Vauxhall XVR
{{short description|Concept car developed by Vauxhall}}
{{About|the concept car of 1966|the tuning division by Vauxhall|VXR|the four door sedan based by Holden|Vauxhall VXR8}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox automobile
| name = Vauxhall XVR
| image = 1966 Vauxhall XVR.jpg
| caption = The surviving Vauxhall XVR Mockup
| type =
| manufacturer = Vauxhall
| aka =
| production = 1966
(three built)
| designer = David Jones (design director)
| class = Concept car
| body_style =
| related =
| layout = FMR Layout
| engine = {{cvt|1975|cc|L|1}} Slant-four I4
| transmission = 4 speed manual
| wheelbase =
| length =
| width =
| height =
| weight =
| doors = Gullwing doors
}}
The Vauxhall XVR is a concept car built in 1966 by Vauxhall. The name stands for eXperimental Vauxhall Research. It debuted at the March 1966 Geneva Motor Show receiving favourable reviews from press, but never went into production.{{cite web|url=https://www.supercars.net/blog/1966-vauxhall-xvr/|title=1966 Vauxhall XVR|website=supercars.net|date=20 December 2015|accessdate=16 October 2020}}
Production
Three prototypes of the XVR were built in total. Two were glassfibre rolling mockups with no engines, while one was a metal bodied, fully functional example, built by Motor Panels of Coventry. The fully functional car was the one displayed at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1966. In total, the concept took five months to design and build.{{Cite news|url=http://hooniverse.com/2017/03/24/vauxhall-xvr-the-little-vette-that-wasnt/|title=Vauxhall XVR: The Little Vette that Wasn’t|date=24 March 2017|work=Hooniverse|accessdate=20 September 2018|language=en-us}}
Only one of the mockups survives today, as Vauxhall crushed both the running prototype and the other mockup. The surviving car remains in the ownership of Vauxhall Motors and is currently on display at the British Motor Museum.{{cite web|url=https://classicandsportscar.com/news/classic-vauxhall-collection-moves-british-motor-museum |title=Vauxhall Heritage Collection moves to British Motor Museum, Gaydon | work = Classic & Sports Car | publisher = Haymarket Media Group | date = 2021-08-24 | first = Lizzie | last = Pope }}
Specifications
The lone fully functional XVR was powered by a front mid mounted 2.0 litre Vauxhall Slant-4 Engine, producing around {{cvt|100|bhp|kW PS|0}}.{{Cite news|url=https://www.topgear.com/car-news/classic/tgs-guide-concepts-vauxhall-xvr#4| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181204115759/https://www.topgear.com/car-news/classic/tgs-guide-concepts-vauxhall-xvr#1 | archive-date = 2018-12-04 | title=TG's guide to concepts: the Vauxhall XVR|date=5 June 2017|work=Top Gear| first = Craig | last = Jamieson |language=en}}
The suspension was fully independent in the front and rear, and there were disc brakes at all four corners. The slant four engine was a pre-production model which was later used in the Vauxhall VX4/90. The XVR was able to reach a top speed of over {{cvt|100|mph|km/h}}.
Design
The design team for the XVR was directed by David Jones and also included Wayne Cherry, John Taylor, Leo Pruneau, and Judd Holcombe.{{Cite web|url=http://www.deansgarage.com/2017/vauxhall-xvr-concept/|title=Vauxhall XVR Concept|website=deansgarage.com|date=20 January 2017|accessdate=16 October 2020}} The looks were inspired by the concept car by Chevrolet, the Mako Shark II which was introduced in 1965. The design incorporates the Mako Shark's split windscreen, pop up headlamps, and gull wing doors.{{cite web|url=https://www.autocar.co.uk/opinion/concept-cars/blog-vauxhalls-long-lost-sports-car-original-gt-concept|title=Blog: Vauxhall's long lost sports car - the original GT Concept|website=autocar.co.uk|date=30 January 2016|accessdate=16 October 2020}}
References
Category:Cars introduced in 1966
Category:Vauxhall concept vehicles