19 replies to this topic

[speedyK]

See HERE
scroll to VX220 and click on "details"

Thorney, do you not want to advise them of the most appropriate link

[Big_Si]

"in years to come it will be regarded as a Lotus" Er... not a VX220 then... muppet.

[minime]

isnt the vx220 listed as a lotus type 116!

[caleebra]

"Whatever your views on this car it is an Elise variant built by Lotus and shares the same set of core values and attributes. In years to come it will be regarded as a Lotus. Look past the badge and you have a genuine Lotus sports car."

They really dont like the fact that Vauxhall managed to create something to rival their precious "prestigious" Lotus, do they?!?

In years to come it will still have a Vauxhall badge, you moron

Edited by caleebra, 26 February 2004 - 10:10 AM.

[Tony]

Yes lotus have type numbers for all the cars that have their badge, I've got a list somewhere. eg Lotus Sunbeam, Lotus Cortina, Lotus Carlton all have them Tony

[jules_s]

In years to come it will still have a Vauxhall badge, you moron     

Or a Daewoo badge (if you didnt see Seloc the other day)

[caleebra]

Or a Daewoo badge (if you didnt see Seloc the other day)

Ok, It will still have a badge from the General Motors portfolio of brands

[paulb]

I thought it was quite a positive report. The car was engineered and is constructed by Lotus and is indeed a Lotus 116. The Vauxhall elements were the engine, gearbox and styling (designed by Opel in Germany). Vauxhall would have been unable to produce such a dynamically sorted car without Lotus, although they did push it towards a more neutral handling (something Lotus then copied with the S2). It was an arrangement that seems to have worked well. What amazes me is that developments from the VX220, which Vauxhall paid for in consultancy, then appeared quickly on the S2 Elise. Maybe not the most watertight of contracts? If Vauxhall hadn't paid them to learn about it, Lotus would have had to do a lot more work on the roof, ABS, airbags, brake servos, central locking, etc. When I was last at Hethel the 'Tornado' project manager was really excited about central locking. Being a Lotus man, he'd never experienced it before!

[johnyoung]

42 decibel band…

…isn't that rather quiet??

[caleebra]

....

Edited by caleebra, 26 February 2004 - 09:32 PM.

[speedyK]

In years to come it will still have a Vauxhall badge, you moron

Or perhaps an Opel badge...

or perhaps NOT!!!

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[speedyK]

Let the truth be known!

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[TurboTomato]

Does your Speedy have acney errrrrr Speedy?

[speedyK]

Does your Speedy have acney errrrrr Speedy?

Actually it's mainly insects – the pic is a grab from a meet at Hockenheim. 240km/H on the German autobahns on the way there, followed by cr@p thrown up by other cars on track leaves it looking a little messy Does wash off though... apart from the odd stone chip – but they don't really show on silver cars.

BTW, anyone else want to join us at Hockenheim at Whit? I should be getting the booking details soon – so if you want to come, get your name on the list in the UK Meets & Events section.

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[MajorGav]

"in years to come it will be regarded as a Lotus"

Er... not a VX220 then... muppet.

Sorry, but that comment has really got to me!

Exactly WHO will regard it as a Lotus? No, it will be regarded as one of the best 2-seater sports cars ever developed and the model which started Vauxhall's return to favour.

Regarded as a Lotus... <shakes head>...unbelievable...

[speedyK]

Exactly WHO will regard it as a Lotus? No, it will be regarded as one of the best 2-seater sports cars ever developed and the model which started Vauxhall's return to favour.

Couldn't help but notice that Sicey's "proud father" pic shows the credited manufacturer of the car (a VX) on the door jam production details label:

ADAM OPEL AG

It irritated me to read that on my "Opel" Speedster.

The cars produced at Hethel have model numbers and, as has already been mentioned, that of the VX is "Lotus 116".

The Speedster (and VX) and Elise share the same basic chassis construction. The Speedster (and VX) has an Opel engine, the Elise on the adjacent production line has either Rover or Toyota engines. On this basis, if the Speedster is an "Opel", is the Elise a Rover or Toyota depending on the fitted engine? And quite where that leaves the "Vauxhall" VX is another story – is it a badge-engineered Opel like the doorjam says, or is it perhaps actually a (116) Lotus afterall...

[speedyK]

Pic:

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[caleebra]

The Speedster (and VX) has an Opel engine, the Elise on the adjacent production line has either Rover or Toyota engines.  On this basis, if the Speedster is an "Opel", is the Elise a Rover or Toyota depending on the fitted engine?

It's hardly the same is it? Rover or Toyota did not design the body work and trim on the Elise, did they?!? Rover and Toyota contribute an engine, related components and that's where it stops. I think regarding the VX/Speedster as a repackaged Lotus is massively underselling the GM contribution to the car.

As I understand it, the 2.2 Ecotec engine was the result of input from many of the GM companies, not only Opel.

At the end of the day, if it weren't for GM Vauxhall/Opel, there would be no VX/Speedster.

[garyk220]

To be fair, the guy who developed the website posted those comments almost 3 years ago. IMO it was meant as a compliment, and aimed at the snipers who were saying the VX was not a rival for the Elise in spite of it being designed, developed and built at the Lotus factory.

[speedyK]

At the end of the day, if it weren't for GM Vauxhall/Opel, there would be no VX/Speedster.

Very true, and I for one am very happy that it happened, but you still can't get away from the fact that the car uses a Lotus chassis, is built at Hethel by Lotus and has a Lotus Type number.

Neither Opel nor Vauxhall would ever have got this to fruition without the Elise being there in the first place and it only happened because they could get Lotus to build them "Vauxhall" or "Opel" versions of it (and I don't deny the GM input) – clearly with some stipulation that the car should not outwardly acknowlegde its genes, though if you have a look around the car, you'll see Lotus written all over on the component parts.

Just consider this: Bentleys used to be simply running chassis, the body work was done at independent coachbuilders of the customer's choice such as Park Ward, Freestone and Webb, Hooper, Gurney Nutting, Thrupp and Mabberly, Barker, James Young, Vanden Plas, Mulliner, Rippon, Mann Egereton or Windovers in England; Figoni, Kellner, Saoutchik and Vanvooren in Paris. They were still all Bentleys!