WITH the next generation Astra VXR still under wraps Vauxhall has launched a kind of farewell version of the current model in the shape of the Arctic Edition.

Based on the previous generation Astra, rather than the current one, it might be starting to show its age but the VXR still offers a lot of car for not an awful lot of money.

Anyone who thinks those looks are a little long in the tooth is likely to be won over by the Arctic Edition's brilliant white finish and striking black alloy wheels, which make for quite an imposing presence.

The VXR is a great embodiment of the hot hatch and all that's good about it.

Back in the 80s when hot hatches first emerged they really caught the imagination.

At the time they offered something genuinely new - spirited performance for what was after all a fairly modest price.

With their spoilers and go faster stripes they did gain an unfortunate association with the boy racer brigade but that belied the fact they were actually rather good fun to drive.

The current VXR is very much the spiritual successor of that old eighties hot hatch classic, the Astra GTE, though in performance terms it's in a different league altogether.

The hot hatches of today that hover around the £20,000 mark deliver the sort of performance that would have been reserved for supercars just a few years ago.

The huge investment in the last generation Astra continued with the VXR, with the aim from the outset to produce a car that really was worthy of the VX Racing badge.

The chassis was developed in partnership with Lotus and specifically tailored for British roads rather than what Vauxhall describe as 'a pan European compromise'.

This is without doubt one of the car's great strengths. It feels poised and agile and is one of those cars that you can't but help have a lot of fun in.

The engine elicits a pleasing purr that transforms into a throaty growl when you put your foot down.

It feels very quick in a straight line (‘bike fast' according to one motorcyclist friend I took for a spin) and considering just how much power is going through those front wheels manages to control it rather well.

Well-weighted and accurate steering combine well with that flexible and supple chassis to ensure the VXR handles particularly well on challenging A and B roads.

As one might expect the ride is on the firm side but at the end of the day a car like this should always err more towards performance than comfort.

Perhaps the highest accolade I can bestow upon it is that it reminds me of the old Alfa Romeo 147 GTA.

The Alfa was a car that was not for the faint-hearted - in fact it was downright mad, bad and dangerous to know. However, while the VXR has much of the all out aggression and power of that slightly loopy GTA it also feels remarkably sure-footed and controlled.

Yes, you can certainly have fun behind the wheel but it doesn't have that slightly disturbing edge that makes you feel you might just end up in a hedge if you're not careful.

Over the course of a week I never tired of the VXR's capacity to thrill and excite.

The Arctic Edition is definitely a fitting farewell and with an all-new model not that far off you may even be able to negotiate a decent discount.