14 replies to this topic

[gregh]

Does anyone have any magazine reviews of a NA VX-220 vs an Elise that I could "borrow"? Promise to return and/or pay postage etc. cheers, greg

[iandhd]

I have a few articles but I've never seen an article that tackles a direct comparison between the two.

Vauxhall - VX220 - Roadtest [January 01 2001]
Topgear.

Over the last few decades, the very concept of having fun in a Vauxhall, even a teeny-weeny little amount, has been something of an alien one. The company reached a particularly low point on the dynamic front a few years ago when it launched the last generation Astra SRI to the motoring press on April 1. After spending the day driving the terminally torque-steering hot hatch, the hacks assembled for dinner where they were told they would be joined by the car’s chassis engineers. At this juncture a quick- witted colleague cried out: “April Fool! Everybody knows the Astra SRi didn’t have any chassis engineers”.

Harsh but, alas, not unfair words. Vauxhall’s most sporting model could only flounder its way through corners and the company could seemingly only look on as arch-rival Ford had praise heaped on it for fine-handling, fun-to-drive cars like the Mondeo, Ka, Fiesta and Puma. There have been a couple of exceptions for Vauxhall, like the fabulous Lotus Carlton, the world’s fastest saloon. And the current Astra’s not bad to drive either. Again, Lotus helped out there with the handling. So it’s not surprising that when it came to creating a proper lightweight sports car, Vauxhall has once more turned to Lotus.

But this time it’s for more than a little help tweaking damper settings. The chassis is designed by Lotus and the composite-bodied car will be built at Hethel at the rate of 3,000 a year. Around 1,000 of those will be sold through 50 Vauxhall dealers as VX220s for the not unreasonable sum of £22,995. The remainder will be sold in Europe as Opel Speedsters.

The name Speedster is a lot cooler than VX220. A VX220 sounds like some sort of sit-up-on-top, Edwardian motoring chariot upon which a youthful Mr Toad might have squandered too much of his inheritance, only to then reduce it to scrap a few days later. The name actually comes from the VX badge which was used by Vauxhall on sporting Victors in the ’60s, but, apparently, it goes further back – to 1931, when it was used in-house to denote an export version of the Cadet.

Dipping back into one’s heritage is all very well, but like Rover’s recent resurrection of the BRM name, we’re not so sure how well it works, at least not to a younger generation who don’t remember the names from the first time around. On top of that, the zero on the end of the VX220 badge looks quite naff; it’s been done in a graphic fashion to blend with the car’s angular lines, but it looks more like an A.

Staying in nit-picking mode for a moment or two, it is far too easy to trigger the horn by accidentally pushing either of the inner steering-wheel sections. The last thing you want when you are having a bit of a whizz round a roundabout is to draw attention to yourself. Vauxhall acknowledges this, and says the final production cars will have a thicker membrane between rim and trigger point, thus making the horn switches a lot less sensitive.

The steering wheel itself is a beautiful affair, a tiny little Nada job, and the smallest we have ever seen containing an airbag. In your hands, the VX immediately feels like a proper sports car. So too does the low-slung, close-to-the-road driving position and the excellent figure-hugging, one-piece seats.

The view out of the front is great too; with those Honda S2000-like wings, the VX feels like some endurance race car, especially in the dark. But the view out the back isn’t so hot. Along with the tall headrests of the seats, Vauxhall has added further head protectors which hang down behind the seats from the rear roll-over hoop and, combined, they don’t do a lot for visibility.

It would be a big mistake to assume that the VX comes groaning under the weight of multiple safety features and equipment. Admittedly there is a cup-holder – hopefully included as a touch of irony by Vauxhall’s interior designers – but this car is definitely not of the ‘Warning. Contains hot beverage’ school of philosophy. Yes, there’s a driver’s airbag and anti-lock brakes, but there’s no TCS, no ESP, no ASR and no EBD. The drive from the mid-mounted engine goes through a five-speed Getrag gearbox straight to the road, without any Nanny State electronic interference.

It weighs in at just 875kg. There’s no power-steering, no air-conditioning and no electric windows. A stereo, like the leather seats, is optional.

The cabin – which is roomier and easier to get in and out of than an Elise – has a truly minimalist feel to it and some excellent features. There’s a tiny Stack instrument panel which is identical to the one fitted to the Elise, that aforementioned fabulous steering wheel, neat drilled aluminium pedals and dinky little window-winders.

But despite all this, the interior has a disappointing, mismatched, hotchpotch feel to it. We all understand why the cabin needs to contain Vauxhall switchgear and column stalks, but that doesn’t make them any more attractive. The black heater panel with aluminium knobs stuck on top of it and plastic coverings over the side sill, also black, don’t look quite right either.

Vauxhall engines are almost always good and this all-aluminium 2.2-litre four-cylinder 16-valve Ecotec unit is no exception. It kicks out 145bhp and 149lb ft of torque (90 per cent of which comes in at 1,900rpm). That’s actually similar muscle to a Golf GTi turbo, but in an aluminium-chassied, composite-bodied car that weighs almost 300kg less than the Volkswagen. So no wonder it’s quick.

Although it needs revving, the Ecotec engine takes to the task with relish, feeling strong and punchy from low revs. It sounds good with the hood down, even if it isn’t exactly what you would call a spine-tingler.

Out on the road, the small Vauxhall feels light and nimble, with fairly instant throttle response. And the acceleration is stealth-like, rather than raucous or thunderous. With hindsight, we should have been a bit more violent when it came to figuring the car. Vauxhall claims a 0-60mph time of just 5.6 seconds, so it was surprising to find that it would not do 60mph in second gear – our test gear showed it was stuttering against the rev-limiter at 58.7mph.

Having taken the car off the line at 5,000rpm, we couldn’t see how it could reach 60mph in just 5.6 seconds with a third gear change, so we settled for a time of 6.3 seconds. Vauxhall has since claimed that the VX will hit 60mph in 5.6 seconds, but only if it is launched off the line at 6,500rpm, right on the rev-limiter. Whether or not that is the case remains to be seen, but we are looking forward to being less mechanically sympathetic the next time we get our hands on one.

It’s only during super-fast changes when figuring – that one wouldn’t recreate on the road or even on the track -– that the VX’s gearchange feels slightly iffy. In normal use the change is good and also has a nice sound to it. The brakes, like the transmission system, have a strong, robust feel, proved fade-free and gave excellent stopping distances during testing.

But what about the handling? There are two schools of thought here. One runs something like this: ‘It’s basically a Lotus Elise underneath so it’s got to handle like one’. The contrary opinion is along the lines that ‘Vauxhall will have taken all the risk – and therefore all the fun – out of it. And look at those narrow front tyres. It’s going to understeer like a pig’.


Vauxhall - VX220 - Roadtest [September 01 2001]


Is it possible to write a review of the VX220 without resorting to comparisons with a certain two-seater produced in Norfolk? Probably not, but then with so many people who might buy the Vauxhall opting for the Lotus instead it’s only natural.

Based on the same chassis and assembled on the Lotus production lines, the two cars share the same DNA. Unfortunately for Vauxhall they also share the same price of just under £23,000 – and let’s face it, do you want to shout about your new Lotus or are you going to try to impress people with your new Vauxhall instead?

But ignoring the Hethel wonder for now (oh dear, they’re both produced in Hethel – but you know what I mean), how does the Griffin-badged motor fare? In short, brilliantly.

With superb brakes, perfect steering (but with a bit too much feedback for me), incredible roadholding and an excellent driving position the emphasis is clearly on dynamics.

But it’s not all great – it’s not that quick (it can carry its speed through the twisty bits well though) and the ride can be a bit crashy sometimes. The low-down seating position and flying buttresses mean rear three-quarter visibility is a nightmare and a lack of sun visors means you can’t see anything with the sun blazing away ahead.

The removable roof panel is neat if rather basic, but it doesn’t make much difference to noise levels whether it’s fitted or not. The cabin is as basic as they come, with minimal switchgear and instrumentation (which is digital in parts and not too great) and of course there’s no such luxuries as electric windows or mirrors.

The looks are aggressive, brutal and incredibly eye-catching – especially as most people have never seen one out of captivity. The purposeful stance with 17-inch wheels and masses of swoops and curves give it a menacing air and the stacked twin exhaust pipes are a neat touch.

Compared with the Elise, the VX220 might not make sense to many, but lower running costs (especially insurance) and a much better warranty are stacked in the Vauxhall’s favour. One of the modern motoring cliches is to compare a car’s dynamic abilities with those of the baby Lotus. Almost universally when writing about a car you end up claiming that “it’s no Elise”. But with this car you don’t have to – because it is.

[iandhd]

Think Vauxhall and you think conservative - with a small "c".
Those Luton residents aren't exactly noted for their dramatic designs - just picture the Corsa, Astra, Vectra and Omega - hardly icons of artistic flair for the 21st century.
So, it's rather refreshing to find them responsible for such a radical roadster as the new VX220 - Vauxhall's first genuine sportscar.
It's a car that you immediately want to cheer for, because at last Vauxhall has shaken off its conventional constraints and gone for something totally off the wall - or rather something that you might want to hang on the wall.
Vauxhall has had a little help from close associates Lotus which is building the VX220 at their Hethel factory in East Anglia at the rate of 3,000 a year - a third of those for the domestic market, available through 50 selected dealers.
Comparisons have been drawn with the Lotus Elise, which it has to be admitted probably provided much of the inspiration for the VX220.
However, Vauxhall executives are keen to point out that less than ten per cent of the components are shared and they believe the two cars will be bought by different sorts of people - a statement I don't necessarily agree with.
Starting off with the aluminium and composite design, the VX220 looks very different to the Elise. It's longer and wider and has a very distinctive appearance.
Moulded from composite panels, the stubby front view is dominated by the chrome-finished V in the grille and the angular headlights mounted into the rising wheel arches.
The aggressive, slab-like upright rear end features trapezoid tail lights and vertically mounted twin central exhaust pipes.
Overall, the VX220 is significantly more angular than the Elise so that the two can't be confused.
But what the VX220 and Elise do have in common is that both are highly-distinctive, individualistic hand-built cars that will appeal to those of a flamboyant nature who want to stand out in a crowd.
Also, like the Elise, the VX220 has a functional philosophy, which means that creature comforts are at a bare minimum - you almost feel grateful that there is a pair of thin bucket seats - even if only the driver seat adjusts fore and aft.
The skeletal, exposed aluminium interior is devoid of anything remotely comfortable; there's no carpet, no air conditioning, no passenger airbag, no storage space, you have to strain with manual door winders and the retro push button starter is a real kitsch touch.
The top of the dash is covered in cheap looking 70s plastic and what control switches there are, (left-overs from the Vauxhall parts bin) are all completely different and scattered haphazardly around the cabin.
Even worse, the add-on instrumentation pod is slanted downwards which makes it difficult to read.
I just wish that someone at Luton had taken a trip to the North West and visited TVR to see how it does sportscar interiors.
And, then there are the cheap plastic coated, wide, side sills that have to be stepped over to get into the cabin. A major deterrent to women and a feature that makes access with the roof in place the province of a contortionist.
MGF, MR2, S2000 and MX-5 owners used to those cosseting cabins will feel as if they have been set down in an Arctic wasteland in the VX220.
Forget about convenient electric roofs for starters. The "weatherproof" soft-top uses a couple of lateral supports and then rolls back behind the seats.
The alternative "waterproof" aluminium hard top needs two people to lift it in place and is attached by two locking clamps and three bolts which have to be screwed into place - not a task for painted fingernails and, with it in situ, headroom is snug for a six footer.
Lurking just a few centimetres behind the two occupants and under the integral roll-over hoop, is the motive force that gives the VX220 its numeral notation.
Mounted transversely amidships (for better weight distribution) is a new, all-aluminium 2.2-litre 16-valve normally- aspirated engine shared with the Astra Coupe.
It whines away, not entirely offensively, behind your head, but it has neither the pleasant tone of a straight six or the growl of a V8.

To get the best from the 145bhp unit the rev needle needs to be kept firmly planted above 5,000rpm, do so and the VX220 is a match for the Elise in the performance stakes.
Let it fall below this and progress can be on the sluggish side, especially when first turning over the wheels.
Vauxhall are making a big play of the power to weight ratio of the stripped-out VX220 (166hp per tonne) and there is no denying the potential given a straight, dry road, but how often these days do you find that?
The short shift five-speed Getrag transmission should allow pilots to make the most of the rev range, although the long gear ratios take a fraction off the outright performance.
Unfortunately, the mule I drove (number 16 off the production line) had a tendency to miss-shift from second to third until I took more care.

Acceleration through the rear wheels can be smoothly delivered because there is no turbo to hamper the throttle, but you have to be aware of a tendency to oversteer.
To keep the VX220 firmly on track, and it very rarely scrabbles for grip, the ultra-stiff bonded aluminium chassis is matched with unequal length double wishbone suspension front and rear.
The package offers sharp handling while the unassisted steering and a tight turning circle (11.25 metres) makes for a nimble two-seater.

A ride in the VX220 leaves you shaken but hardly stirred. It's an invigorating experience but one that can be draining.

Despite its faults, and there are quite a few, the VX220 is still an instant classic, both in its style and its personality, but it still has very limited everyday appeal.

[iandhd]

'This is not about selling 1,000 cars a year," says Vauxhall of the VX220. "This is about transforming Mr Griffin." Indeed. And, first things first, GM Europe is not only to be applauded for recognising the urgent need to transform the image of its ailing British badge, but also for the high-speed incubation of a striking solution; from twinkle in the eye to turning of the key in just three years.


For, with the arrival of this sharp-suited, no-nonsense roadster, the Griffin instantly metamorphoses from something more usually observed sploshing hopelessly about the local duck pond submerged to periscope depth under the weight of toddler-lobbed bread crusts, into that soaring, razor-taloned, mythological creature of old.
Which makes it something of a shame that nobody appears to have bothered to tell Vauxhall's marketing boys that this was entirely the object of the VX220 exercise. Because in simply trundling Gryff Rhys-Jones out for the TV cameras once again - albeit now in a pair of joke turquoise Y-fronts to clash with his joke beard and complement his joke accent - the company could readily be accused of having taken careful aim at its own left foot, and smartly pulling the trigger.
For current statistics suggest that most of us watching a significant amount of television on a daily basis are now possessed of attention spans on a par with a ginger nut biscuit. So, sadly, we'll barely notice the crisp, angry little two-seater crouching behind those voluminous, slapstick pants.
No matter. Because it's a certainty that Vauxhall will sell 1,000 VX220s a year in Britain anyway, even if every prospective customer entering a showroom - just 50 will sell the car - were greeted with a punch in the face. This is a car that needs advertising like puffins need praline...
Comparisons with the Lotus Elise are more inevitable than odious in this case: the £22,995 Vauxhall shares the same Hydro Automotive, bonded aluminium-alloy chassis as the £22,650 Lotus and will be built alongside it at a new factory in Hethel, Norfolk.
None the less, Vauxhall is quick to point out that the VX220 shares only 141 of its 2,200 components with the Elise: even the tub has been gently modified to produce a lower sill height, wider track and longer wheelbase. The rear subframe, all suspension components and even the wheels and tyres are completely different, too.


Mounted amidships is the all-aluminium-alloy, 2.2-litre, four-cylinder, 16-valve ECOTEC engine and five-speed transmission lifted piecemeal from the Astra Coupé. Which is a good thing. 145bhp, and 149lb ft of torque - of which 90 per cent is available at just 1,900rpm - produce an infinitely superior selection of noises than the Elise's Rover K-series lump, and quoted performance figures of 0-60mph in 5.6 seconds and a full flies-in-the-teeth maximum of 136mph. Clad in snappy, glass fibre-reinforced composites from Sotira in France, the VX220 tips the scales at 231lb more than its bantamweight, 1,698lb sister-in-law.
On board, there's precious little that yells Vauxhall amid the sea of exposed aluminium-alloy except for a pair of standard column stalks and the odd button. Truth be told, there's precious little, period. No power steering, no electric windows, no air-conditioning, not even a glovebox. Only the smallest, trendiest mobile phone will fit in the storage bins, a pair of minuscule dashboard divots precarious enough to induce vertigo in a lemming. A stereo, like the £600 leather seats and £1,200 hardtop, is optional. Instrumentation is entirely housed in a tiny Stack binnacle almost identical to that of the Elise.
The passenger seat doesn't adjust at all, while the driver's simply slides up to reach neatly drilled aluminium-alloy pedals and what must be the smallest Momo steering wheel ever to house a full-size airbag. A squeezy rubber bubble - more usually to be found with a plastic jumping spider on the other end - caters for driver's lumbar adjustment, again just as in the Elise.
Despite the offer of such minimal adjustment, an ideal driving position behind that delicious little wheel is easy to find. And lateral support wings the size of a French hotel bed bolster make for a snug, comfortable seat.
Now, it's all very well hurtling about with the passenger seat full of something blonde that lives exclusively on raw vegetables but, with two big blokes on board, the VX220 is, frankly, a bit of a squeeze. This wouldn't matter so much were it not for the fact that the Vauxhall is designed for just one thing; driving pleasure. And mine was considerably handicapped by the presence of large chunks of passenger occupying the exact location my gearchange elbow wished to end up in every time I snatched second.
On the move, the VX220's an absolute riot. Here is much the same, surprisingly supple ride that delighted us with the arrival of the Elise, allied to hoot-a-minute handling - literally. The horn is far too easily triggered with an accidental touch of the steering wheel's inner sections.
Unhindered by power assistance, the 2.8 turns lock-to-lock steering feels quicker than that and not one syllable of road surface information is lost in the translation from tyre to hands. The Vauxhall sports narrower rubber in the bows than the Elise. Nonetheless, the anticipated understeer is still extremely hard to come by and you'll have to lunge into a bend like a major loon to persuade the nose to consider going straight on.
Rather, the VX220's set-up seems merely to have dialed out much of the Lotus's twitchier traits. And unsticking the tail is nigh-on impossible; though, doubtless, rock apes on rain-soaked roundabouts will eventually find something to crow about.
All you're left with is a delightfully neutral balance which, allied to ever present but rarely over-intrusive engine enthusiasm, inspires huge confidence and flatters the driver into pressing harder and increasingly often on the loud pedal. Where the gearchange could be crisper - it's better to opt for accuracy rather than outright speed - the VX220's fully servoed, ABS-armed brakes are a fade-free delight, far easier to live with than the Elise's thigh tremblers.
Vauxhall has even sorted out the hood. That which requires A-levels, Allen keys and eons to rig atop the Elise has been transformed into a snug-fitting 30-second job on the VX220, the only downside being the advanced levels of anatomical origami required to climb in and out with the damned thing in place. The Vauxhall tops the Lotus for luggage space, too, with more than enough of a boot for a mildly smutty weekend away.
The car does not, however, escape criticism altogether, perhaps the least satisfactory flaw being an overlarge gap in gear ratios between second and third which causes it to bog down momentarily at exactly the moment you're booting away from a hairpin. Bump steer also plays a rather large part in proceedings on high-speed, undulating surfaces, accompanied in my specimen by what sounded like a large, happy cricket trapped somewhere twixt chassis and bodywork. Furthermore, the front end starts to feel disconcertingly light as you approach an enforced night in the local constabulary, though Vauxhall insists that no additional front end downforce is necessary.
Not since Raleigh launched the Chopper bicycle and Renault gave us the Sport Spider has a company come up with quite such a dramatic statement of intent to re-invent its image. It worked wonders for Raleigh, but (Paul Ripley's safer driving column aside) whatever happened to the Spider?
Whatever the outcome for Vauxhall's image, it will undoubtedly sell every VX220 it can make, even if the crafty omission of the word Vauxhall inside or out will probably do little to distract badge snobs from unswervingly opting for the Elise over this entertaining and marginally more civilised rival.

[TheRossatron]

Top Gear did do a direct comparison when the S2 came out. Check on ebay on the issue I nearly bid on one the other day.

[Anarchy]

I remember reading an article in Autocar long before I even thought it possible to own one. In those days before I was converted, I thought why would anyone buy a vauxhall for the same price as a Lotus? And the article reflected this by saying something like "why admit to driving a Vauxhall, when you can boast to owning a Lotus" My opinion has drastically changed since then, 5 years ago I remember a videogame (Metropolis street racer on Dreamcast, now Project gotham racing on Xbox) which featured a VX220 as the main car and I thought what a naff choice of car. After seeing, driving and owning one I have totally changed my mind but I can understand how other people veiw them. Autocar loved the car by the way, just not quite as much as the Lotus.

[Flanners]

good to read the articles enjoyed them. Cheers

[rez]

Cheers for posting those, good reading!

[jamesb]

I've got a Top Gear Magazine (Sept 2000) titled "V for victory Vauxhall's VX220 beats elise & MR2" which has an article on the VX220, then a following article comparing it to the elise 111s (s1) and the MR2. Also have an autoexpress from oct 2000 which compares VX220, elise (s1), MR2 and MX5. Let me know if these are any interest to you, and I'll get them scanned and email them to you. please tell me I'm not sad for keeping these mags...

[Flanners]

Can you put the scans on here?

[ad172]

There was an article in EVO when the Elise S2 came out. They pitched it against the VX and I think they preferred the VX(not sure though!) Please don't ask me to scan it in because I don't have access to do that/or the ability!! )

[rez]

There was an article in EVO when the Elise S2 came out. They pitched it against the VX and I think they preferred the VX(not sure though!)

Please don't ask me to scan it in because I don't have access to do that/or the ability!! )

I was about to ask if there were any reviews comparing the VX with the s2 elise.

Does anyone have access to any of thesethat they can either scan in or if they are online post a link?

cheers

[lusovx]

Yes there is. CAR magazine had an article comparing the VXT with the S2 Elise. I have it and can scan it but that's illegal isn't it? In the end it was a match, although the reviewer ended up saying he would take the S2 home... snob! Also the two were featured in EVO's ECOTY 2003 (or 4), also have it. There...

[jazzyjeff]

I have a copy of the Autocar from September 2000 that ran the three way comparison between the NA/Elise Mk.1/MR2. The review was complimentary to all three cars, seemed to suggest that the NA was the best ...but finally recommended the Elise instead on grounds of ultimate driving experience. I can scan the pages and email these to you? PS the magazine also had useful technical articles following the launch of the car. Jeff

[lusovx]

I can Scan mine also. Idea: Couldn't the admin create a topic with interesting scans from mags for people to download? Don't know the legal implications but I've seen it on other forums...