I AM always getting told that I don’t do enough in the garden.

And with summer having given way to autumn there’s plenty of work to be done.

Not least clearing away the leaves that seem to fall incessantly from the sky at this time of year to congregate solely on my lawn.

Pre-empting the call that was surely winging its way towards my ears, I decided to do something about them.

The thing is that if I can find an easier way of completing a task that saves on the elbow grease I will.

And that’s where Vauxhall’s Insignia VXR came in handy.

Admittedly, at £35,000 it’s a somewhat expensive gardening accessory, but trust me the investment will be well worth it.

Turn the engine on, position the car on the edge of the grass, put the stick into neutral and then slowly, but surely, build up the revs - those photosynthesised blighters didn’t stand a chance when faced with the fabulously OTT exhaust pipes adorning the rear of this blood red behemoth.

It’s not the most scientific way of clearing leaf litter and if your neighbour’s cat wanders past while you’re doing it it may well end up in the trees, but it did the job and provided some much-needed entertainment into the bargain and you can’t say that about your common or garden rake - no pun intended.

Joking aside, the VXR certainly cannot be accused of hiding its light under a bushel.

Along with those huge tailpipes, there’s the 20ins alloys with colour-coordinated Brembo brake calipers, side skirts and flared arches and at the front, twin mesh grilles either side of the main feature.

And if that is not enough there’s the noise that comes from that 2.8 litre V6 turbo powered engine. Start it up and it growls like a bear woken halfway through its hibernation.

As it adjusts to its surroundings the decibels drop, but it remains decidedly angry, especially when you plant your right foot and the automatic gearbox drops down a cog or two.

Top speed is limited to 155mph and 0-60 takes 5.9 seconds, but, unlike in the Nissan 370Z that we tested recently, you do feel like your part of the process, meaning that despite a high level of grip, if you don’t respect the power under that bonnet there’s a distinct fear that you could find yourself doing some inadvertent off-roading.

That gearbox also takes a little getting used to in that your body can, at times, feel like it is not entirely on the same page. For the first few days it must have appeared like an invisible man was doing the Heimlich manoeuvre on me until I got used to the transition periods.

Knock the stick to the left and you can shift up and down yourself, or play at being a racing driver and flick the steering wheel located paddle shifters.

The VXR’s ride is firm, but it never verges on jarring and so you could imagine using the it to go about your daily business, though you might find yourself needing to requisition your own petrol tanker as in an urban setting the official figures come in at a wallet-withering 17.5mpg. That does increase to just shy of 38mpg on the open road if driven sensibly, but even so I did find myself casting nervous glances at the fuel gauge from time to time in the belief I could see it moving inexorably downwards before my very eyes.

The Recaro front seats are deep and figure hugging and require some upwards thrust to get you out of them. Elsewhere vision is generally good, though the thickness of the A-pillars does require you to pay particular attention when turning right. Cast a look behind you, meanwhile, and you can see just enough of what you need to out of the back.

In common with modern Vauxhalls, everything has a chunky, built-to-last feel and the flat-bottomed steering wheel has good weight and touch to it.

Two people can sit in relative comfort in the rear, though they might not always hear what you are saying, especially under acceleration, and my children did disappear somewhat out of view due to the design of the seats.

Based as it is on the more utilitarian Insignia, as well as packing a punch it also packs plenty of other things, the boot being large enough to accommodate most of what you might need to carry on a daily basis.

There are certainly more sensible cars out there, many of which share the same DNA, but if you want something to put the smile back on your face, then take a drive in the VXR and I guarantee it won’t just be the cobwebs you will be capable of blowing away.