I have now owned a 2.8V6 turbo Signum for just over a year.
Its an 06 plate Elite spec, but not all Elites are the same so look carefully!! Few of the factory fitted things mine has not all Elites do - front and rear parking sensors, TPMS, 18" alloys, CD70 Navi with CID, ECC, auto lights and wipers, roof rails. I've since retro fitted the factory bluetooth module that some cars had from the factory.
Later cars have CDC sports button, IDS suspension and AFL headlights
When purchased it was 3 owner 80k car with FSH in excellent condition and only cost me £2500!!
RFL is no issue as it was first registered 21/03/06, 2 days before the £490 band kicked in!! So same as my 3.2 Omega.
Fuel economy is same as my 3.2 Omega, maybe slightly better, but in no way a killer!
In Vectra C/ Signum the engine comes with 230, 250 or 280bhp, all are same block, apart from the obvious power maps the only real difference is the 280 has a bigger air box - £350 for a blue fin remap and all 3 produce around 290-300bhp with 400lb/ft torque.
Its a twin scroll turbo so very little lag, but with the auto box you can feel the surge in power going up the gears with foot down as the upchange can be a little late, but you can stick in semi auto mode and bang it up and down yourself for better results
Insignia has same block but bigger turbo.
Engine itself is pretty bullet proof, SAAB tuners are looking at 450bhp+ on standard internals.
No cam belt its chain driven, there is a small number of cars that have suffered chain stretch, Vectras & Insignias, but there is no obvious link, some failures are on low mileage cars driven like miss daisy, some are on high mile ones that are thrashed, its not age related either. Obvious rattle on start up is the give away. Replacement chains installed is between £1100-£2000 depending where you go.
AF & F40 6 speed gear boxes are solid, clutches on manuals can be a weak link, auto box oil should be changed every 80k.
Mine is considerably quicker than the Omega, Bluefin helps alot, and driven by someone who has a Mountuned Focus ST3 at a proven 260bhp, my Signum is apparently quicker, not by much and even with an auto box
I use it a a daily driver, its very similar in road manners and comfort to an Omega, but in the wet the front wheels spin by looking at the throttle!! Although a recent change to Avons has improved that a lot.
They did the 2.8 turbo in VXR, Elite, design and elegance spec
They never made a Signum VXR so if anyone is selling one its a fake, there are also ex plod Vectra 2.8s kicking around that are SRi spec not VXR
End of the day you can have Vectra VXR performance for half the cost in a car that isn't that bad in the bigger scheme of things
