Car:
2003 Vauxhall VX220 2.2

Engine:
Fairly standard apart from a full Milltek system from the header backwards (or downwards in this case, being mid-engined). That comprises a 200 cell cat and a backbox that produces a sporty, but still fairly civilised noise.
The ECU has been remapped which improved the character of the engine, but probably added very little to the power output.
There is a Pipercross Viper induction kit that produces some nice noises on full throttle, and aside from that makes the car fail its MOT on emissions what..

Exterior:
Completely standard apart from:
Thousands of stonechips - the paint on a vx is the thinnest of any car I've ever owned
Scratch marks above radiator grille from where somebody reversed into me at Snetterton :cry:
The front V has been removed as it was also damaged during the reversing incident, looks quite :twisted: without it though so may leave it off

Interior:
Standard. In the case of this car it means that most of the trim (door cards, dash plates etc.) are made of the thinnest plastic known to man, and mark or scuff as soon as you look at them. Aside from that you get a funky momo steering wheel, which I've complemented with a matching gearknob. Leather seats cook you nicely in the summertime 8)

Performance:
In a straight line? It's ok, approx Scooby WRX levels of performance.
Around corners? Brilliant. Still probably only as quick as a well driven Scooby, but the levels of feedback from the chassis make you feel as though you are doing 120mph when you're only doing 60.

Brakes:
As standard the brakes are one of the worst things about this car. As I track a lot I've upgraded the pads to Mintex 1144, and put braided hoses on. The fluid has been changed for something that doesn't boil at the fist sign of a child walking out in front of you as well, which is nice. I put some Black Diamond grooved disks on the front, which seem to do nothing apart from wear out the pads more quickly.

Suspension:
The best thing I ever did to this car was upgrade the shocks. I went for Nitron single way adjustables, expensive, but they are definitely worth it. On a track they are probably worth around 3-4 seconds a lap, but on the limit the car is so much less snappy, and more predictable. The difference is like night and day.

Wheels & Tyres:
Not many wheel options for the vx due to the strange offset on the front. I went for the recently released (in vx sizes) Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2. They are in VXR 220 sizes so I can fit Toyo R888 trackday tyres. They are a lot lighter than the standard wheels so less unsprung weight, and as the car has no power assited steering you can really feel the difference.

ICE:
3 lumps please.
The vx220 may as well not have a sound system, even at full volume you can't hear it, unless in a traffic jam. On the open road with the roof and windows down, I'd never have the stereo on, the car is the best soundtrack (corny or what?).

I did make the token gesture of replacing the speakers behind the seats with some Alpine SPS-170's, a lot better than the standard rubbish, and installed some cheap Sony tweeters in the dashboard. I broke the original stereo when removing it once so replaced it with an Alpine MP3 jobbie, nothing special.

Security:
A moot point seeing as it is a soft top. I can drive 4 miles down the road before the alarm bothers to go off, it's that good folks. There is an immobiliser... Oh yes, and locks on the doors. No central locking though, remote or otherwise!

Future Plans:
I think I've done most things that I want to do with the car. All my mods have been geared towards making the car more fun and faster on track. and over the last couple of years it has repaid me in full by teaching me to drive RWD cars properly.
It's now a well sorted weekend/trackday car, and on track can embarass some very pricey machinery.
I'd never say no to more power, but then where's the fun and skill in being able to go fast in a straight line? That's not the point of this car, it rewards in so many other ways.
Pagid RS14 brake pads is probably a realistic next mod.
Longer term, maybe a supercharger?

**Money spent: **
Suspension £1100 and worth EVERY penny
Wheels/Tyres £1000
Engine bits and bobs £1250
Other stuff (setting up, brakes etc) probably around £500.
Lots of trackdays, normally around £150 a go.

Other Comments:
I love my car. If I ever change it then it will be for something like a Caterham. It is a second car for me so I am lucky in that I don't have to live with its flaws every day. Because of some of the things I've done to it, it isn't a very appealing everyday proposition.

There is of course the VX220 turbo which seems to be the popular choice, but the added weight and non-linear power delivery of the turbo ruins the car in my opinion 🙁

This car laps Donington in 1 minute 29 seconds in my hands. I'm happy with that rallygif