VX Lightning

New concept car hints at what's to come

By PH Staff / Tuesday, 13 May 2003 / Loading comments

Vauxhall has struggled with blandness in recent years with its family of hatchbacks and saloons pounding the motorways and generally fading into the background.

The VX220 marked one step back towards standing out from the crowd and it wasn't a one off. Vauxhall like Ford are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year and are hoping that the VX Lightning will prove a successful start to the next 100 years.

The sports car concept has been designed in the UK for UK tastes very much in the mould of traditional British sports cars. A composite body, long bonnet, two seats and lightweight components all contribute to producing a car that will excite dynamically as well as visually.

It comes on the heels of the Pontiac Solstice (see here) which wowed American audiences last year with its simplistic yet appealing styling. GM Vice President Bob Lutz is very much a fan of keeping things simple and his message got through to the designers of both vehicles. The Solstice concept was well received but considered a bit too American by some.

The new VX Lightning however has been designed for Europeans. Vauxhall say the car isn't going into production, but it will be used to test the reaction of potential purchasers nevertheless.

When the Elise based VX220 reaches the end of its life, Vauxhall are expected to design the replacement themselves rather than rebody an existing car. By designing a relatively simple car, GM could still outsource the build however leaving their production lines free for high capacity production.

Unlike the VX220, the VX Lightning is fitted with a front mounted engine. They've used the 2.2 litre ECOTEC and slapped a supercharger on it to give 240bhp. Drive is via a six speed gearbox to the rear wheels. Weight distribution is almost 50:50 front to rear.

Vauxhall have already demonstrated how difficult it is to broaden their range into the sportscar market and get taken seriously, but their ongoing commitment to the sector is welcome.