##VX220--left##A FEW eyebrows were raised when Vauxhall declared it was going to build a rival to the all-conquering Lotus Elise. Could a mass-market manufacturer play the specialist game with skill and precision, or would the new car be drowned in a sea of compromise and committee?

Conscious of the need for expertise, Vauxhall employed Lotus to design and build the new car. The result, the VX220, is a stunning little drop-top that, at £22,995, undercuts the £23,160 Elise by just £165 but adds welcome extra civility.

With the summer months approaching, the thought of a chisel-edged roadster is likely to feature highly in the minds of user-chooser.Though the VX220 can hardly be thought of as a 'fleet' car in the true sense of the word it makes for a valuable motivational tool, with fleet operators offering the car as an incentive or reward. Few cars, at any price can match its aspirational value.