Meet the star of Opel's Paris Motor Show stand and probably one of the best looking concepts of this year's show, the GTC Paris Concept that will spawn next year's three-door Astra model.
Even though the mainstream variants of the production Astra GTC will lose the muscular bumpers, LEDs and tall 21-inch wheels of the design study, it's safe to say that what you see here is more or less what you'll get when the car arrives in Opel and Vauxhall showrooms across Europe in 2011.
For those wanting something closer in looks to the concept, there's good news as the flagship OPC model is expected to keep most of the styling features including the chunky bumpers.
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. Read more »
Opel has taken the wraps off its Vivaro e-Concept plug-in electric van at the 2010 IAA Commercial Vehicles Fair in Hannover, Germany. The one-off concept was built to demonstrate the benefits of electrification to commercial vehicle operators. Read more »
Along with the sportier three-door variant of the new Astra, General Motors' Opel division is also developing an MPV version of its C-segment model that will replace the current Zafira. Caught on film out and about at the Nurburgring track in Germany, the camouflaged prototype confirms that the new Opel (Vauxhall in the UK) Zafira won't get the funky FlexDoor system with the rear-hinged back doors of the Meriva, and will continue to use a conventional five-door layout instead. Read more »
Opel will soon bring the total body count of the new Astra range to three with the presentation of the sporty Astra GTC, also known as the Vauxhall Astra in Britain, that will join the already available five-door hatchback and the recently revealed, Sports Tourer estate.
Even though we'll have to wait for the Paris Motor Show in October for the official unveiling of the GTC, we can give you a glimpse of the sporty looking three-door Astra as two prototype models were caught on film during testing in Germany.
As you can see in the video after the jump, the first camouflaged Astra GTC features a single tail pipe at each corner of the rear bumper and beefy tire/alloy combos, suggesting it's a turbocharged model, quite possibly, the rumored GSi that's said to be fitted with a more potent version of the 1.6-liter turbo delivering a little over 200HP.
The estate version of the new Opel / Vauxhall Astra has been spotted doing the rounds at the Nurburgring.
Scheduled to be shown for the first time this summer with a Paris Motor Show debut to follow in autumn 2010, the Astra Sports Tourer looks like a smaller version of the Insignia station wagon boasting a more raked roofline and a less boxy / conservative shape than the current model.
Some guy in a Vauxhall Astra VXR Nürburgring Edition went to the notorious Nordschleife to try to live up to the name on the side of his car and made a booboo. Hey, no sweat, these things happen all the time.
People get a little antsy in the pantsy, lose their concentration, and wreck their car. The real point of interest here is the potential costs involved (other than that of a damaged car and pride).
Having already published a whole bunch of photos and information on the 2010 Meriva, Opel and sister brand Vauxhall came out with a couple of videos of their newest entry in the small MPV segment that will have its world premiere at the Geneva Salon in March.
The practical five-seater model with suicide rear doors will be offered with six turbocharged diesel and gasoline engines, spanning from 75HP to 140HP. Watch both videos after the break.
Chevrolet isn't the only brand in the GM Group playing around with vivid colors and special editions that hark back to models of the 60s and 70s. So is the firm's European division Opel that has released a new exclusive edition of the Corsa supermini called 'Color Race' inspired from the late 1960s - early 1970s Rallye Kadett B Sprint.
However, unlike the sporty Kadett that combined exclusive styling cues with performance enhancements, the Corsa Color Race's upgrades are limited to cosmetic upgrades.
The three-door Color Race is available with a choice of three exterior finishes - Sunny Melon Yellow color, Casablanca White and Magma Red- and comes with a standard black hood as well as side and tailgate appliqués with a checkered flag motif, black painted roof and black 17-inch alloy wheels.
The special edition model's interior features matching color highlights such as special seat stitching and vent bezels, a Panorama sunroof and a leather-clad steering wheel.
The Corsa Color Race is offered with the same range of engines as the other 2010 Corsa models including the new 1.4-liter gasoline unit with 87HP or 100HP and the 130HP 1.7-liter CDTI turbo diesel that returns a combined fuel consumption of just 4.5-liter per 100 km or 52.3 mpg US.
Pricing in Germany starts from €15,560 or at today's exchange rates, approximately US$22,500.
Those of you that have followed the WRC the past few decades will surely remember the Opel Ascona 400, the last rear-wheel drive rally car to win the driver's World Championship in 1982 with Walter Röhrl before the iconic Audi Coupe Quattro paved the way for all-wheel drive models.
Fast-forward almost thirty years, and the (road-going) Ascona's spiritual successor, the Insignia (2010 Buick Regal in the States), is now offered with an Adaptive 4x4 system as an option on the 220HP 2.0-liter and standard on the 2.8 V6 Turbo and OPC models.
In this promo video, the 2.4-liter Ascona 400 Rally Car is pitched against the Insignia 4x4 in a race on ice. Behind the steering wheel of the Ascona 400 is rally legend Christian Geistdörfer while the modern-day Insignia is driven by racing talent Sina Winkelhock, daughter of Jockel Winkelhock.
Even though the mainstream variants of the production Astra GTC will lose the muscular bumpers, LEDs and tall 21-inch wheels of the design study, it's safe to say that what you see here is more or less what you'll get when the car arrives in Opel and Vauxhall showrooms across Europe in 2011.
