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Official: Opel reveals updated Insignia OPC sans power boost

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Sedan, Performance, Wagon, Europe

2014 Opel Insignia OPC Sports Tourer

We’ve got good news, friends, and we’ve got bad news. The good news is that Opel has revealed the new Insignia OPC that we spied recently on the street. The bad news is that it does not have the hike in power we were hoping for.

The new Insignia OPC, pictured here in Sports Tourer form, is set to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in a couple of weeks. Sitting atop the Opel Performance Center lineup, it’s got the same 325-horsepower 2.8-liter twin-turbo V6 and Haldex all-wheel-drive system as the model it replaces, but benefits from some minor enhancements. Those include subtly refreshed fascias front and rear, a reworked rear axle, revised software for the ESP and variable damper systems and a recalibrated suspension.

Equipped with a six-speed manual (there’s an automatic available as well), the Insignia OPC sedan will hit 62 mph in six seconds flat, or 6.3 for the wagon. Top speed is restricted to 155 mph, but without the limiter (as Opel previously offered), it’s said to hit 168 flat out. Which is still pretty impressive, even without the anticipated 400hp upgrade.

But that only brings us to the unfortunate reality that the Insignia OPC isn’t available Stateside, because with 259 horsepower from a turbo four, the Buick Regal GS just doesn’t feel the same.

Continue reading Opel reveals updated Insignia OPC sans power boost

Opel reveals updated Insignia OPC sans power boost originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Aug 2013 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Opel Insignia OPC Sports Tourer shows its fresh face ahead of Frankfurt debut

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Spy Photos, Performance, Wagon, Europe, Opel

Opel Insignia OPC Sports Tourer - front three-quarter

Drive down the Autobahn and there’s any number of vehicles likely to pass you, and most of them are produced locally. But if you’re wondering how that Opel left you in its dust, look closely (and quickly) enough and you might make out the letters OPC on the back.

They stand for Opel Performance Center (the German counterpart to Vauxhall’s VXR line) and they adorn performance versions of the Corsa, Astra and Insignia. The latter is undergoing a bit of a refresh and is expected to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in a couple of weeks, but you don’t have to wait that long as our intrepid spy photographers have caught it in the flesh outside an Opel facility in Germany.

Spied here completely undisguised in Sports Tourer (read: wagon) form, the Insignia has had a few nips and tucks performed, but we’ll be more intrigued to see what it’s got under the hood. The current model packs a 2.8-liter twin-turbo V6 driving 325 horsepower to all four wheels, but rumors suggest that the OPC (yeah you know me!) could have as much as 400 hp up its sleeve. That would make this one heck of a sleeper – especially in wagon form – and only make us pine for a more potent version of its twin Buick Regal to roam our highways, too.

Opel Insignia OPC Sports Tourer shows its fresh face ahead of Frankfurt debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Aug 2013 13:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Monza concept opens its wings and lets us in on Opel’s future

Filed under: Concept Cars, Frankfurt Motor Show, Coupe, Hybrid, Europe, Opel, Design/Style

Opel Monza Concept

Opel has done a lot to revitalize itself over the past few years, developing a solid product portfolio with hatchbacks, sedans, wagons, minivans and crossovers. What it’s missing, though, is a sports coupe – because, let’s face it, the Cascada cabrio hardly fits the bill.

Hopes were raised when Opel revealed it was working on a new Monza concept, reviving a nameplate borrowed from an Italian racetrack and previously used on a six-cylinder fastback version of the Senator sedan. Opel has now revealed the Monza in full, but it’s neither the sportscar we expected nor the harbinger of a new production model – much less one we could look forward to General Motors porting over as a Buick coupe, for that matter.

What you’re looking at instead is a design study that hints at the way Opel will style its cars moving forward. Sized in between the Astra and Insignia, the Monza concept has two giant gullwing doors to give access to both front and rear seats, which is probably your first clue that this is more of a show car than a pre-production prototype. Inside, the futuristic cabin features an LED projection dashboard with 3D graphics, new social interactive systems and a lot of swoopy forms and curved wood.

The concept is powered by a CNG version of the hybrid powertrain you’d find in the Opel Ampera or Chevrolet Volt, propelling a form that is more sedan than sports coupe, even if it does technically only have two doors. A successor to the original Monza it is not – let alone a replacement for the Lotus Elise-based Speedster or Pontiac Solstice-based GT that followed – but as an indicator of where Opel is heading, it looks promising. But we’ll reserve final judgement for when we see it at the Frankfurt Motor Show in a couple of weeks. For more details, check out our gallery and the official press release below.

Continue reading Monza concept opens its wings and lets us in on Opel’s future

Monza concept opens its wings and lets us in on Opel’s future originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Aug 2013 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Opel director Sedran to succeed Docherty as Chevy Europe boss

Filed under: Europe, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GM

Thomas Sedran, Chevy and Cadillac Europe boss When longtime General Motors executive Susan Docherty announced she would be stepping down from her post as the head of Chevrolet and Cadillac in Europe, there was some idle chatter that plans for the creation of a new global overseer position for the Bowtie brand was behind the move. And while US sales chief Alan Batey has indeed assumed control of Chevy worldwide since her departure announcement, Docherty’s vacancy is being filled after all, with Opel chief strategist Thomas Sedran taking up the reins.

That’s according to Automotive News, who reports that Sedran will be tasked with pulling Chevy out of a sales funk, much of it pegged on Europe’s stagnant auto industry, which has sunk to a 20-year low. AN notes that Chevy’s EU sales plunged 32 percent to 57,584 units through the first five months of 2013, but the everyday value brand is faring worlds better than Cadillac, which has sold just 167 units in Europe over the same time period.

Sedran, 48, has been in the auto industry for over 20 years. Most recently, at Opel he had been working on long-term plans for the marque, and was appointed to the brand’s management board in April of last year. Prior to joining GM, Sedran was employed as a management consultant for AlixPartners, where he worked closely with Opel for six years. Sedran will assume his new duties beginning July 1.

Opel director Sedran to succeed Docherty as Chevy Europe boss originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Jun 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: GM CEO Akerson wishes Opel Cascada, Adam were sold in Buick showrooms [w/poll]

Filed under: Convertible, Etc., Hatchback, Buick, Opel

2013 Opel Cascada - dynamic top-down motoring shot

2013 Opel Adam - front three-quarter view, maroon According to Automotive News, General Motors CEO Dan Akerson has his eye on a couple of overseas models for Buick. The General’s funky Opel Adam subcompact and Cascada four-place convertible are apparently on the executive’s wish list, as he openly expressed regret that they weren’t developed for the US during an investor conference earlier this month.

The distribution plans for both models were decided ahead of GM’s 2009 bankruptcy (prior to Akerson’s tenure), and they were apparently not designed with North America in mind. Whether Akerson and Co. are still looking to pursue versions for our market with the TriShield brand isn’t clear, in part because it isn’t known what modifications would need to be executed to make them suitable for sale. Automotive News cites GM Vice Chairman Steve Girsky as having previously stated that the “expensive” Cascada “would have to be amalgamated for the US, which adds cost and complexity,” but it also quotes GM North America boss Mark Reuss as saying that Buick “is ready for ‘something special,’ citing a convertible, a coupe or a flagship sedan as possibilities.”

By our reckoning, the rakish Cascada droptop would seem to be the most natural fit for the Buick brand, as the idea of a comfortable four-place convertible doesn’t seem as boundary-stretching as a Fiat 500-sized supermini. Then again, the new Encore crossover is tiny and seems to be receiving a warm welcome from buyers in its first months on sale, and GM is looking to redefine Buick and court younger buyers. Stylistically, though, the Cascada would probably be the easier conversion to Buick branding, and the biggest factor in its favor would seem to be that it rides atop GM’s Delta II architecture, as does the Verano sedan, a North American model. At present, GM only has one four-seat convertible in its entire US lineup, the Chevrolet Camaro, and today’s Buick/GMC sales channel does not offer any droptops at all.

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GM CEO Akerson wishes Opel Cascada, Adam were sold in Buick showrooms [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Jun 2013 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Opel previews production Astra GTC ahead of Frankfurt debut

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Europe, Hatchback, Opel, Vauxhall

2012 Opel Astra GTC

2012 Opel Astra GTC – Click above for high-res renderings

A staple product of General Motors’ overseas subsidiaries, the Opel Astra has been a long time in the making. The five-door hatchback was revealed back in 2009 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, which was then followed by the GTC show car that previewed the three-door version in concept form (along with the production Sport Tourer wagon variant) a year later at the Paris Motor Show. Another year after that, Opel will unveil the production three-door GTC in Frankfurt this coming September. The final product is still undergoing development, but while GM’s German division irons out the kinks, they’ve released these preliminary images showing us what to expect from the production version.

Although still months away from its public debut, the order books for the Astra GTC will officially open on June 7, when full details will be revealed. The Astra range, you’ll recall, is also offered a Vauxhall in the UK, as the Buick Excelle XT in China, and as a Chevrolet in Latin America. But while Saturn had a version of the more angular previous-generation model, now that the brand is shut, we’ll likely have to do without. That’s a shame, because we recently saw a five-door model out on the road while overseas and were struck by its fluid design. So we’ll just have to do with admiring from afar. Follow the jump for the brief press release, and scope out the pair of images in the gallery below.

Gallery: 2012 Opel Astra GTC

[Source: Opel]

Continue reading Opel previews production Astra GTC ahead of Frankfurt debut

Opel previews production Astra GTC ahead of Frankfurt debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Apr 2011 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Opel channels the Nürburgring for its hottest-ever Corsa

Filed under: Performance, Europe, Hatchback, Opel

Opel Corsa OPC Nurburgring Edition

Opel Corsa OPC Nürburgring Edition – Click above for high-res image gallery

Between the New York Auto Show, the Shanghai Motor Show and Top Marques Monaco, there’s a major motor expo happening on each of three continents. But the latest model you see here wasn’t unveiled at any one of them.

What you’re looking at is the hottest hatch to come from Opel. It’s called the Corsa OPC Nürburgring Edition, and it means business. To start with, the Opel Performance Center (think of it as General Motors of Europe’s AMG) has tweaked the 1.6-liter turbo four from 192 horsepower to 210 and boosted the torque count from 170 lb-ft (196 on overboost) to 184 (206 on overboost).

To cope with the added twist, OPC’s fitted a multi-plate mechanical limited-slip differential. They’ve also added Bilstein suspension components and Brembo brakes, recalibrated the ABS, traction control and stability management systems. On the outside, they’ve mounted new 18-inch alloys on 35-series low-profile rubber and a new front spoiler, dual-tipped stainless-steel exhaust and the requisite special badges.

The result is a Karousel-charging 6.8-second sprint to 60 and an Autobahn-crunching 143 mph top end. Only 500 examples will be offered, with two new colors (Grasshopper green and the above-pictured Henna red) joining the catalog for this special edition. Follow the jump for the full press blast and scope out the trio of images in the gallery below for a closer look.

Gallery: Opel Corsa OPC Nurburgring Edition

[Source: Opel]

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Opel channels the Nürburgring for its hottest-ever Corsa originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Apr 2011 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Opel Zafira looks ready to move the people

Filed under: Spy Photos, Minivan/Van, Opel

spy photos opel zafira

Spy Shots: Opel Zafira – Click above for high-res image gallery

This time, you are not looking at a hologram. Our spy photographers have caught this camo-clad Opel Zafira out moving people. Vauxhall has already hinted at its version of the Zafira via the Tourer Concept, and a production version is expected to hit dealer showrooms in the first half of 2012.

The seven-passenger people mover is powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine. Inside, the Zafira will feature reconfigurable seating so that four can ride in spacious comfort, five can go on a journey together, or seven can be shuttled around.

Though the camouflage is covering them up, we can see the bottom-half of the aggressively stylish boomerang headlights peeking out. The overall package of this European staple appears to have stayed true to the concept shown at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. Given how production-ready the car appears, we expect it to break cover very soon.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Opel Zafira

Spy Shots: Opel Zafira

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: Opel Zafira looks ready to move the people originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Apr 2011 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Opel removes governor on Insignia OPC ‘Unlimited’, runs to 168 mph

Filed under: Sedan, Europe, GM, Opel

Opel Insignia OPC 'Unlimited'

Opel Insignia OPC ‘Unlimited’ – Click above for high-res image gallery

In its current form, the 325-horsepower Opel Insignia OPC (you know, the car that the upcoming 255-hp Buick Regal GS was supposed to but sadly won’t replicate) will carry speeds of up to 155 miles per hour before its electronic nannies kick in and prevent your speedometer’s needle to climb any higher. But since European buyers are able to take their cars onto the unrestricted Autobahn, Opel has now created a special version of the OPC – dubbed ‘Unlimited’ – that removes its top-end cut-off.

With its electronic limiter removed, Opel says that the Insignia OPC will reach speeds as high as 168 mph. This new top speed only applies to OPC sedans fitted with the automaker’s six-speed manual transmission.

Unlimited models are visually distinguished by blue Brembo brake logos, as well as a revised tachometer and speedometer. Opel says that a special edition of the Unlimited OPC with a matte black wrap is also in the works. Buyers will also automatically be enrolled in an OPC performance driving training course at the automaker’s proving grounds in Dudenhofen, Germany, where they will learn how to properly manage the driving dynamics of this delicious performance sedan.

If you ask us, 155 mph is plenty fast, especially for a public road like the Autobahn. But if you’re on a closed track with a long straightaway, that added 13 mph will no doubt come in handy. Click past the jump for Opel’s official press release.

Gallery: Opel Insignia OPC ‘Unlimited’

Opel Insignia OPC 270-km/h Sedan

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading Opel removes governor on Insignia OPC ‘Unlimited’, runs to 168 mph

Opel removes governor on Insignia OPC ‘Unlimited’, runs to 168 mph originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Apr 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geneva 2011: 2012 Opel Ampera set to electrify Europe

Filed under: Sedan, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, GM, Opel, Electric

2012 Opel Ampera

2012 Opel Ampera – Click above for high-res image gallery

Just as the first round of Chevrolet Volts are hitting the streets of the United States, Europe’s own version of the electrified sedan makes its debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. General Motors took the wraps off the 2012 Opel Ampera, a sedan that wears more aggressively styled body panels than its Chevy cousin. It’s pretty slick, and when you consider the technology that exists underneath that shapely sheetmetal, Europe should be pleasantly surprised.

Pricing, however, is a bit steep. GM has set the Ampera’s base price at €42,900, which includes Europe’s steep Value Added Tax, and that translates to roughly $60,000 based on current exchange rates. Still, Opel says that it already has about 1,000 orders placed for the sedan across the continent, and with Voltec engineering on tap, hopefully the Ampera will make as big of a splash in Europe as the Volt has here in America.

Gallery: 2012 Opel Ampera: Geneva 2011

Geneva 2011: 2012 Opel Ampera set to electrify Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Mar 2011 05:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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