GM helped Lotus reach the finish line with a new aluminum platform and chassis for the Elise and Exige. In return, GM signed an agreement on the production of its own models on the same platform. The Opel Speedster and the right-hand drive sister model Vauxhall VX220 were a direct result of this collaboration.
No ordinary Opel
The Opel Speedster was designed by Opel's own designers and the lines have several features inspired by GM, - or perhaps the Speedster later inspired new GM models? Especially the rear section and the rear fenders are very successful. Looking more closely at new ones Chevrolet Camaro, the same alignment is found there. There is no doubt that the Speedster was a breath of fresh air for Opel when it arrived in the year 2000. But the Speedster was not a typical Opel.
I took a trip up to Kenneth Bakkejord. He has an Opel Speedster 2,0 Turbo in the garage. 200 horses distributed over 930 kilograms is not bad - even seen with today's eyes. But what makes the car a real sports car are the Lotus genes. The aluminum frame is a visual part of the car. Imagine a go-cart built on a low aluminum vessel with thick walls and an entire door built in one piece. When you sit in the car, you are surrounded by it. The aluminum in the lower part of the dashboard – for example – is a cross brace in the frame construction. Many people pay thousands of kroner to have cosmetic aluminum inlays in the interior. Aluminum has a function here. It's also stylish – especially when the rest of the car is in aluminum gray metallic.
"G-forces"
uncompromising
The aluminum construction not only helps to keep the weight down, but provides a chassis that is completely rigid. I'm guessing that the chassis is signed Lotus - not Opel. Lotus can namely creating chassis for sports and racing. I remember the first tests of the then brand new Opel Speedster. They gave the impression of a vehicle shaking the fillings out of the teeth. It is not true. You sit low and take in the surface of the road. With "muscle servo", everything is communicated from the wheels. Lotus has indeed created a chassis that prioritizes road grip over comfort - but it is not uncomfortable.
The road grip is otherwise fantastic. When Kenneth went a little harder in the turns, you could really feel the G-forces. The Speedster offers a lot of incredible driving pleasure without driving fast.
At first glance, the seats look simple and the rough leather seems smooth. But on the road, you sit as if cast all the way up to your shoulders. The seats fit me well. I am 1,88 with a slim body shape. But I doubt they fit really big people. The frame construction steals a lot of space on the outer sides of the compartment. It also tapers inwards towards the front. It does not provide all the space in the world in width. Another "problem" is getting in and out of the car in a decent way. The frame walls are very high and wide. Again, you can see that the priority is on driving characteristics.
Driving pleasure
An additional gossip mirror on the passenger side reveals that Kenneth's Speedster is used for practice driving for the next generation of drivers. So one might wonder how practice driving will go in the future when all cars are silent and have automatic transmissions, hill holders and all sorts of systems for driver assistance? And what about the driving pleasure? Driving actively on a winding and hilly road, shifting manually with a click-clack feeling, hearing the revs, feeling the pull of the engine? Good reasons to have a Speedster in the garage.
Engines
The 2,0 Turbo first appeared in the 2003 model year. Previously, only the EcoTec 2,2 engine was available. It produces 147 horses, while the turbo engine produces 200. A simple search in the vehicle register reveals that there are 74 Opel Speedsters and 1 Vauxhall VX220 in the country, of which only 9 are the turbo version. With the previous one-time charge calculation, the turbo surcharge was probably unreasonably high. The turbo engine has been in GM's engine lineup since 1992. It was offered in the Astra and Vectra, and later editions of Opel's OPC models. The engine was available in three versions – 170 HP, 200 HP and 240 HP. Then it might be possible to extract even more horses from the 200 HP engine?
Turbo vs. EcoTec 2,2
When the power is delivered turbo-wise, it happens somewhat explosively within the rev range where the torque is highest. A naturally aspirated engine such as the EcoTec 2,2 and then sister model Lotus Exige's 1,8 Toyota engine with variable valve timing distributes the power over a wider rev range and can be pulled out more on the gears. For many, it provides a more sporty driving experience, preferably with an exhaust system with a sporty sound. But the 2,2 liter takes 1 second more to reach 100 km/h. The exhaust sound in the turbo version is discreet at low revs and increasingly sporty when the gas is applied.
Lotus
Lotus is a quality brand for all of us who like cars and driving. In addition to making their own cars, they have over the years provided "consulting assistance" to the rest of the car industry. They have had a long-term collaboration with GM both technically and financially. Among other things, Lotus has developed Opel's EcoTec engine series. Between 1986 and 1993, GM owned almost all of the shares in Lotus. The company was then sold to the optimistic Italian company that was to carry Bugatti forward. As you know, it didn't go so well, so the Malaysian car brand Proton bought the shares. Proton has for many years sold cheap right-hand drive cars to the UK. Now they are both under the Chinese Geely umbrella.
Facts Opel Speedster Turbo
Weights and Measures
Length, width: 379 x 174 cm
Wheelbase: 233 cm
Net weight: 930 kg (without driver)
Number of seats: 2
Drivetrain
Engine: 2,0 Turbo DOHC 16V transverse mid engine
Engine type: Z20LET
Power: 200 HP at 5500 revs
Torque: 250 Nm at 1950 revolutions
Gearbox: 5-speed manual Getrag F23
Rear wheel drive without ESP
Brakes
ABS
Front brakes: Ventilated discs
Rear brakes: Discs
Tires
Michelin Pilot Sport 4
Front: 205/45ZR17 88Y
Rear: 225/45/ZR17 94Y
Performances
Top speed: 242 km/h
0-100: 4,9 sec.
About the car
Place of manufacture: Norwich (Hethel), UK*
Owner: Kenneth Bakkejord
Model: 2003*
Mileage: 58000
Source: *Checked against the car's VIN number
Vegvesen.no
Lotuscars.com
Pictures
See
Facebook group: Opel Speedster and Vauxhall VX220
