Vauxhall VX220 | PH Auction Block

A standard '220 is great, and even more so with a turbo - how about a supercharger?

By Matt Bird / Thursday, 12 March 2026 / Loading comments

What a great time the early 21st century must have felt at Vauxhall. If a car could be made silly, then it absolutely was: think Zafira, Meriva and Vectra VXR. If there was fun to be had, then Vauxhall did it: think British Touring Cars with champions racing wheel to wheel, rebadging Australian muscle cars, claiming Nurburgring records and so on. Having new GSEs is a step in the right direction, but there’s some way to go to be even close to those heady days of the 2000s. As it is for most manufacturers, in fairness.

Probably the peak of Vauxhall’s gloriously crazy years was the VX220, a car unlike anything else with the Griffin badge on it. Sure, the bones were Lotus - thanks to GM stepping in to help fund the S2 Elise - but there could be no accusations of merely rebadging. The VX220 and Opel Speedster had a design all of their own (a brilliant one, by all accounts), and offered up turbocharged torque for the platform way before there was a supercharged Elise. All for less money than the Lotus. It’s little wonder they were so loved.

And still are, of course. Because it doesn’t have the green and yellow badge and because it doesn’t offer an 8,000rpm engine option, the VX220 remains more affordable than the Elise, despite being very similar. Great news for anyone after a mid-engined, rear-drive, lightweight British sports car for not very much. There are mint VX220 Turbos around for £20k, and just one supercharged Elise at less than £25,000.

In an ideal world, you’d want the affordability of the Vauxhall with supercharged response and sound of the Lotus, especially given the turbo lag could play havoc with the VX’s handling. But that car doesn’t exist - apart from here. It’s a VX220 with the standard 2.2, albeit supercharged by marque specialists Type 116 motorsport to 250hp. When none left the factory with more than 220hp (the last of the line VXR220s), that’s a very exciting prospect.

There’s plenty to support the power too, from adjustable dampers to bigger brakes, a quicker steering rack to Lotus ABS. In fact there’s loads to make this VX220 even better on road and track than just the power, from upgrades like braided hoses and Carbon Lorraine pads to a cupholder, improved lights and protection for the fabric roof. However it’s going to be used, this Vauxhall looks absolutely ready for it; they were never everyday sports cars, obviously, so a few racy upgrades makes complete sense. Yet on the other hand, normal seats remain, as does a stereo, and there isn’t a cage, so it’s a (slightly) less extreme prospect than a Caterham or similar.

Let’s not ignore the fact, either, that this is a 40,000-mile example, so despite being a 2005 vintage this little Vaux looks almost as good as it would have years ago. There’s stacks of history with it, a flawless MOT until November, and the sort of condition that comes with modest use. It’s clearly been driven, but this isn’t some track hack. All of which makes for a VX even more appealing than the rest: more powerful, more capable, more thrilling, and with the money already spent. All a buyer needs to do is work out which track day they’re doing first…

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