The secret of great comedy is timing, so it should come as no surprise that the arrival of Triple Eight Engineering’s Astra VXR at the evo office in the first week of December raised a laugh or two.

At 296bhp, its power output is up 20bhp over the standard Astra VXR, making this the most powerful front-wheel-drive car in Vauxhall’s history. The front wheels are driven via a six-speed manual ...