Vauxhall VX220 TURBO
With Turbo Power, The
Vauxhall VX220 Can At Last Emerge From The Shadow Of Its
Lotus Counterpart. Jonathan Crouch Drives It
Can you ever have too much of a good thing? Apparently not at least in the case of Vauxhalls VX220. Which is why the most powerful four cylinder engine on the companys books a 200bhp 2.0-litre turbo - has been shoe-horned under the rear engine cover of a car weighing just 930kg. You just know its going to be good.
And of course it is. The two key facts you need to know are firstly that nothing at anywhere near this cars £26,495 asking price can get anywhere near either its handling or performance. And secondly, that that statement includes the Vauxhalls closest rival, the Lotus Elise. And this is hugely significant.
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The original normally aspirated 2.2-litre VX220 suffered at the hands of its stablemate. The two cars were developed by
Lotus and are built side by side at the Hethel factory. This led many buyers to dismiss the VX220 as nothing more than a rebadged Elise in incorrect assumption in fact since the two cars share only 10% of their parts and are powered by completely different engines.
Still, you could understand people making it just as you could understand them buying the Lotus, especially as it was a few hundred pounds cheaper. The arrival of the VX220 Turbo has changed all of that. The only Elise Lotus could offer that got anywhere near this cars performance was the 190 version and that set you back between £5,000 and £7,000 more, depending on specification. It wasnt as well equipped either.
Time to get the VX220s performance into perspective. Rest to sixty occupies a mere 4.7s about the same as Ferraris 360M. It cant match the Maranello car on top speed of course but then you really wouldnt want to go much faster than 151mph in a car like this.
Project Tornado, Group Lotus development name for this project, was aptly named.
"As impressive as the speed is the way that it is achieved."
As impressive as the speed is the way that it is achieved. This cars 2.0-litre turbocharged engine is also used in Vauxhalls Astra and Zafira models, but here, it feels better suited to the job in hand. Useful for twisting secondaries is the fact that the turbo builds from a mere 1,950rpm, so theres the same point-and-squirt excitement on offer as was always available from the original version.
Speed however, is one thing: handling is another. Only a specialist sportscar maker could have developed this car. Arguably, only Lotus could have done it. The mid-engined chassis balance is quite simply astounding.
Even in the wet, you have to be outlandish to unstick the thing and when you eventually do, it breaks away in an easy, controlled way, yet one that still amply rewards driving skill. Wisely,
Vauxhall have continued their policy of offering a free driver training day with each VX220 sold. If youre to get the best out of this car, then youll probably need it. Only minor changes have been made to the VX220s very capable chassis to accommodate the substantial extra power of the turbo engine.
The basic principles stay the same a super rigid lightweight aluminium chassis, double wishbone suspension, hiogh performance brakes with ABS and unique Bridgestone tyres. Changes have been made to the spring and damper rates, which have been increased at the front and rear by 7% and 11% respectively to improve both body control and high speed stability. The new tuning also improves the ride quality over rough surfaces. The brakes are as before, though theres the option of lightweight ventilated and cross-drilled discs.
Wed take it. Exterior changes are limited. Just a
smart new set of alloy wheels, a small black lip spoiler at the front, a body-coloured spoiler at the rear to aid high speed aerodynamics and a set of wider air intakes on the side of the body to aid engine cooling. Apart from that, theres only (thankfully discreet) Turbo lettering at the rear and on the inner sill plates.
Inside, theres optional two-tone leather trim for the seats, leather door inserts and a smarter finish for the dashboard. The dashboards been looked at too and at last theres a proper fuel gauge that tells you at a glance exactly what proportion of fuel is left in the tank. Slightly less useful (given the cachophony of sound you get anyway at high revs) is the gear change-up light. Matthew Becker, the Lotus engineer who did much of the background development work on this car, notes that, faced with a journey of any kind of distance, hed take a VX220 Turbo every time over an Elise.
One of the main reasons for this is the reduction in cabin noise brought about courtesy of a revised exhaust system. As a result, theres now some point in specifying something from the upgraded audio range: you can even have satellite navigation. As with the Elise, entry and exit is for the able-bodied only and once youre inside, its a tight fit (even tighter than in the Lotus) to squeeze yourself into the thin racing-style bucket seats. At least carpets are optional, as is a £1,200 hard top to keep out the winter weather. Do without this and theres only a fiddly soft-top to keep the rain off which, once removed, fits neatly behind the seats in a bag supplied with the car.
Dont go expecting too much from it though: its really on supposed to offer get-you-home protection from the elements. Theres a luggage compartment behind the engine but dont go expecting too much. To be fair, the 206-litre space is enough for a couples weekend luggage and Vauxhall can supply a set of tailor-made bags to enable you to make the most of it. Arguably, this car is the VX220 we should have had from the start.
Most people in this market place will be prepared to sacrifice badge prestige for the considerable advantages that this car offers over its comparable Lotus counterpart. As for other rivals, nothing comes close for the money. Its as simple as that.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Vauxhall VX220 Turbo
PRICES: £26,495 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 19
CO2 EMISSIONS: 202g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 151mph / 0-60mph 4.7s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 23.7mpg/ (extra urban) 43.6mpg/ (combined) 33.3mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Drivers airbag / ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/width/heightmm 3790/1708/1112
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