Caral Automotive is pleased to announce the launch of the Caral V8XS, a high performance sportscar featuring a bonded aluminium chassis, lightweight composite bodywork and powered by a 450bhp 4.2l V8 supercharged engine developed by Jaguar Cars.

This is not a new pretender to the "supercar club" world, although its specification might earn it a place there, but a highly specialised and exclusive conversion for the award winning GM Opel Speedster / Vauxhall VX220 model.

A comprehensive kit of parts is available, allowing owners the option of building their own sports GT car, with a staggering 475bhp/tonne power to weight ratio and race car inspired handling from its Lotus designed aluminium chassis and classic longitudinal mid-mounted V8 supercharged engine and 6 speed close ratio transaxle.

The rest of the car is upgraded to cope with the increased power with new lightweight GT style composite bodywork, redesigned double wishbone suspension, CNC machined aluminium uprights, 4 piston calipers and 18” wheels and tyres. In essence only the doors and windscreen are retained from the standard Speedster / VX220.

With a wheelbase that is longer than a Porsche 911, Lotus Esprit or Ford GT40 and a host of redeveloped components the V8XS is best defined as a bespoke V8 sportscar which uses an aluminium chassis from the VX220, rather than a VX220 with a bigger engine.

A completely new interior has also been designed for the car, helping to distance it from its smaller brothers, featuring all leather trim in a choice of colours, and a bespoke Caral designed instrument panel, with in built data logging capability. The car is available in RHD or LHD configuration and can be built by Caral Automotive using a brand new chassis.

Engines and gearboxes are supplied by Caral Automotive as brand new items direct from their respective manufacturers.

With prices of standard VX220’s now well below £10,000 the finished cars represent excellent value for money, given the outstanding performance from the 450bhp engines and the lightweight 950kg kerb weight.

(Thanks for the tip Jack) [Caral]

Created by the folks at Sweden's unfortunately-named Street Xtreme magazine, this Vauxhall VX220/Opel Speedster apparently features a "grunty" 2.2L engine, and makes some pretty damn good noise while cutting a sinister swath. Its project name is "Bastard," which coincidentally, was Lemmy Kilmister's post-post Rockin' Vicars band's original moniker. Better known as Mot rhead, the group's classic "Ace of Spades" contributed the soundtrack to the ridiculously awesome "Clarkson in an Exige vs. Apache" segment on Top Gear a couple of years back, thus bringing the Elise-VX220/Speedster-Lemmy connection full circle. Somebody cue the Hawkwind, please. [Thanks to Claes for the tip.] – Davey G. Johnson

Related:
Next Opel Speedster to Be Based on Saturn Sky [Internal]