Vauxhall VX220 | PH Auction Block
Mid-engined roadsters needn't cost the earth - or wear a fancy badge
The shoots of a fast Vauxhall comeback are beginning to emerge. The Corsa GSE is on sale, the STX concept hints at an interesting future for the estate, and electrification surely opens up a lot of performance possibilities that would never have been possible with a line-up of ordinary engines. So why not take it further? The MG Cyberster is already out there (with the hardtop rumoured), an Alpine A110 and Porsche 718 EV are coming… why not a battery-powered Vauxhall sports car as well? A retro-themed Manta was hinted at but hasn’t come to anything yet. How about something more extreme instead – how about an electric VX220? It could be called VX220e…
Alright, so it’s far-fetched, but sillier ideas have made it to the showroom. The original Tesla Roadster demonstrated the validity of the idea 20 years ago, and nobody really ever bought a ‘220 for its engine; the equivalent Elise perhaps, with its shrieking Toyota 1.8s, not so much the Astra-donated units in the Vauxhall. They were merely enablers of that fine chassis.
Some VX220s were a bit too enabled, however. The press launch for the Turbo was infamous for the amount of damaged cars, as lag and the mid-engined balance slugged it out. Even naturally aspirated cars have been known to catch out the unwary, the Vauxhall’s balance always a bit feistier than the Lotus’s. You’ll see plenty for sale with some kind of body repairs, put it that way.
Not this one, though. It’s HPI clear, on original paint and with uniform panel gaps all round – good going for what’s now a 23-year-old car with a bit of a reputation. This is almost a classic British sports car now, just one that looks and drives rather better than the classic in your head. There’s just 16,500 miles under those smart alloy wheels, too, which will help explain why it’s still in such good order.
As will a considerable recent spend. As well as cosmetic stuff like the paint correction and refinished interior trim, the Nitron dampers were overhauled this year. That work was done with a fresh set of Michelins and a geo setup, so the VX ought to drive just as well as it looks. There’s also been a new radiator and set of brake pads fitted courtesy of the current owner.
There’s a lot going for it, basically. While good VX220s certainly still exist, most these days will have been modified or enjoyed more driving than this one. Cars with such low miles and so few changes from standard (better suspension and a radio that works are more than acceptable) are very hard to come by. Particularly ones that still look the part. Maybe you also weren’t thinking about VX220s in November, but it doesn’t look like one to miss – what a summer 2027 could be…
Whoever the previous owners were, really looked after it!
They're curiously numb feeling out of the box compared to the Elise, but they're only a geometry change and staggered set of wheels (both of which Vauxhall themselves fitted to the VXR version) away from getting very, very close . You're never going to entirely hide the extra 150kg or so compared to an early Elise, even my S2 is about 80kg lighter which you can very much feel in a car of this type.
The biggest problem for me, was the brakes. The servo setup makes them feel spongy and inconsistent (a problem shared with early Toyota powered Elises) and the ABS system is verging on dangerous out of the box. If the VX220 had been available with unassisted brakes, I'd probably have bought one instead of my Elise, given how much cheaper they were at the time.
Whoever the previous owners were, really looked after it!
(apologies for the picture - I've used it a few times across the forum, but I spend more time driving it that taking pictures!)
Also hated the return way of the gas/rpm, when letting loose of the gaspedal it very slowly returned the rpm, was for inviremont something... so did not feel direct when letting loose the gas pedal.
and ow, the Steering feel was great ala Lotus, but from neutral say going to the left, you had to pull it out that neutral state, so needed a bit extra force?
maybe because all was new or because the To in or out was not perfect? although it drove and steered very good normally.
The few Lotus Elise I've driven did not had those small steering issues, but I guess most things could be helped and fine tuned out, I would try that now, did not back then, mostly because of that big turning circle, I needed smaller then that.
But great driving cars non the less.
Also hated the return way of the gas/rpm, when letting loose of the gaspedal it very slowly returned the rpm, was for inviremont something... so did not feel direct when letting loose the gas pedal.
and ow, the Steering feel was great ala Lotus, but from neutral say going to the left, you had to pull it out that neutral state, so needed a bit extra force?
maybe because all was new or because the To in or out was not perfect? although it drove and steered very good normally.
The few Lotus Elise I've driven did not had those small steering issues, but I guess most things could be helped and fine tuned out, I would try that now, did not back then, mostly because of that big turning circle, I needed smaller then that.
But great driving cars non the less.
Mine's got a smaller fly wheel on it, so the rev rise and fall is very quick indeed, so again something I can't comment on, but I suspect Vauxhall tried to make the VX more of a daily drive at the time than a more hardcore sports car - certainly the standard suspension allowed the car to roll on the corners from what I've witnessed seeing them tootling around the track.
I'm biased though I chose one over an S1 Elise and loved it. Wish I'd kept mine but managed to convince myself I needed an E36 328i Msport instead.
It was never going to win any prizes for load carrying or comfort, but it was a lot of fun to drive. The only issue I had was it eating engine mounts from emergency starts (young and stupid).
Needs an Opel (or Voyah!) grille instead of that stupid beak.
But an interesting variation on a theme.
Insignia Variations would be a hack title...
It was not twitchy unless you were an idiot on cold tyres at a junction especially in the wet. I owned my car in two stints between 2004 and 2015 and missed it so much I bought it back in 2018 selling it finally in 2023, as I am to old and fat to fit in it.
One of the best drivers cars I have ever owned only beaten by my Noble M12 GTO3 and my Mclaren's I have owned with a special mention to my VXR8 GTSR .
Lovely car we will never see its like again.
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