MAYBE it's the famous British stiff upper lip or maybe we're all just a little bit perverse?

How else could you explain why, despite our unpredictable climate, Britain remains the biggest European market for opentop cars?

We Brits also enjoy our sports cars and, for many years, MG was the biggest sporting marque in the world.

You can still buy an MG, of course, but for some drivers the current breed of two-seaters typified by the MGF are a little too wimpy.

What this motorist wants is a car that serves up the true thrills of a sports special - and the performance to match - without the high running costs.

Vauxhall believes it has created just that car in the rather voluptuous shape of the VX 220 Turbo.

Based on the awardwinning Lotus Elise, the VX is a hard-core sports machine manufactured without compromise.

It may be from one of Britain's biggest car makers but this is no sheep in wolf 's clothing. The faint of heart need not apply.

It's a young man's car too.

The way the car is made (from a super strong tub, just like a racing car) means the sills are massive and very, very deep.You don't so much get into the VX as post yourself through a little slot into the bucket seat several inches below.

Getting out is even more of a struggle - involving lots of grabbing for the roof rail, heaving and grunting.

Ladies be advised: never get into the VX if you are wearing a skirt!

The elderly and arthritic should look elsewhere.

Although the VX is wellequipped, compared with a Lotus it is under-spec'd compared with just about everything else this side of a Trabant.

No power steering (good thing, otherwise the steering would lack that all-important feel), no powered windows, lots of wind noise, hardly any boot space (it won't take a brief case), no carpets and loads of engine noise make the VX as raw a car as it is possible to buy.

The 2.2-litre engine can be found in other Vauxhalls.

Top-of-the-range VX's use a turbocharger to boost power beyond 200 bhp, giving the lightweight sportster devastating point-to-point performance.

The use of Vauxhall patrs should make servicing cheaper, although not every dealer has the ability to look after such a finelyhoned tool.

Unfortunately the engine lacks real charisma.

As the revs rise there's no corresponding change in the exhaust note - things just go from loud to LOUDER STILL! The latest Elise with its VVT Toyota engine sounds much nicer.

The quality of the interior is grim in places - the gearshift gaiter wobbles alarmingly, the switchgear feels flimsy and there's a heck of a lot of wiring hanging down behind the fascia - but manages to feel like a racing car from behind the small wheel.

The driver has the added reassurance of an air bag.

A passenger bag was deemed too heavy. Antilock brakes help slow the VX in extremis.

At least the canvas roof is easy to remove, although the gubbins just about fills the shallow boot when it's off.

Of course none of this matters when you drive the VX over a smooth, challenging road. In those circumstances it is just about the most perfect road-racer money can buy.

Could I live with one every day? No. The VX220 is designed to do one job really well. You wouldn't use a bone saw to carve a Sunday joint so don't use the VX to do the weekly shopping.

If I had the money I'd have one in the garage alongside the motorbike and the Bentley. Until I got old anyway.

05/06/04