Dan Trent: Is the Vauxhall VX220 the Lotus you want?

So it shouldn’t matter to me the one on the VX220 says Vauxhall and not Lotus. It’s based on the same lightweight aluminium tub. It was set up by the same guys and has a similarly enjoyable balance of minimalist, back to basics performance. And it’s got a bigger, stronger and more powerful engine. 

Brand does play a part in these things though, doesn’t it? The badge won’t make any quantifiable difference to the way it goes. But, hypocrite that I am, the emotional attachment to engineering values of Colin Chapman and racing achievements of Jim Clark and countless others have real significance. Seeing that badge at the centre of the steering wheel offers a direct link to some of the most celebrated racing cars of the last half-century. Best will in the world when I see the Vauxhall griffin I just think of Corsas, Astras and Vectras. Not quite the same, is it?  

I really should get over this because my awakening to the delights of lightweight, minimalist sports cars came at the wheel of a VX220 and not an Elise, a burgundy example being one of the first press cars I ever borrowed. I loved its minimalism, looks and go-kart handling and – Vauxhall or not – it seemed incredibly exotic to me at the time. 

One good reason I should hold that thought. There are others. I think the styling is way more exciting and ageing better than the Lotus too. They may be essentially the same underneath but they’re chalk and cheese in looks, Vauxhall’s spin on the same formula still looking fresh and modern where the S2 Elise it was built alongside seems a little fussy and overwrought. 

Not so long ago the VX220 really was the poor relation to the Elise and you could pick up early examples of the 2.2-litre naturally aspirated version for relative peanuts. With 145hp out of the box it was bigger, torquier and (arguably) tougher than the K-Series 1.8s fitted to Elises of the same vintage. The turbocharged version arrived in 2003 with 200hp and was, by all accounts, rampant enough to catch more than one reviewer out on the launch event. A pattern repeated by owners not respectful of its whoosh-bang power delivery and perhaps tempted by the ease of extracting more power from the engine. Suffice to say, checking for crash damage figures high on any pre-purchase inspection. 

Given its power advantage over equivalent Elise variants the VX220 Turbo gets the attention and commands a premium but I’ll go with the opinion of the specialist selling this rather lovely naturally-aspirated 2.2. He’s put his money where his mouth is, having spent two years tracking down a similarly nice example as his personal car. “They’re sublime to drive,” he says, “it’s got the right power to grip ratio, they ride really well and I think the suspension works better than it did in the Turbo. They nailed it, basically!” 

£15,000 is double what they were last time I looked and reflective of the diminishing supply (see above) and steadily increasing demand and recognition. Our man says not to expect air-cooled 911 style returns but that over the course of a two- to three-year ownership you’d hope to at least make your money back, costs included.  

I’d still love to own a Lotus. But I’d also like to think I could have the courage of my convictions and put the same money into a Vauxhall instead, given half the chance.