Vauxhall VX Lightning concept

In order to go into a detailed description of the Vauxhall VX Lightning Concept it is necessary to go back to the inception of the Kappa platform. The General Motors Kappa platform was designed specifically as a sub-compact rear wheel drive chassis for open top roadster applications. The architecture first debuted as a production vehicle in 2006 as the Pontiac Solstice, in 2007 as the Saturn Sky and then as a re-badged Sky in the form of the Opel GT for Europe. It was also sold in South Korea as the Daewoo G2X. A hardtop coupe version of the Pontiac Solstice was produced briefly for the 2010 model year until Kappa production ended with General Motors filing for bankruptcy in July 2009. s a result the Kappa platform was sold to Spanish Car maker Tauro who now use the chassis for their production roadster the Tauro V8 Spider.

In 2002, the Pontiac Solstice Concept was first shown in two forms, a drivable roadster convertible, and a design study of a fastback coupe. The concept was received very well at the 2002 NAIAS. The problem was the drivable roadster concept car shown had been cobbled together from many different components, including using a heavily modified portion of the GM Delta platform. The thinking at the time was that the architecture might be used to produce the Solstice at some point in the future. Due to the overwhelmingly positive reaction GM decided to go for a production version of the original concept as a high style, low volume niche car for enthusiasts. The problem was they did not have a production ready platform to build it on. Therefore, the Kappa platform was developed to provide the necessary structure for a two-seat, rear-wheel drive convertible. It features hydro-formed rails and a tunnel structure similar to the Corvette

Three other concept vehicles were built off the initial Kappa platform and shown at the 2004 NAIAS: The Vauxhall VX Lightning, The Saturn Curve and the Chevrolet Nomad. All three cars were received reasonably well, but were not nearly as embraced as the original Solstice Concept. The original 2003 Vauxhall VX Lightning Concept is the same size as the original Solstice Concept, and pieced together in the same manner as the 2002 Solstice Concept, and had been shown in Europe several months earlier, before the Kappa platform had been finalized and named (debuting approximately mid-May 2003, for Vauxhall's Centenary celebration). The Vauxhall VX Lightning is the styling pattern on which the appearance of the Saturn Sky is based. When the Vauxhall VX was shown at the 2004 NAIAS, the Lightning part of the name was dropped and the vehicle referred to in the literature at the show as merely the "Vauxhall VX". The Saturn Curve and the Chevrolet Nomad concept cars were built on "modified" versions of the Kappa platform, and exhibited on 12ins longer wheelbases and 2+2 seating. Another concept car, built by Holden and called the Torana TT36, was rumoured to have started as a Kappa based car with a twin-turbocharged V6, but the modifications necessary to accommodate the engine, transmission, and general vehicle size made it almost totally different so the platform was referred to as "based on architecture similar to the Kappa and the Corvette." The Kappa architecture uses major components from nearly every GM division and modern platform:

1. The rear axle and differential are from the Sigma based Cadillac CTS
2. The passenger-side airbag, steering column, exterior and interior door handles are from the Delta based Chevrolet Cobalt / Pontiac G5
3. The heating, ventilating, and air conditioning modules are from the Hummer H3
4. The 2.4 L Ecotec engine is shared with the Delta based Saturn Ion, Pontiac G6 & 5, Chevrolet Cobalt & HHR
5. The five-speed manual transmission is from the Hummer H3, GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado
6. The five-speed automatic is from the Cadillac CTS, STS & SRX

The VX Lighting idea came about at the 2002 NAIAS with a meeting of Kevin Wale Vauxhalls Chairman & Managing Director and former Vauxhall design chief Wayne Cherry Vice President GM Design. The idea was to create a concept to celebrate Vauxhall’s 100th birthday based around the same idea as the Pontiac Solstice Concept. Wayne Cherry gave the go ahead there and then. Almost a year later, on 14 May 2003, Vauxhall unveiled the VX Lightning concept at the Dorchester Hotel in London. The Vauxhall Lightning Concept was a joint project between the GM North America (GMNA) Advanced Design Studio in England and the Vauxhall / Opel Design Centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany. The programme was initiated by Wayne Cherry and carried out under the overall direction of Anne Asensio, Executive Director of Advanced Design, and Martin Smith, GM Europe Director of Design at the time. The Lightning was designed and developed at the relatively small GMNA studio in Birmingham (which alas is no more).

The joint design team included Opel Advanced Chief Designer Stefan Arndt, Dale Grewer (exterior), and Jochen Werner (interior). As a commemorative vehicle the emphasis in the grille and elsewhere was the Vauxhall 'V' motif. It provides a bold front, as the front fascia flares back with two hood lines completing the arrow-like shape that seems to drive the long-hooded vehicle forward. Reinforcing the 'V' theme is the creased centre line of the bonnet, rear deck lid and facia. The angular headlamps continue the themes introduced on the VX220, integrating with the dramatically peaked front wings. In classic British roadster style, the bonnet is long and the rear overhang short. The VX Lightning showed a further evolution of the Vauxhall / Opel form language from the VX220, with a more subtle softening up of the surfaces.

Inside, deeply sculptured seats were finished in black and red leather, while red leather was also been used to trim the sweeping dashboard. The seats, inspired by Italian motorcycle racing gloves, were untreated red aniline leather with a thick buffalo-type grain. Pads of dark charcoal leather were added over the surface or in the case of the door and the IP hood, the red leather floats as a panel over the surface, slightly offset from the main structure. The ebony piano lacquer used as an accent on the centre console and framing the instrument dials added a note of elegance that moved the car up a few levels from the Vauxhall VX220. The VX Lightning had a new version of Vauxhall’s all aluminium 2.2 ECOTEC engine, reworked with a supercharger to produce a maximum power of 240hp and 305Nm of torque. A six-speed manual gearbox was mated to the new engine, which drove the rear wheels. The chassis incorporated independent suspension, the front end using a simple and reliable strut configuration with rack and pinion steering. At the rear, the independent suspension was all aluminium for weight saving. Overall, the car managed a near perfect 50:50 weight distribution for handling and agility. The vehicle used a 95-inch wheelbase, was 45 inches high, 153.1 inches long, 71 inches wide and weighed 2,900 pounds. It rode on 19-inch alloy wheels in the front and 20-inch alloys in the rear, with Michelin Pilot rubber. Kevin Wale, Vauxhalls Chairman and Managing Director, described the Lightning as "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." He added, "Ultimately, the VX Lightning, as a classic roadster, represents the best of our past, and our future – a vehicle that is quintessentially British." At the time rumours swirled in and around Detroit that the production Solstice would go ahead, which it did. There was also serious hope that the Lightning would go into production, but it did no more, along with the GTC Geneva concept, than give an indication of the Vauxhall / Opel new design direction, and a prequel to the Frankfurt Motor Show in September that year. It was a fitting tribute to Vauxhalls 100th birthday - a sports car designed and built in Britain. Check out the jigsaw of pictures below for a full blown view of every aspect of the car.

Engine: Modified, Supercharged 2.2 litre ECOTEC L850 Inline-4 cylinder

Position: Front

Power: 240 bhp

Specific output: 109.09 bhp per litre

Bhp / weight ratio: 182.09 bhp per tonne

Torque: 225 ft-lbs

Transmission: GM T56 Six speed manual

Body / frame: Composite body over Steel Unibody

Driven wheels: Rear

Wheels: Machined aluminium

Front: 19 x 8.5ins

Rear: 20 x 9ins

Tyres: Front: Michelin Pilot 245/35R19

Rear: Michelin Pilot 255/35R20

Brakes: Power assisted disc brakes front & rear

Suspension: Front: MacPherson Struts

Rear: Independent

All adjustable for rate and travel

Dimensions: Height: 45.0ins

Length: 153.1ins

Width: 71.0ins

Wheelbase: 95ins

Track front: 60.3ins

Track rear: 60.5ins

Curb weight: 2900lbs

AUTO EXPRESS: ONE OF THE FEW TO ACTUALLY DRIVE THE VX LIGHTNING, THIS IS WHAT THEY SAID:

"Who says lightning doesn't strike twice? As well as being the first magazine to reveal the sensational new Vauxhall VX Lightning, Auto Express has become the first behind the wheel as well.
The Verdict:

Although a concept, the VX Lightning is a remarkably well developed car. As well as being one of the best looking Vauxhalls ever, it proved great fun to drive on our short test. Unlike most show cars, the engine is a delight and the suspension feels sorted. Even the switchgear actually works! With a £23,000 target price, it is bound to cause a storm when it arrives in 2005.

Who says lightning doesn't strike twice? As well as being the first magazine to reveal the sensational new Vauxhall VX Lightning, Auto Express has become the first behind the wheel as well.
When the high-voltage VX220 replacement took a bow earlier this year, we knew we simply had to have a go. And now, two months later, our wish has come true. We grabbed the opportunity to fire up the car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where it took pride of place on Vauxhall's stand.
Based on the Pontiac Solstice, revealed at the 2002 Detroit Motor Show, the model has been styled exclusively in the UK. Powered by a supercharged 2.2-litre four-cylinder engine, the Lightning is bigger than the current VX220, which shares its platform with the Lotus Elise. At the front, the Lightning gets angular wings and an arcing bonnet. Further along the body, the classic looks are enhanced with short overhangs and a carbon fibre undertray - and there's even a practical boot. Twin rollover hoops are hidden beneath the beautifully curved bodywork.
Massive alloy wheels - 19 inches at the front, and a staggering 20 inches at the rear - fill the arches. There are no door handles, but you gain access to the interior by pressing a discreet button just ahead of the roll hoops.
You'll need to drop yourself carefully into the floor-mounted, leather-clad seats; the driving position is incredibly low, but very comfortable. The button steering wheel is moulded to the shape of your hands and the pedals are neatly spaced. The aluminium gearlever, meanwhile, is mounted high in the transmission tunnel, and shifts are only a wrist flick away. There's a great view of the road ahead, but thanks to the low seats, you don't feel exposed.
Starting the car is simple. Flick a switch under the dashboard to connect the fuel pumps, then press a big red button mounted in the centre console. The engine spins eagerly into life before settling to an urgent idle.
At first, you could easily be forgiven for thinking the exhaust sounds very much like the current VX Turbo's. But as you dip the clutch, select first gear and head for the open road, a significant change takes place - and it's all down to the supercharger.
Floor the throttle and the compressor wails noisily. With the engine producing 240bhp and 305Nm of torque, the Lightning flashes forward. More urgent at low revs than the Honda S2000, and as tuneful as the Porsche Boxster, the car is great fun to drive. Gearchanges are short, but the ratios are surprisingly well suited to the engine.
The steering is needle-sharp, delivering great precision, and the only thing that reminds you the Lightning is a concept rather than a production model is the high gloss finish to the trim.
Even the suspension feels remarkably advanced, offering a great deal of stability. However, cast in aluminium, the independent set-up creaks and groans over big bumps, and feels too stiff for comfort on long journeys.
Pricing is not confirmed, but is likely to be around £23,000. However, bear in mind that the firm is in no hurry to get the car on sale. With order books just opened for the new VX Turbo, it will be 2005 before a production Lightning hits the road. The countdown begins"