In May 2003 Vauxhall brought us the Lightning concept car, a razor sharp sports car purporting to be the replacement for the excellent Lotus Elise-based VX220. Then Vauxhall's parent, General Motors got their hands on the idea and turned it into the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky. In Geneva, Opel (Vauxhall's European counterpart) launched the new GT, pretty much a rebadged Saturn, and though not as incisive as the Vauxhall concept car, still a looker.

The Opel GT will go on sale in 2007 across Europe with a turbocharged 2-litre engine ahead of the driver. This unit is rated at 260bhp, with peak torque of 350Nm from just 2500rpm. Don't expect the new GT to be a serious rival for the Lotus Elise though, as it is built using more conventional techniques, which means more weight. The GT weighs in at over 1,300kg; though performance should still be exciting with 0-62mph reached in less than six seconds on the way to a top speed of 143mph. Think of the GT as a rival for more comfortable sports cars such as BMW's Z4. The GT is well equipped too.

Try not to get too excited about the Opel GT though, as there is only a slim chance of it making it to Britain as a Vauxhall, and even a slimmer chance of being converted to right-hand drive. What a pity.

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