Speedster is terrific from any angle

You could ask the audience, go 50/50, or phone a friend - and I would bet £1 million no one would give the correct answer.

If Gay or Chris showed a photo of one of the newest sports cars and asked is it (A) Ferrari (B) Lamborghini (C) Maserati or (D) Opel, no one would believe the stunning, brilliant new Speedster comes from the Opel stable.

The German manufacturer of solid, sometimes bland, family modes of transport is changing its image fast and showing there’s another side to its car-building abilities.

The Speedster is Opel’s first mid-engined sports car and it is the first Opel production car to use aluminium and composite materials for the chassis and body.

The car is built by Group Lotus in Hethel in England in a limited number of 3,000 per year, but only shares about 10% with that GM-owned company’s own Elise.

Built to Opel specifications and overseen by Opel engineers, each car bears a “Limited Edition” production number on a plaque on the dashboard.

The Speedster could best be described as a form of Supercar without the super price tag. Expected cost is in the region of £33,000.

It has few of the creature comforts we now take for granted from motor companies. But it has a rollbar, ABS, a driver airbag and seatbelt tensioners.

The Speedster looks terrific from every angle. The inspiration for its design came from such bizarre outlines as the Stealth fighter aeroplane and the Sydney Opera House, we were told at the international launch on Portugal’s Algarve.

Sculpted three-dimensional headlamps and tail lights are essential elements of the car’s shape. Large air intake ducts behind the doors are as striking as the vertically-arranged twin exhaust pipes (an arrangement which has no engineering benefits, but is distinctively stylish).

Strong lines link the front and rear sections of the body. It has beautiful edges, and muscular wheel arches are filled by 17” alloy wheels and specially-developed Bridgestone tyres.

The rear track is wider than the front, and hence larger 225/45/R17 tyres are fitted in comparison to the front’s 175/55/R17. The car has a stance similar to that of a Formula 1 car.

The car has dramatic angles, curves and a front which all but speaks. The front wings rise, and while Opel never mentioned them, they hold a resemblance of the old much-loved Opel GT of motoring times past.

The Speedster’s roof is really low. Simple to remove, the cloth roof folds into a bay which fits behind the seats. Opel will also supply a fixed roof as an optional extra.

Getting in, you throw your leg over as if you were getting on a horse. A wide sill will not suit miniskirt wearers, but has to be crossed in order to slide into the bucket seats.

Inside is plain, real plain aluminium and composite materials. Instruments are bare minimum, with only speed and rev dials. Mileage, trip and fuel information are supplied via small - not very clear (especially if the sun is shining) - LCD displays.

The sculpted go-kart bucket seats are unbelievably comfortable and the small Mono steering wheel - with air bag installed - is positioned to perfection. Small details stand out, such as the metal window winders, the large aluminium footrest on a rocker which is a great consolation to a nervous passenger searching for a pedal to press. The distinctive handbrake, the aluminium gearknob both add character. The traditional Opel steering column switches look out of place inside this car.

The whole theme inside the Speedster is racing car. Though racing cars don’t usually feature boots, the Speedster has one behind the mid-mounted engine. It has a capacity sufficient for two persons’ weekend luggage. Possibly!

Like Honda’s S2000, the Speedster has an independent starter button positioned centrally on the dashboard. Press it and an all-aluminium 2.2 litre new generation Opel engine springs into life with 147 bhp capable of propelling the car to 62 mph in 5.9 seconds and reaching 135 mph very quickly.

Working the five-speed close-ratio box can be intimate if your passenger is of broad of thigh and hip. The drilled aluminium pedals are a bit too close to each other, especially the brake and accelerator.

The chassis and suspension is based on those of the Lotus Elise and account for a great deal for this car’s brilliance. I drove the Speedster from Southern Portugal’s coast to the mountainous twisting roads and I can’t remember a greater driving experience. It handled like the best go-kart I ever drove. It was almost foolproof, and predictable to the point that only an idiot could lose it.

Drop a gear, keep the pedal to the metal and the Speedster slides around the sharpest of corners with ease. The low centre of gravity and the unassisted steering had the road talk to you.

Opel should cherish their friendship with Lotus - the Speedster is proof that it takes two to tango. More expensive than the Toyota MR2, BMW Z3, but cheaper than a Honda S2000, the Speedster will undoubtedly carve a following from those who know a real car when they drive one.