As part of its centenary celebrations, Vauxhall, the core provider of mid-range fleet and company vehicles for the UK market, has unveiled a concept car called the VX Lightning. This new offering is a considerable evolution from the rather staid vehicles that constitute the majority of Vauxhall’s products.
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Vauxhall’s new concept car is a two-seater roadster. It shares a platform with GM’s Pontiac Solstice concept and incorporates a supercharged 2.2-litre Vauxhall ECOTEC aluminium engine with 240bhp.
It would doubtless compete with premier league vehicles from BMW, Porsche and Mercedes should it ever enter production. However, at present there are no plans to build the vehicle and it remains little more than a publicity gimmick to promote a lesser known side of the manufacturer.
The VX220 Turbo currently represents Vauxhall’s performance as a bona fide sports-car manufacturer. This car is about as far from the conservative fleet and company market saloons the company traditionally churns out as is possible to get. However, this sporty side of the marque has generally not produced impressive sales due to unwillingness on the part of the buying public to link sporty performance with the perceived Vauxhall brand.
Both the VX220 and the new VX Lightning concept demonstrate the company’s keen desire to improve its brand image in non-core markets and to break out of the conservative and traditional market its products have generally resided in.
Kevin Wale, Vauxhall chairman and managing director said: “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.”
Despite being well established in the UK fleet and company car sector, it seems that Vauxhall wants to be known for a lot more than merely producing sturdy company cars.
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