The Vauxhall VXR8 Bathurst S Edition joins the normally aspirated Bathurst Edition at the top of the Vauxhall family tree, with both cars receiving a raft of technical and cosmetic upgrades over the standard VXR8. Only a limited number of Bathurst Editions will be sold through selected Vauxhall retailers.

Thanks to the addition of a Walkinshaw Performance 122 Supercharger, the Vauxhall VXR8 Bathurst S dispenses 560 V8 horsepower, compared with the standard car’s 431 horsepower, and produces searing acceleration throughout the rev-range and a spine-tingling, banshee wail when you hit the loud pedal.

At the heart of the Vauxhall VXR8 Bathurst S is Walkinshaw’s 122 Supercharger, which not only boosts power by 30 per cent, but escalates torque from an eye-catching 550Nm to an eye-watering 715Nm. Such is the strength of the LS3 V8 engine that extracting bigger figures would have been possible, but retaining the VXR8′s driveability and durability was Walkinshaw’s priority.

Both Bathurst models retain the VXR8′s standard colour palette, and can also be specified with optional 20″ alloy rims at £1500. List price for the Bathurst Edition is £37,995 – just £2757 above the standard VXR8 – while the Vauxhall VXR8 Bathurst S costs £44,995.