How to go road rallying - in a Vauxhall Astra

The idea of using our Astra for a night rally came about mainly because of the car’s Intellilux LED matrix headlights. With these, the Astra is a pioneer in its class. A screen-mounted camera that monitors oncoming lights and continually shapes our own headlight throw so that it can’t dazzle oncomers while still illuminating much more forward area than is usual – a major safety benefit. Small wonder, though, that the system was used first in expensive cars. In the Astra, it’s so excellent that you’d never willingly go back to the old system, despite an option price of £995.

We prepared carefully inside the car, me minutely adjusting mirrors and cleaning the inside of the screen while Duerden set up his several map lights, folded his maps just so and readied his ‘poti’ map magnifier, a great tool for seeing map detail while on the move. Such paraphernalia costs only a few quid, but without it you’d be lost.

Vauxhall Astra long-term test review - first report

We were seventh to start, separated from rivals front and rear by a minute each way. I felt butterflies for a few seconds at the start, but they faded as quickly as we must have faded into the blackness. At each successive control, Duerden was to be handed a sealed envelope containing details of our route for the next stage: a bewildering (to me) array of map references, herringbone symbols and clock-face diagrams aimed at showing how to approach and leave certain intersections.

Given that all around you is pitch black (the nav rally season ended a week or two ago because evenings are too light) and the organisers are trying to challenge your intelligence, the chances of going wrong are high – which we soon did. That had two effects: it increased tension and required us to speed up rather dramatically to get back on schedule. Duerden wasn’t happy, but we nevertheless began to gather in time controls. I was enjoying myself and the Astra, slightly firmly sprung but comfortable, was in its element.

This event, I was discovering, was quite a tough one. There were some wrinkles in the route instructions, plus pop-up roadworks in a couple of places that threw everyone off. Pretty soon we were bolting energetically (but not unsafely) along minor roads, thanking the car’s creators for those set-and-forget LED lights that lit everything forward of the car like daylight and absolved the driver of any need to dip them for the oncoming traffic – leaving more time for safer steering.

Truth be told, the behind-thewheel stuff isn’t the hard part of navigation rallies. All you have to do is obey instructions and note the number if you see a little sign by the verge. (It’s probably a passive control.)

Two hours seemed to go in 15 minutes. Suddenly we were back at the pub, where controversy reigned as the organisers calculated the results. Next day, we learned we’d achieved an inglorious 10th from 12, later amended to an inglorious ninth. I continued to reckon we’d had fun, which was the point, but Duerden was horrified; he hadn’t done so badly in 20 years and he’s too exacting a person to be pleased with a duff performance.