Wednesday 21st May 2003

Lightning Strikes Twice

Vauxhall tease us with more pics of their 'concept'

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Vauxhall has released more pictures of its radically styled concept car, named VX Lightning.

Now we can see the car from all angles and fully appreciate the design penned at GM’s Advanced Design studio in Coventry by designers Simon Cox and Martin Smith.

They've tried to produce a classic sports car shape and have used a long bonnet and short rear overhang to give it the necessary look. Roll hoops sculpted into the bodywork hint of Carrerara GT whilst the side profile inherits some styling cues from the VX220. The large frontal area is dominated by the deep spoiler with angular headlights leading down to the badge.

Like all concepts its endowed with preposterous 19 inch alloys at the front and huuuuge 20 inch alloys at the rear.

Inside, deeply sculptured seats are finished in black and red leather, while red leather has also been used to trim the sweeping dashboard.

Under the long bonnet sits a new version of Vauxhall’s aluminium 2.2 ECOTEC engine - reworked with a supercharger to produce 240hp and 305Nm of torque. A six-speed manual gearbox is mated to the new engine, which drives the rear wheels.

The independent suspension is lightweight aluminium, while a near perfect 50:50 weight distribution has been achieved to ensure the best handling and poise on the road.

Vauxhall says that it has no plans to build the car but nevertheless is taking great interest in public opinion. Don't be surprised to hear a 'Due to overwhelming public demand we've decided to build the car' announcement in a few months time!

[Captain Muppet]

:tappingfootwaitingformindlesskneejerk"butitsavauxhall"reaction:

[paul r]

Ok then - Why oh why can't they call it an Opel!!!

[Sparks]

But it's still a Vauxhall......

Sorry,

Sparks

P.S you can stop the foot tapping now......

[AlexH]

They're certainly going in the right direction but I reckon they would be better off on concentrating on making their main range (Corsa/Astra/Vectra/Whatever) more interesting/sexy/stylish/not so damn boring before they start mucking about with sports cars. The knock-on glamour from cars like the VX220 and maybe this can only go so far...but it ain't far enough.

[RoadRunner]

Due to overwhelming demand, we left sports car manufacture to the big boys.

[swilly]

I see Vauxhall having been rumaging around the waste paper bin from the T350C design office.

Surely royalties are in order.

[ChrisD]

To me as a german, it wouldn't make no difference if they called it an Opel. Opels are boring vehicles for people who think "hey I need a car, a rather inexpensive one, and I don't have any clue about cars at all. Oh, and I want a german one."

[CraigAlsop]

I like it. The more sportscars anybody makes, the better IMHO. I don't give a t*ss what badge it has, if it is a good car, then I'm interested....

[Larco]

Needs a Holden V8 in it.

[britten_mark]

Very nice, if a bit generic. Check out the rear view against the old Vauxhall Equus concept from 1979.

[mikeylad]

i think its absolutely beautiful. better-looking than the elise, Vx220, z4, s2000, etc.

don't really want one though. :godimasnob:

[alunr]

I saw the car for real today at the Top Gear studios - its VERY nice...

Its got a small feature in this sundays programme

[K1 CERB]

I agree with Alunr. In the flesh it is the biz (still a Vauxhall so will never rise to it's true station) but a nice piece of design work. They didn't acctually drive it though, so is it real???

K1 CERB

[deanpluthero]

very nice.. i like it even if it's a Vauxhall.

[tube audio]

Is this the new federal ELISE?

Could be possible.
250PS quad turbo, mid engine,
0 to 100km/h less then 5,0 sec

then I want one.

[ssbell]

It's a first! A good looking car from Vauxhall. If they called it an Opel something or other, they would probably sell a few, but the idea that they can generate a racing breed or sports brand from the Vauxhall name is pie in the sky. Vauxhall's will always be tied with the boring, cheap, poorly constructed family saloons of past (and present?).

Sorry Vauxhall. Nice try. End of rant.

[Captain Muppet]

tube audio said: Is this the new federal ELISE?

Could be possible.
250PS quad turbo, mid engine,
0 to 100km/h less then 5,0 sec

then I want one.

Where do you start?

[dandarez]

Vaux or not this is the best looking sportscar for ages. (not sure about interior which is a tad garish) Nobody will give a toss about the badge if the price i have seen is correct at around 20 grand. To get a sportscar to look 'right' from all angles and to 'look' expensive is hard to do - I reckon they've done it (prob because the 'not so young' designers are not wet behind the ears! Let's hope it goes as good as it looks - Vaux do have some good power plants. I would certainly have one - pull up against a Porsche in VX220 or an Elise and the Porsche driver wouldn't give u a 2nd look, pull up alongside in THIS and he wd prob stall his Porky!!!!!!

[Wintermute]

Lot of badge snobs out there!!

I don't understand what's the difference between using the Opel and Vauxhall names, both maintstream manufacturers (i.e. boring) with the same models!! Geez even the Opel version of the Signum is called a Vectra!

Anyway, Vauxhall well done, what a fantastic car, you had better make it! It's got the sharp edge aggression of the VX220, but with beauty and hopefully more practical for my lard arse!

Put a good V6 in it rather than a 4-pot with forced induction and I might well forget about the Boxster!!

[Wintermute]

Lot of badge snobs out there!!

I don't understand what's the difference between using the Opel and Vauxhall names, both maintstream manufacturers (i.e. boring) with the same models!! Geez even the Opel version of the Signum is called a Vectra!

Anyway, Vauxhall well done, what a fantastic car, you had better make it! It's got the sharp edge aggression of the VX220, but with beauty and hopefully more practical for my lard arse!

Put a good V6 in it rather than a 4-pot with forced induction and I might well forget about the Boxster!!