RE: Vauxhall VX220 replacement is go
Tuesday 4th October 2005
Saturn Sky, Detroit Motor ShowThere's a new Vauxhall sports car on the way -- production has just been given the green light. It'll replace the much-loved VX220 and be available in LHD form only.
Vauxhall VX220 replacement is go
Car due in two years based on Saturn Sky
Saturn Sky, Detroit Motor Show
Based on the Saturn Sky, it'll look similar to the Lightning concept car that Vauxhall put together in 2003 in celebration of the company's anniversary. The VX220 ends production at the end of 2005, but the new car is not due here until 2007.
It'll be powered by a supercharged 2.0-litre four-pot engine with 200bhp and 200lb-ft of torque, according to a report in Autocar. The report suggests that the car will have a European feel.
The Saturn Sky was at the Detroit Show in January last (see story link below).
Related stories
Discussion
VX220 TURBO REPLACEMENT ON ITS WAY
GM's 250bhp sports car due for 2006
Saturn Sky in DetroitRemember the Saturn Sky we featured in our report on the Detroit Motor Show back in January (see link below)?
It's coming your way. The successor to Vauxhall's VX220 Turbo with its Lotus Elise underpinnings, will get a 250bhp 2.2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and arrive in the UK late in 2006. It will be clad in the Saturn Sky's bodyshell.
It'll be a Vauxhall, sold like the VX220 through main dealers, and will cost some £22,000 -- performance of some five seconds for 0-60mph and a top speed of 150mph is promised, according to a report in Auto Express
------------------------------------------------------
When this is true...then I don't think it weight up to
1400kgs...no way, I guess it would be around 980kgs, and then it could be stil a nice fast cheap to run funcar?
Rene
GM's 250bhp sports car due for 2006
Saturn Sky in DetroitRemember the Saturn Sky we featured in our report on the Detroit Motor Show back in January (see link below)?
It's coming your way. The successor to Vauxhall's VX220 Turbo with its Lotus Elise underpinnings, will get a 250bhp 2.2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and arrive in the UK late in 2006. It will be clad in the Saturn Sky's bodyshell.
It'll be a Vauxhall, sold like the VX220 through main dealers, and will cost some £22,000 -- performance of some five seconds for 0-60mph and a top speed of 150mph is promised, according to a report in Auto Express
------------------------------------------------------
When this is true...then I don't think it weight up to
1400kgs...no way, I guess it would be around 980kgs, and then it could be stil a nice fast cheap to run funcar?
Rene
I think calling it a VX220 replacement is somewhat stretching it a bit.
It weighs almost 50% more than a VX220 2.2!
VX220 production also stopped eariler this year, I was there in a very wet Hethel car park to see the last one off the line.
www.muncher.org.uk/lastvx
It weighs almost 50% more than a VX220 2.2!
VX220 production also stopped eariler this year, I was there in a very wet Hethel car park to see the last one off the line.
www.muncher.org.uk/lastvx
I did some research...and saw some foto's see the link, and then yep...its no leightweight...about 1300kgs they hope, I've had an Opel Speedster Turbo myself and that weigth was good...but this is a almost normalcar intir, nice but heavy...see pics
www.rsportscars.com/eng/cars/saturn_sky.asp
www.rsportscars.com/eng/cars/saturn_sky.asp
I don't see this overweight 'niche' product blowing the doors off an MX-5 - let alone a Honda S2000 or even a Merc SLK 200 - when it arrives in Europe.
GM originally had no intention of making this a truly 'global' platform (hence their inability to convert to RHD, for example) and developed it mainly for the US market. I don't have much faith in any cheaply-developed 'sporting' chassis from the US being able to meet our handling tastes (i.e. goes around corners, nicely weighted controls - and general build quality, for that matter).
The fact that it's being dubbed as a successor to the VX220 is a slap in the face to people who develop/purchase real sports cars.
GM originally had no intention of making this a truly 'global' platform (hence their inability to convert to RHD, for example) and developed it mainly for the US market. I don't have much faith in any cheaply-developed 'sporting' chassis from the US being able to meet our handling tastes (i.e. goes around corners, nicely weighted controls - and general build quality, for that matter).
The fact that it's being dubbed as a successor to the VX220 is a slap in the face to people who develop/purchase real sports cars.
GTRene said:
I did some research...and saw some foto's see the link, and then yep...its no leightweight...about 1300kgs they hope, I've had an Opel Speedster Turbo myself and that weigth was good...but this is a almost normalcar intir, nice but heavy...see pics
<a href="www.rsportscars.com/eng/cars/saturn_sky.asp"><a href="www.rsportscars.com/eng/cars/saturn_sky.asp">www.rsportscars.com/eng/cars/saturn_sky.asp</a></a>
Well that is the U.S speck version, less constictive emissions and safety laws could possibly free up some weight, though probably not a huge amount. On the plus side, since there's no solstice in the U.K. the Sky would be sportier the only limit might be excessive tire size and weight as with the solstice. LHD only is probably a big no-no though if they expect it to replace the VX
>> Edited by chevyhead on Tuesday 4th October 17:18
>> Edited by chevyhead on Tuesday 4th October 17:43
Thsi car is actually the same car as the Pontiac Solstice in case you didnt realise.
Im actually working for Vauxhall at the moment (uni placement year) and its weird taht no-one seems to know about this being green-lit....but it has been rumoured for quite a while so im sure its true!
Fingers crossed there will be a VXR version, if they stripped it a bit and used either the Astra VXR four pot or even the Vectra VXR V6 then it could really make the most of it (being rwd compared to those two being fwd). But unfortunately ill be long gone before they appear!!
Im actually working for Vauxhall at the moment (uni placement year) and its weird taht no-one seems to know about this being green-lit....but it has been rumoured for quite a while so im sure its true!
Fingers crossed there will be a VXR version, if they stripped it a bit and used either the Astra VXR four pot or even the Vectra VXR V6 then it could really make the most of it (being rwd compared to those two being fwd). But unfortunately ill be long gone before they appear!!
From what I understand, the interior layouts and suspension settings will be different. The Sky here in the states is intended as a softer more upscale version. To a degree the strategy can work: Based on looks alone several people might prefer the MX5 to the solstice, but those same people might prefer the looks of the sky to both, it's a wash I guess.
>> Edited by chevyhead on Tuesday 4th October 20:32
>> Edited by chevyhead on Tuesday 4th October 20:32
Gassing Station | Motoring News | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff