no_radio

I was in the UK (Scotland) last week and noticed a small car running around that reminded me of the 74-77 C3...chiseled, tall fenders, tunnel back with flat rear window, two round taillights on each side in the rear, targa top (ours are t-tops), 2-seater. Asked a couple guys, they didn't know what it was. Well I found an ad in Classic & Sports Car magazine (UK published), the car is a Vauxhall VX220 Turbo.
Here's a link from the magazine ad... http://www.vauxhall.co.uk/vx220turbo
Has anyone else seen one of these in person? I really think they took cues from the C3 when styling this thing.
Jeff

FinnShark

Elswhere in Europe the same car is for sale as Opel Speedster. It's totally different concept than vette. Concept is to be as light as possible. There is some sport car styling in Speedster, but my opinion is that there is not much C3 in it. Only things are back glass and targa top. Back glass is vertical because the engine is behind the seats and originally targa top was available only in canvas because of the weight...

I have sit in one of those things, but I have never driven one. I've heard that they are fun to drive, they are like go-karts. But their are not comfortable, they are extremely rough and the seat is very hard...

Stephen Irons

I have to agree with Finnshark here, don't see much similarity to the Vette. The VX does have "composite" body panels though! But, it's mid engine, small and light. Came in for a bit of critisism when first launched, but the up-dated version is excellent. It was compared with the Lotus Elise (another car not availble for road use in the US), even as a poor equivelent. But more recently some have said it's actually better..... Pretty sparse inside though!

Of course it's a GM vehicle and the design studios in the UK work closely with Detroit..... perhaps some styling cues shared with the XLR, and maybe even the C6?

UKPaul

I've seen plenty of ads for them, but only one on the road. They don't seem to be catching on. I did have a kid with a baseball cap directional problem (he had his on sideways!!!!) telling me that my Vette looked a bit like a VX220 :(
:cheers:

Stephen Irons

A few around here Paul. Probably more in the local price bracket... in your neck of the woods they are probably the "estate runaround" or kept in the boot of the Rolls........ Ted, where's the toy car?

UKPaul

Stephen,
You're probably right. It's snobbery. "Really! I couldn't possibly be seen in a VAUXHALL dahling!! Oh Heavens, that's only a little better than one of those common Fords, how could you suggest such a thing? Be a dear & buy me a nice little Lotus or Porsche, instead".
There's a local guy that bought his wife a 7L Jensen to go shopping in once a week (a 3 mile round trip). Yesterday a Vanquish (sp?) pulled up outside (the guy driving it looked 10 years younger than me :cry ) & there has been a constant stream of Ferraris driving past all week in this heat wave. Just when I thought I'd seen it all, a Diablo purred past. There's TVR's blasting past with open pipes (LOUD - how many cars do you think I can hear over the noise of my pipes? Not many, but when one of those TVR's comes up behind me I can't even hear mine :cuss ), there's middle aged women doing their shopping in the Elise (I'll leave the Merc at home today dear & take the little car to the shops) & SL500 verts are as common as dirt. I've even seen 3 C5's drive past where I work. And, as usual, Porshes are just clogging up the roads & getting in everybody's way. And, nearly forgot, there's some blond in the area using a Viper as a daily driver ;)
But fear not, I'm still flying the flag for the poor people - the Granada is still leaving puddles of oil & small piles of rust throughout the area :lol: :reddevil