just bought a vx220

[norma]

Just bought a VX220 for use as a daily - Stylus will still be being used for those saturday morning blats & track days though.
Looking forward to comparing the handling of a lotus built aluminium construction mass produced car with an R+D budget that probably ran into a few million against the fag-packet designed, home tweaked Stylus that probably didn't have any R+D budget assigned to it what-so-ever!
Will report my findings shortly....

[stylussprinter]

Just bought a VX220 for use as a daily - Stylus will still be being used for those saturday morning blats & track days though.
Looking forward to comparing the handling of a lotus built aluminium construction mass produced car with an R+D budget that probably ran into a few million against the fag-packet designed, home tweaked Stylus that probably didn't have any R+D budget assigned to it what-so-ever!
Will report my findings shortly....

The closest to the VX I've competed against was a track tuned Exige . When first coming up against him ten years ago , I got my backside kicked but over the next three or four years managed to reverse that situation . It was over 1sec at Lydden and several sec's at Goodwood , Bentwaters, Abingdon then Rushmoor our FDMC event. Have fun

[norma]

well, the stylus pees all over the vx220 in the handling stakes.
but the vx has had 400 front and 475 rear springhs fitted - to a car that weighs 850kg???!!!
seems a bit over the top, so 275 & 350 springs on order - that should bring the handling more in line with the stylus.
being mid engined - you can feel how much more responsive the car is to turn in - i suppose because the engine is at the COG rather than out front.
engine is rubbish, 2.2 litre restricetd vauxhall junk, wheezy as a frog with asthma.
already wondering whether a volvo 5 pot will fit in there - i miss the noise of my old 5 cyl S2 and i want that noise again...
I will say though that its far more practical for every day use than the stylus - will never be as speical though!

Oh and what do you say to a 10 year old kid that says "nice car mister, but why have you put vauxhall badges on your lotus?"

[stylussprinter]

I've just worked out the spring weight proportion ie spring to car weight -- it's very close to what I'd run with an 850kgs Stylus . I'd run 395 lbs up front , just 5lbs difference . I reckon it's the shock setting that's not proportional to it's spring weights that gives a poor handling car . Anton on this forum also has one and totally loves it so perhaps it's standard suspension .

[PeteC]

Have you seen this months Practical Performance Car mag? There's a couple with a rover V8 in their car mated to the VX220 transmision! All bolt in transverse mounting.

[norma]

I've just worked out the spring weight proportion ie spring to car weight -- it's very close to what I'd run with an 850kgs Stylus . I'd run 395 lbs up front , just 5lbs difference . I reckon it's the shock setting that's not proportional to it's spring weights that gives a poor handling car . Anton on this forum also has one and totally loves it so perhaps it's standard suspension .

I agree its probably right for track work, but this is my daily, so be used in winter and summer, so i've ordered 275's up front and 350's on the rear, hoping that will make it more compliant, easier to drive and hopefully more stead fast on the rubbish rough roads!?

Oh an yeah, I get PPC and have seen the V8 VX220 - I still think a 5 cyl is the way forward!

[norma]

well, since fitting decent lightweight alloys to the VX and fitting AD08 tyres, I am GUTTED to say that the poor little stylus that I've spent 10 years and many thousands of pounds on, does not handle as well as the VX
The VX stays totally planted in a way my poor stylus can only dream of - probably because its wider and the ol' motor is mid-ships....
still the stylus will be showing its mettle at oulton park next wednesday, i love the old girl......!

[Pete&Matt]

But whats more satisfying, driving a car you have built and personalised or a factory built car?! Kit car every time for me!

[stylussprinter]

Chassis set-up is everything so not convinced a Stylus is the lesser beast

[norma]

on reflection, I'm not sure the VX handles better - BUT it gives more confidence, it feels less scary when 'pushing on'.
The Stylus setup is pretty good (I've spent 10 years tweaking it!), but the VX insipres more confidence, its probably physcological. Its wider and less powerful, whereas the stylus has about twice the power to weight ratio and feels a lot narrower.
Its kind of the best of both worlds I suppose as I now get daily thrills from the VX and save the stylus for mostly track work....
I've got 2 more track days planned this year at Oulton, so I might take the VX on the last one, get some comparable lap times in......

[norma]

ok, so after doing oulton park today with the stylus wearing one of rob's arb's for the first time...................the above is now a load of twoddle.
The stylus has never felt so good, on turn in, the car used to dive at the front and the rear end would become loose, this meant i had limited confidence in when the back end would go and would spend most of the time with my bottom clenched in the high speed corners..
Now Rob's ARB is fitted......................wow, what a difference!
The car instills confidence, I can corner on the edge of adhesion (and control a small slide all the way around a corner). It feels SO much more planted and I am lapping much quicker, not much got past me today, except aero'd cars and a pro in a clio trophy (race spec, sequential box, big brakes etc).
Well chuffed, I am in love with the Stylus again, it really did me proud today.

THANKS ROB!!!!!

oh and the VX wouldn't stand a chance of lapping Oulton that quick!!!!

[stylussprinter]

That's good to here , now you can start fine tuning .

[norma]

That's good to here , now you can start fine tuning .

Fine tuning!? Been doing that for the last 10 years

oh and that race prepp'd clio I was talking about? turns out it was lewis hamiltons little brother.....!

[stylussprinter]

Yeh ok , but I meant ' fine tuning ' to compliment the recently fitted ARB I thought Lewis's brother had some physical problem that would prevent him racing

[norma]

Yeh ok , but I meant ' fine tuning ' to compliment the recently fitted ARB I thought Lewis's brother had some physical problem that would prevent him racing

oh no, he's definitely racing:
http://www.team-sport.co.uk/news/nicola ... -clio-cup/