Skip advert
Advertisement

Westfield 1600 Sport Turbo review

195bhp Vauxhall VXR engine makes Westy a euro-friendly hit

Evo rating
RRP
from £27,499
  • Very quick and composed
  • Expensive, and a little on the heavy side

If you think £27,499 sounds like a lot of money for a Westfield that’s designed for the road rather than the race track, you’ll probably be surprised to hear that the company has already received orders for 50 of them. And if you think the basic price is a bit steep, consider that the car you see here has a number of extras that add another £1890 to the price, taking the total close to £30K and within financial touching distance of a supercharged Elise.

Advertisement - Article continues below

The questions of ‘how?’ and ‘why?’ are answered by the magic phrase ‘European Small Series Type Approval’, which at a stroke has opened a large new market with an export-friendly exchange rate. The key to gaining the legislative green light is a new engine – the turbo 1.6 from the Corsa VXR, here tuned to produce 195bhp. There are further items that will be familiar to Vauxhall drivers in the dash, and in what must be a first for a car of this type, the steering column is adjustable for reach and rake, ensuring you can get the driving position just about perfect.

It needs to be, because the Sport Turbo is properly rapid, especially on overboost, which allows torque to increase from 170 to 190lb ft for five seconds. There’s plenty of low-down torque, and throttle response is good across the range, but you lose the toe-to-the-tub aural assault delivered by the Duratec cars, and it’s a heavier engine. The Sport Turbo weighs in at 650kg, which is a tad portly for a Seven-esque machine. Just don’t tell the Europeans…

Specifications

EngineIn-line 4-cyl, 1598cc, turbo
Max power195bhp @ 5850rpm
Max torque170lb ft @ 2000rpm
0-604.7sec (claimed)
Top speed142mph (claimed)
On saleNow
Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Audi RS3 v Toyota GR Yaris v Mercedes-AMG A45 S – car pictures of the week
Hot hatch test
Features

Audi RS3 v Toyota GR Yaris v Mercedes-AMG A45 S – car pictures of the week

In the latest issue of evo, we test three of the most sophisticated hot hatches on sale against each other on road and track – these are our favourite…
29 Mar 2025
Used Audi RS6 Avant (C7, 2013 - 2019) review, specs and buying guide – family-friendly supercar slayer from £20k
Audi RS6 – front
In-depth reviews

Used Audi RS6 Avant (C7, 2013 - 2019) review, specs and buying guide – family-friendly supercar slayer from £20k

Audi’s C7-generation RS6 may lack ultimate involvement, but it’s still a crushingly effective and desirable super-estate
27 Mar 2025
Performance Link Mazda MX-5 R300 review – an MX-5 with Honda VTEC power
Performance Link Mazda MX-5 R300 – front
Reviews

Performance Link Mazda MX-5 R300 review – an MX-5 with Honda VTEC power

A screaming 296bhp Honda VTEC engine and a full chassis upgrade package turn the NC-generation Mazda MX-5 into something altogether more thrilling
25 Mar 2025