KONI shocks, Brembo brakes, a Drexler diff - that's enough to grab the attention of any self-respecting hot hatch fan.

Add in a traction system that can be switched into competition mode, an exhaust which growls from a twin Remus set up and some extra body kit including spoilers and alloys and the temptation is complete.

That's what Vauxhall is offering with its latest Corsa VXR - the performance version of the top selling supermini which went on sale only a few months ago.

The new car is a pocket rocket in every sense, pumping out some 205ps from its 1.6-litre turbo engine which gives it a 0 to 60 acceleration time of 6.5 seconds.

With more grunt that its rivals from Ford, VW and Renault who field the Fiesta ST, the Polo GTI and the ClioSport, Vauxhall is targeting the serious enthusiast.

The Corsa has a long sporty lineage which has whetted the appetite of many a young driver and the new model is even more affordable costing from £17,995 - a whole grand cheaper than the previous version.

Factor in the extra goodies which come as part of a performance pack and it pushes the price up to £20,395 but even that is some £2,000 less than the similarly-kitted Nurburgring special Vauxhall rolled out in the last hot Corsa.

Technically the new VXR is a very advanced piece of kit and it leans more towards the race track than the road.

It is agile, gutsy and very responsive - features the newcomer demonstrated ably on some quick laps around the sinewy Knockhill circuit in Scotland.

In such environs it is well suited, nicely balanced and clingy, even on a damp surface and with the benefit of five seconds of overboost it can be brutally quick.

That's where features such as the limited slip differential come into play to contain the power-squirt through the front wheels but even so it can be a bit fidgety, especially on take off.

With the added boost it can flash from 50 to 75mph in 6.4 seconds, ideal for sharp overtaking, and it tops out at a claimed 143mph.

Out on the regular road the VXR can thrill but it is demanding. There's the required throaty sound track, the hug from the Recaro sports sears and the satisfying response from a short-throw six-speed box but the ride from the adaptive dampers is very much on the firm side.

Dispense with the performance pack and the VXR is a little more compliant with the Koni frequency selective dampers - an adaptive set up without electronics - detuned to handle less demanding conditions.

Despite the performance - and the new VXR has a very long power band through every gear - it is respectably economical and without sparing any horses the VXR returned an average of 36mpg on the open road, not far off the official 37.7mpg. CO2 is rated at 174g/km.

With or without the performance tweaks the Corsa VXR is dressed to look the part with a front air dam, a vent across the edge of the bonnet, a rear diffuser, alloy kick plates and metal pedals to go with a flat bottomed steering wheel.

There's also some bright paint jobs available and 18-inch alloys as another option.

Those who crave the Corsa - and there's plenty of them - cannot fail to be impressed by what the VXR offers.

Nevertheless this is a car beyond the realms of regular hot hatches and one set up to earn respect from those who know their road craft.