension, the deeper front apron and twin-pipe rear valance, but to most people it will look like just another 3-series. Anyone who thinks this is no bad thing wouldn’t consider a VXR8, even at just £35K. The Vauxhall is an old-school super-saloon, big and a bit lairy, the Lotus Carlton remade, or perhaps a four-door TVR.

The 335i is the better drivers’ car, but that was odds-on from the start. Thing is, the VXR8 isn’t far behind, and could be much closer with better damping. In a number of respects it’s a much more appealing proposition than the Monaro: it feels every bit as quick, it’s easier to handle, and with four doors and five seats it’s a darn sight more useful, which alone should make it a bigger sales success for Vauxhall. But it really should sound better. At 18mpg I’d want to hear my money spewing from the tailpipes. And those curious bystanders at the pumps should be shaken as the VXR8 rumbles away from the forecourt…


VXR8 has a more European character than previous Aussie-sourced Vauxhalls. Interior is on a par with BMW’s.



VXR8 hasn’t lost its hooligan element...






VXR8’s 6-litre Chevy V8 makes 411bhp


BMW's twin-turbo 3-litre six





Top: definite shades of Lotus Carlton about VXR8, which can be no bad thing


335i rarely gets more out of shape than this.

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Interesting read. The VXR8 doesnt look much bigger than the 3-series, but the interior room is almost identical to a 750i. Big Car Small Look FTMW!!

Nice article but isn't the VXR8 more comparable to a GXP model? Anyway, I'm not sure what to think...400+ hp and still couldn't put a stock 335i away. That weight is a killer. Also, the Vauxhall's interior is far, far better than the G8 interior shots we've seen so far. Full instrumentation FTW, thank you. It looks like Pontiac went a little too far with the de-contenting, but hopefully the G8 will look better in person. Maybe.

All bitching aside, I would choose the VXR8 over a 335i in less than a nanosecond. The G8 GT is another story...

I think that cost is the major comparison IMHO. It costs the same as a 3-series but is more in a class of a 5 series. We can look at it like, a barge keeping up with lighter more technologically advanced smaller vehicle, for the same price. The VXR8 is about 18" longer and 400+lbs heavier.

I think the G8 GT could have had more, but GM wanted to keep cost down, and remember this is not the top of the line model. They have to leave something for the GXP model!

Its the same interior as the G8 GT, just right hand drive and it has 3 analog center gauges instead of the LCD gauges of the G8 GT. Or are you seeing something that I am not? Also, the turbo I-6 in the 335i is underrated. The US specs one dyno at about 275 WHP (same as the 333hp E46 M3). Its also a bit lighter.

the vxr8 in the UK is not the same as our GTS , it the equivalent of the clubsport here (entry level HSV) , the GTS has the magnetic ride control as well as a host of other features.

i also suspect there might have been something wrong with the vxr8 , because aside from how the bmw went , the fact that he felt the vxr8 felt vague or unsure is contrary to all other reviews of the zeta chassis , even the reviwer suspected a dud damper in the car

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I'm seeing a higher quality interior than the G8, although I'll also admit it's a bad photo. The analog gauges are nicer than LCD displays IMHO. I'm also very familiar with BMW's N54 engine, that's why I'm giving the 135i a good hard look as well as the G8.

No worries though...I'm going to give the G8 GT ample opportunity to impress me. Frankly, I've driven a turbo car for years and the GT's V8 would be a nice change of pace.

I don't know about EVO Magazine but Car & Driver would NEVER allow a BMW to be shown up by a lowly Pontiac.

November 2006 C&D
335i --> $45,720 --> 0 to 60 in 4.9 sec --> 1/4 mile in 13.6
550i --> $71,540 --> 0 to 60 in 5.2 sec --> 1/4 mile in 13.7
Without going to an M series the 335i is the fastest.
January 2006 C&D
M5 --> $91,890 --> 0 to 60 in 4.2 sec --> 1/4 mile in 12.5

In fact C&D probably would never have done such a test.

Keep your BMW, give me the the G8 GT, $29,000 plus a twin turbo, $7500 and stand back, it's gonna be a wild ride.

The European automotive media isn't nearly as enamored of BMW as their American counterparts. Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear is a good example...he truly seems to hate BMW. I too doubt that C&D (and any other major U.S. car mag) will do an honest comparo of G8 GT vs. BMW or other high-end brand. It's not impossible but highly unlikely. That being said, I'm not basing a purchase decision on a magazine review...I have a friend who's a sales manager at one of the local Pontiac dealers and he promised me some major seat time in a GT. They seem to be very confident about this vehicle.

As far as mods, I'm pretty sure that I/H/E/C will net all the power I'm going to need for a reliable daily driver.

What's I/H/E/C?

, actually looking at the acronym again it could be - intake / headers / exhaust / computer ??? the basic ls1 bolt on combination.

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Actually I don't even know what I meant.

I think I meant Intake/Headers/Exhaust/Cam...at any rate I won't turbo the engine or anything else that'll require a raft of supporting mods.