Car Popular Review: Opel OPC

Showing posts with label Opel OPC. Show all posts

Vauxhall's Corsa VXR gets the Blues: New Special Edition of 192HP Hot Hatch

To mark the launch of the subtly refreshed Corsa VXR, Vauxhall is introducing a new limited edition version of its hot hatch with an additional kit and a special blue paintjob as standard.

In detail, the new Corsa VXR Blue Edition is finished in an Arden Blue metallic paint and comes fitted with 18-inch alloy wheels, dark-tinted glass, bespoke interior air vents and Recaro seats, which equate to a £445 saving compared with the cost of speccing a ‘standard’ VXR with this kit.

Other standard features include a lowered sports suspension, uprated brakes and switchable Electronic Stability Programme (ESP).

Powering the VXR Blue Edition is a 1.6-liter turbocharged four producing 192PS, which allows for a 0-60mph [96 km/h] sprint time of just 6.8 seconds and a top speed of 140mph [225 km/h]. An overboost feature increases maximum torque to 260+Nm when the driver needs more power.

The price for the limited edition Corsa VXR is set at £19,425 (including 20% VAT), with Vauxhall claiming that it undercuts key rivals such as the Citroen DS3 R and the Mini Cooper Works by up to £3,600.

The sport hatch is available for order now with the first examples to arrive in dealerships in late February.

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VIDEO: Opel Astra GTC Paris Walk-around

After showing you some vids of the Range Rover Evoque on Friday, today we've got some press clips of Opel's GTC Paris hot hatch concept. First up is an artsy walkaround clip of the new hot hatch, but the more interesting video is the one in which Opel-Vauxhall calligrapher/graphic designer Ingrid Gollong gives us her take on the GTC's lines.

There's also a little bit about the interior, brought to you by Jeanette Finger. Both ladies explain their roles in taking one line from one poem and applying it to the GTC Paris in order to make speed into "pure beauty". If you're interested in a little design, enjoy the films below. For a full look at the 2.0-liter, 290-horsepower GTC Paris, check out our previous post here.

By Phil Alex

2011 Buick Regal GS Study: Videos and Live Photos from Detroit - Film Shows V6 Turbo, GM Says 4-Cylinder Turbo...

Even though General Motors used the term 'show car' to describe the sporty Buick Regal GS that made its world debut in Detroit, there's nothing conceptual about this model. The GS version of the new 2011 Regal sedan that's due to go on sale this summer is said to be identical to the Opel Insignia OPC in all but one element: the engine.

According to GM, whereas the OPC gets a 2.8-liter twin-scroll turbocharged with 325HP, the all-wheel drive GS is fitted with a tuned up version of the Regal CXL's 2.0-liter turbo four that makes 255HP.

However, if you pay attention to the second promotional video after the jump (pause at 52 seconds into the film), you'll see that the GS features a V6 Turbo...

We don't know if anyone popped up the hood on the Regal GS showcar in Detroit to see if it's fitted with a four-pot or a V6 Turbo, but the best explanation we can give is that GM's team took the OPC, added Buick's logos and waterfall grille along with a pair of bonnet air-vents leaving the Opel's hardware intact.

It remains to be seen whether or not GM will offer a production version of the Regal GS in the States, and if so, if it will be powered by a four-cylinder or a V6 turbo engine. Till then, watch the two videos after the break or click here to read more details about Buick's sporty saloon proposal.

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Reader Scoops 2010 Opel Astra Test Car in Michigan

This past weekend, eagle-eyed Carscoop reader Thomas Czarny picked up these shots of a heavily disguised 2010 Opel Astra hatchback prototype in a shopping mall parking lot in Traverse City, Michigan. The test car was fitted with manufacturer license plates and sported a GMPT (General Motors Powertrain) Engineering Vehicle sticker on the front windshield.

We're fully aware of the fact that new cars go through all sorts of tests in various places around the world including markets where they will not be sold, but we also know that GM is preparing an Opel Astra based small sedan for Buick which is scheduled to go on sale in the States by the end of 2011.

Earlier this year, our spy photographers snapped the Buick four-door sedan along with a five-door Astra prototype sporting Buick's corporate waterfall grille while undergoing testing in Germany.

Although the five-door model is said to be under development for Buick's Chinese market line-up, we can't entirely rule out the possibility that GM may also be considering the hatch for the U.S. where it would compete against the VW Golf and Mazda3.

This naturally brings us to the question, in addition to the sedan model, should GM also enhance Buick's U.S. range with a rebadged version of the 2010 Opel Astra hatchback?

Kudos to Thomas Czarny for the Scoop!

New Videos of Opel Insignia OPC at the Nurburgring and on the Road

Here's the latest batch of videos of Opel's new high-performance model, the 325HP Insignia OPC or if you live in the UK, the Vauxhall Insignia VXR. Along with a promotional film that shows the sedan and estate (Sports Tourer) versions of the OPC on the road, Opel also published a video of the range-topping Insignia at the Nurburgring race track.

The most powerful production model in Opel history ever will be available for sale in Europe this fall in all three body styles - four-door sedan sedan, five-door liftback and Sports Tourer.

As you may have already figured out by now, any chance of seeing the Insignia OPC making its way to the States was washed out after GM's collapse (okay, okay, bankruptcy) and the company's decision to sell the Saturn brand as well as part of its European operations.