Vauxhall VX220 & Opel Speedster

General Motors wanted a sports car, and Lotus needed funding to develop the Elise S2. The result was the Opel Speedster, sold as the Vauxhall VX220 in the UK, built alongside the Elise at Hethel from 2000 to 2005.

It shares the bonded aluminium construction but few actual parts. The wheelbase is longer, the sills are lower, and it has GM engines, a driver's airbag and ABS. The 2.2-litre car made 145 bhp. The Turbo made 197 bhp with a large slug of mid-range torque, and the limited VXR220 reached 217 bhp.

The same platform lineage later produced the Tesla Roadster, whose chassis was developed from Elise technology and assembled at Hethel from 2008 to 2012.

Variants

Variant	Years	Notes
VX220 / Speedster 2.2	2000–2004	145 bhp naturally aspirated.
VX220 Turbo / Speedster Turbo	2003–2005	197 bhp.
VXR220	2004	217 bhp, limited to 65 cars.

On a road trip

A torquey, easy-going alternative to an Elise that is welcome at most Lotus gatherings. The Turbo is strong at altitude. Body panels are specific to the model and increasingly scarce, so look after the clams.