When launching the Solstice concept in the US, GM vice president Bob Lutz said: "Keep it simple, pure, and beautiful".

This was the basic requirement for Vauxhall's stunning new concept car, the VX Lightning.

Being launched as a centrepiece to the company's Centenary celebrations, the VX Lightning is a two-seater roadster based on the same technical foundation as the Pontiac concept Solstice, first seen at the 2002 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Vauxhall's roadster concept, however, has been designed for British tastes, at GM's UK Advanced Design Studio in the Midlands.

Under the long bonnet of the VX Lightning is a new version of Vauxhall's all-aluminium 2.2 ECOTEC engine, reworked with a supercharger to produce a maximum power of 240hp and 305Nm of torque.

A six-speed manual gearbox is mated to the new engine, which drives the rear wheels. The chassis incorporates independent suspension, the front end using a simple and reliable strut configuration with a rack and pinion steering.

At the rear, the independent suspension is all aluminium for weight saving.

Overall, the car manages a near-perfect 50:50 weight distribution for the best in handling and agility.

Kevin Wale, Vauxhall chairman and managing director said: "The VX Lightning says everything about where Vauxhall is heading.

"The car represents a return to our early performance roots when Vauxhall was famous as the manufacturer of the first true British sports car while we continue to be both innovative and bold in exterior and interior design."