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The Vauxhall VX220 may well be remembered as the greatest car that nobody bought. That might be something of an exaggeration, but after a years manufacture, Vauxhall had managed to shift a mere 458 units, many of these dealer demonstrators and press vehicles. Although the public was aware that the VX220 was ostensibly a Lotus Elise with a nicer engine, it still ignored the roadster - due in no small part to that Griffin badge worn on its beaky nose. After all, what would you rather own, a Lotus or a Vauxhall.
For those who are immune to such badge snobbery, a used VX220 is a cut price way to get your high performance jollies.
It would be easy to dismiss the VX220 as nothing more than re-bodied Elise. The two cars were, after all, developed by the same people. Easy, but incorrect. In reality, the two cars are defined by their engines.
In place of the 1.8-litre 120bhp MGTF unit found on the standard Elise, the VX220 is powered by an altogether more potent 2.2-litre 145bhp powerplant borrowed from the Astra Coupe. That meant re-tuning the chassis and upgrading the brakes to include servo assistance, ABS and EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution).
What hasnt been changed is the basic Lotus concept. This is still a lightweight, high performance, no compromises sportscar for enthusiasts to use on an occasional basis only. Dont go expecting it to be an everyday roadster like a Toyota MR2 or Mazda MX-5: its far too noisy, uncomfortable and impractical for that. These arent words you would normally use to describe a production Vauxhall but then theres never been a production Vauxhall quite like this one. There certainly havent been many Vauxhall sports cars that cost more, the unhelpful new asking price punching it clear of the Elise. If you do opt for the Vauxhall, you certainly wont feel hard done by.
Youll probably receive kudos from true car enthusiasts who appreciate the fact that you werent so superficial as to be swayed by a badge.
Whereas the Lotus Elise boasted used values firmer than a Vinny Jones handshake, the VX220 hasnt shared its cousins good fortune. With residual values expected to languish around 51% after three years the VX220 represents an ideal way to get a top-drawer sportster at MX-5 money. Prices start at 11,000 for the first of the 2000 W plated models. Dont be talked into paying much over the odds for a Lightning Yellow edition.
Insurance is a distinctly reasonable Group 16.
Although many VX220 used models show low mileages on their odometers, dont let that lull you into a false sense of security. The VX attracts an even lower quotient of posers and boulevard cruisers than the Elise and you should assume that a goodly proportion of its mileage has been spent with the hammer firmly down. That said, the 2.2-litre engine seems to be an extremely hardy unit, better able to shrug off the miles than a Rover K-series 1.
8 and many of the teething problems that afflicted the Elise were ironed out with the VX220. So it is that theres no rattly pedal box or flabby gear selection issues. The hood has been known to leak and you should check the mounting points for signs of damage. Otherwise run the normal set of checks youd use on a car thats suspected of having a hard life.
Check the tyres and suspension, make sure the owner has used synthetic oil, ask whether its been used on track and inspect the corners of the bodywork where it swoops out of sight. Finally a word of warning. The aluminium tub of the VX220 is superb at protecting its occupants, but even an apparently superficial crash can effectively write your VX220 off, such is the cost of a replacement. Therefore you should avoid so called damaged repairables at all costs.