GOOD things come to those who wait. But, as anyone who has endured the marathon stretch of time it has taken for the launch of the Corsa VXR will know, truly excellent and exciting things come to those whose middle name is Patience.

The current generation Corsa has rightly collected a handful of awards and plaudits for hitting all the right notes for a modern supermini, with attractive styling, space, a good cabin and a fair price tag.

So last to arrive is the hot one, the range-topper with the big numbers - big power, big performance and, of course, a bigger price.

But its ingredients are just about spot on. The three-door only Corsa VXR gets the big, chunky bumpers and spoilers that come with the territory, beefing up the shape and adding the essential dose of aggression.

All the aerodynamics are functional - having been tested and perfected in a wind tunnel - with the rear diffuser adding downforce at speed for improved grip.

There are some nice subtle touches too. For example, the triangular motif crops up in unexpected places. Indeed, the Corsa VXR looks better thought out than the regular bodykit job.

Mechanically, the VXR is just as aggressive. The powerplant comes straight from the Meriva VXR, a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol unit that here develops 189bhp - just eight horsepower less than the last generation hot Astra.

The chassis is tweaked to cope, with different springs and dampers front and rear to lower the ride height and increase the suspension stiffness.

The standard ESP system allows a little more tomfoolery, while the bigger brakes reign in the performance.

Speaking of which - there is plenty. The Corsa VXR is a genuinely rapid car, picking up well low in the rev range and pushing really hard as the revs rise.

The gearchange is sufficiently slick to keep the revs in the go zone, and the sharp throttle response makes it easy to meter out the power.

Any fears of putting almost 200bhp through the front wheels are soon allayed: only when pushing really hard in first and second gears do the tyres struggle a little, yet it tracks straight and true without much in the way of torque steer.

There's plenty of fun to be had through the bends too.

The steering responds well to inputs and body roll is kept in check.

Despite this, the Corsa VXR does not deliver a rock-hard ride, so bumpy B-roads can still be covered at a fair pace.

It's also usefully pointy through the bends - when provoked the VXR will slide a little through a bend, though the ESP system is always watching and will cut back in even when switched off.

Spending time in the cabin is no chore, with excellent Recaro bucket seats fitted as standard.

A piano black finish to the dashboard is also standard fit, as is air conditioning and a radio/CD with MP3 compatibility, which, considering the performance on offer, makes the Corsa VXR something of a bargain.

Stephen Hargreaves, of Hargreaves Vauxhall in Kendal and Morecambe, said he was personally impressed with the long-awaited model.

"I've been in the motoring trade for many years and have driven a lot of interesting and fast vehicles but this just beats the band. It's amazing."

Johnny Grisedale, used car manager, also gave the Corsa VXR the thumbs up.

"This car really lives up to the VXR name and could be the best in the range yet.

"It really has the potential to gain cult status like the Nova GTE did some years ago."

Arguably this is the most convincing VXR yet, delivering the level of thrills the majority of buyers will be looking for, but with few compromises in terms of comfort and usability.

It also makes some of the competition look distinctly slow and overpriced.

The Vauxhall Corsa VXR costs £15,995 on the road.