OPEL SPEEDSTERTiming chain or Belt?

The Opel Speedster is a sports car (S-segment) produced by General Motors under the German brand Opel. It was produced between 2000 and 2005 and was a sports car with a targa body style, mid-engine, rear-wheel drive, and 2 doors.

The Opel Speedster only had one generation, although a distinction was made between the first "Opel Speedster" model and the "Opel Speedster Turbo" revision. The car was commissioned to be built by Lotus Cars in England. It was produced in both LHD (left-hand drive) and RHD (right-hand drive) versions. The platform used by the Speedster is shared with the Lotus Elise (Lotus Elise Series 2 platform). General Motors chose Lotus precisely for its experience in making vehicles with controls on both sides.

The right-hand drive version of the Speedster was named Vauxhall VX220 / Vauxhall V220 Turbo. Although the Opel Speedster was replaced in 2006 by the Opel GT, the version for the English market would remain without a successor. In other markets, the sports car was sold as the Daewoo Speedster.

Regarding the engine, the chassis of the Lotus Elise on which the Speedster is based is designed to mount a 1.8-liter Toyota ZZ block (the same one that powered the Toyota Celica at the time). However, General Motors decided to install the 2.2-liter Astra engine, an inline 4-cylinder Ecotec.

The biggest criticism leveled against the Speedster was its power. It was then that Opel decided to mount an engine with better capabilities, a new 2-liter turbo engine that delivered 203 hp. In addition to that, they reduced the weight of the car, improving acceleration. The reception was so good that many customers who owned the naturally aspirated version of the Speedster converted their engines to turbo.

Among the alternatives to the Opel Speedster / Speedster Turbo were vehicles such as the BMW Z4 Roadster, the Fiat 124 Spider, the Lotus Elise, the Nissan 350z, the Honda S2000, the Toyota MR-2, the Mercedes-Benz SLK, and the Chrysler Crossfire, primarily.