The Opel Speedster is really a co-design and a co-production with our good friends from Hethel, Group Lotus.
■ Opel Speedster
■ Opel Tigra
■ Opel Vectra
■ Opel Zafira ...
When I first drove the Opel Speedster, they'd conveniently taken the roof off, writes Brian Byrne. It was in Portugal, so they could depend on the weather.
The first bit of sad news was that the other Opel Speedster competing (Klasen Motors 300bhp Speedster Turbo) got half a lap into practice, lost it on the exit of the final turn and slammed it into the wall on the pit straight.
1999: VX220 debuts at Geneva Motor Show, badged as the Opel Speedster.
2000: UK VX220 arrives with 145bhp 2.2-litre engine, 17-inch wheels, basic interior and chrome exhaust pipes.
Much like the Opel Speedster did in 1999, or the GTC Geneve Concept did in 2003 this car marks a break in the evolution of Opel's design language and signals that the next chapter is about to be written.
The Series 2 Elise is built on the same production line also created for the Vauxhall VX220/Opel Speedster in a newer facility at Hethel.
 See also: Opel, Lotus, Mazda, Vauxhall, Porsche
  
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