Vauxhall is celebrating its centennial with the VX Lightning concept, a two-seater roadster based on the same platform as the Pontiac concept Solstice.
Vauxhall is celebrating its centennial with the VX Lightning concept, a two-seater roadster based on the same platform as the Pontiac concept Solstice.
According to , Vauxhall said its roadster concept has been designed for British tastes, at GM’s UK Advanced Design Studio in the Midlands. The Solstice was first seen at the 2002 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The VX Lightning features a long bonnet and short rear overhang. There are also some echoes of the past, including the rollover hoops sculptured into the rear deck and bodywork which flows down into the cabin. It has 19-inch alloy wheels at the front, while at the rear massive 20-inch alloys are fitted with 255/35 tyres.
Inside, deep seats are finished in black and red leather, while red leather has also been used to trim the sweeping dashboard.
It is powered by a new version of Vauxhall’s aluminium 2,2 ECOTEC engine, reworked with a supercharger to produce a maximum power of 178 kW and 305Nm of torque.
A six-speed manual gearbox is mated to the new engine, which drives the rear wheels. The chassis incorporates independent suspension, the front end using a strut configuration with a rack and pinion steering. At the rear, the suspension is aluminium for weight saving.
“The VX Lightning says everything about where Vauxhall is heading. The car represents a return to our early performance roots when Vauxhall was famous as the manufacturer of the first true British sports car – while we continue to be both innovative and bold in exterior and interior design,” said Kevin Wale, Vauxhall chairman and managing director.
“We have made great strides recently in terms of our interior packaging through cars like Zafira and Signum. Vauxhall is also about pure driving excitement – just look at the new VX220 Turbo. Ultimately the VX Lightning, as a classic roadster, represents the best of our past, and our future – a vehicle that is quintessentially British.”
There are no plans to build the VX Lightning concept, but Vauxhall said it will be monitoring public reaction to the car. Should they build this car?