Prepare to be blown away! Vauxhall's sensational VX220 Turbo has broken cover, and Auto Express magazine has the very first pictures. Our exclusive spy shots show a showroom-ready car being tested on the roads near Lotus' Hethel HQ in Norfolk, and reveal important details about the still-secret machine.

Set to hit British dealerships in February, it is faster and more luxurious than the standard VX220. Costing from £25,500, the radical two-seater will rival the likes of the Honda S2000 and Audi TT Cabriolet, but feature supercar-smashing performance.

The 2.0-litre engine is lifted from the Astra Coupé Turbo and Zafira GSi, and is boosted 13bhp to 200bhp. In a car as lightweight as the alloy-chassised VX, this will mean shattering performance. Insiders insist the newcomer will be capable of more than 140mph and hit 0-60mph in less than five seconds.

Even more impressive will be the mid-range overtaking ability, with plenty of low-down torque. Developing around 250Nm from a mere 1,900rpm, the engine should prove both exciting and easy to drive around town. The visual and aerodynamic modification make this VX appear even more dramatic. Most noticeable are the bigger airscoops on the flanks, which improve airflow around the motor. Engineers struggled to keep the mid-mounted unit cool, as the turbos get extremely hot in the confined space.

To improve high-speed stability, new spoilers have been added beneath the front bumper and on the bootlid. Discreet Turbo badging at the back is complemented by GSi-style alloys, bringing the VX220 into line visually with the rest of Vauxhall's performance range, including the Corsa.

The interior has seen an overhaul, too, to give a more luxurious feel. Customers, especially company car buyers attracted by the current model's low emissions tax levels, had commented that it was just too basic to use everyday. Consequently, the Turbo has moved upmarket, with extra leather trim on the door panels and transmission tunnel, additional carpeting and a four-speaker stereo. There'll

be proper cubbies, too. Lotus' lightweight and compact air-con system will be offered as an option, but luxuries such as central locking and electric windows will still not be available. A new sculpted hard-top, seen on this showroom-ready prototype, will also be added to the options list to provide greater refinement at high speed.

Although the car will be slightly heavier and less spartan than before, the driving experience will not be diluted, insiders promise. Tyre sizes remain the same to maintain the surprisingly compliant ride. Push the Turbo hard and it still understeers safely as before, yet experts claim that the additional muscle means genuine powerslides are available on demand on the test track. But in order to retain the car's raw feel, traction control will not be available. So will this be enough to finally give the VX220 the sales success it deserves?

Priced from £25,500 and here in February, it is hoped the launch of a new machine with supercar-humbling performance will offer a welcome boost to slower-than-expected sales of the two-seater. Don't expect to see another Vauxhall with this level of performance again, though - the firm says the next VX will be a tamer Mazda MX-5 rival.