Opel Astra OPC / Vauxhall Astra VXR

Opel (plus Vauxhall) will be using the forth coming Geneva motorshow to showcase the Astra OPC EXTREME (Vauxhall Astra VXR EXTREME) which will become the basis for a future, low-volume production model.

Derived from the last year's Astra Cup race car that competed in the Nürburgring Endurance Championship, the EXTREME is a road-legal motorsport base model that will top the current Astra range, sitting above the current Astra VXR in terms of performance and cost.

The EXTREME design study boast a lightweight design, two competition 'bucket' seats, roll cage and race harnesses - the road model will be slightly less, well, extreme.

The current Astra OPC/VXR is now the best-selling OPC/VXR model and, very tellingly, the UK remains the largest market in Europe for Vauxhall and Opel's highest powered models.

 Live coverage of the Nürburgring 24 hours:-

http://www.24h-rennen.de/live/

Irmscher Astra

Irmscher launched their tuning options for the Opel/Vauxhall Astra on their stand at the IAA (Frankfurt motor show) yesterday. For those who find the standard new Astra a tad run-of-the-mill Irmscher {link} are offering a comprehensive range of styling products, both exterior and interior.
Exterior styling products include a front spoiler/lip for the bumper, sideskirts, a rear diffuser/spoiler plus a roof spoiler. The traditional Irmscher grille is available for the new Astra in either stainless steel or carbon effect.
Dynamic improvements include 18” wheels (20” wheels are currently being developed), 30mm lowering springs and a quad piped, twin exit (left and right) stainless steel exhaust back box that offers better through flow, a sportier sound and improved aesthetics.
Irmscher are offering complete leather interior for the new Astra (including seats, door panels and centre rests), aluminium door pins, pedals and stainless steel sill covers.

Magna seal deal to buy Opel and Vauxhall.

The German government have announced that GM are in the process of selling 55% of their European car manufacturing arm to Canadian car part manufacturer Magna.

Whilst much speculation suggested that GM would like to keep hold of Opel and Vauxhall conditions put in place by both American and German governments may well have forced GM into parting with companies it would have preferred to retain. Tellingly it was the German government that announced the sale of Opel and Vauxhall to their favoured bidder. Exact details of finance and time scales for the hand over have yet to be released.

With the Frankfurt motor show just days away an end to speculation as to who will own Opel should help them launch the new Astra with increased confidence.

Crunch time for GM Europe.

(New) General Motors are expected to announce what the future holds for Opel/Vauxhall as they announce who is buying (or not selling) GM Europe today at a press conference in Berlin, Germany.
It is thought that GM really do not want to sell the mainstay of GM Europe, hence the length of time they have deliberated about the sale and why no real news of favoured buyers has been released. Two days worth of meetings have been held in Detroit, America, by GM in an attempt to keep GM Europe in their control.
Whether GM not selling is a realistic option remains to be seen, the German Government (the the Opel Trust which is currently running GM Europe) have a very important say in the final decision on the future of both Opel and Vauxhall. So far all the Germans have said is „The €1.5 billion bridging credit is a loan. And a loan is a loan. GM must pay back the €1.5 billion under the conditions that we agreed on for Opel” and that there will be no more monies available should GM close factories in Germany. Whether this signals acceptance that GM are keeping GM Europe remains to be seen.
Certainly GM, Opel and the German government need a swift conclusion, the Frankfurt motor show and a German general election preclude any more stalling. The German voters and European car buying public need to know who owns Opel/Vauxhall and how secure their future is.....

Astra debut.

Opel {link}, along with sister company Vauxhall {link}, are debuting the new Astra at this month’s Frankfurt motor show (IAA). The 5 door model will be available almost immediately after the show and this Astra is possibly one of the most important models for the struggling car manufacturer, should it receive bad reviews and be unpopular with the public the future for the European arm of GM would not be healthy. Opel and Vauxhall have chosen to debut the 5 door model as this is the body design which dominates old Astra sales.
More economical engines and a modern, Insignia based, design seem to almost guarantee a good reception with the motoring press and European car buying public.
There will be a range of 7 engines available for the Astra as soon as sales start. Power options vary from 95 to 180PS with a six speed automatic gearbox available for the 1400 turbo, 1600 and 1600 turbo petrol engines as well as the 2 litre diesel.
Also debuting at the IAA {link} is an Ecoflex version of the Astra (pictured) using a 1300ccm diesel engine. Expected to become one of the more popular models withing the Astra range the Ecoflex will be available in showrooms in early 2010.

Vauxhall (Opel) Astra

The first official pictures of the new Vauxhall Astra {link} have been released today. The Astra, which is responsible for approx 30% of all Vauxhall {link} sales, takes its styling cues from the well received Insignia. (Opel sales figures for the Astra also average out at approx 30% of total car sales)

The British made Astra is due to offer Adaptive Damping as standard and Adaptive Forward Lighting as an option both of which are new to its class. Adaptive Damping will offer the Astra driver a choice of three settings pre-determined damper settings, Standard - Sport - Tour, although each setting will react and adapt to driving style and corner speeds. This, in conjunction with a 71mm longer chassis than the current Astra, is expected to ensure class leading ride refinement and excellent handling characteristics.

All 8 engines available at the launch of the new Astra will comply to the latest Euro 5 emission regulations. A new petrol engine debuts in the Astra, the new 140PS turbocharged 1.4 litre petrol engine offers the emission and consumption of a small capacity engine with the performance of a larger sized engine.

Vauxhall are aiming to make the new Astra a premium product and promise the interior will follow the same concept as that seen in the Insignia (as this article was written there were no pictures or information available about the interior).

The Astra is being launched at September's Frankfurt Motorshow with both Vauxhall and Opel sales starting before the end of the year.

Opel / Vauxhall Astra.

September 2009 sees the launch (all being well) of the latest incarnation of the Opel / Vauxhall Astra.

Taking design elements from the well received Insignia the new Astra aims to build upon the reputation forged by the current model. The modern yet functional design is pleasing on the eye but still distinctive in an age of bland cars.

The new Astra hatchback has grown some 15cms in length compared to the outgoing model whilst the estate, to be known as the Sports Tourer, is 20cms longer. All new Astras will benefit from a higher specification as standard along with a range of new (to the Astra) features including four wheel drive, adaptive damping, and electronic parking brake.

Motivation will be supplied by a range of new and current engines including a 1.4 petrol in both turbocharged and non-turbocharged form plus a wide selection of diesel engines including the ever popular 1700 turbo. The new 1.4 non-turbo engine will offer exceptionally low emissions and make use of a start-stop system.

A new sports variant is designed to compete directly against Volkswagen's popular relaunched Scirocco and will be known as the GTC is Europe and (more than likely) the VXR in the UK.

Prices have yet to be announced but there is not expected to be much variance from the current model.

Opel & Vauxhall to stop building cabriolets?

With both companies in a state of turmoil it appears that Opel (and Vauxhall) may be calling time on their range of cabriolets. The Opel Astra Twin Top, GT and Tigra plus the Vauxhall Astra Twin Top and Tigra have not sold in numbers high enough to justify them as part of the struggling car groups model range.

Problems with the complex solid roof on the Astra and Tigra have not helped sales, nor has the lack of price advantage. Sales have seemingly started to stagnate and with the global economic downturn in full swing the Opel and Vauxhall cabriolets may be high profile victims of restructuring and cost savings.

Opel / Vauxhall Ampera

Opel / Vauxhall launched the Ampera at this month's Geneva Motorshow. Far from being a show stopping concept the Ampera is scheduled for a 2012 launch - if the two companies survive the current economic turmoil they find themselves in!

Designed to offer a range of over 300 miles the Ampera is a revolutionary 5 seat electric car although it does have an internal combustion engine to charge the battery / provide electricity when the battery is depleted. Using battery power along the Ampera's range is a mere 40 miles but with boosts from the motor this streches more than 300 miles.

The battery can be charged at home or work using 'normal' electricity (i.e. 240 volt standard main power) ensuring the Ampera is practical and user friendly. As this is written the battery packs designed for the Ampera are being tested to destruction by Opel and Vauxhall engineers who are aiming to ensure that no spraks fly regarding the reliability of the Ampera.....

Dakar 2009

Tomorrow sees the start of the 2009 Dakar {link}.
German manufacturers are well represented on the entry list with the works Volkswagens starting the event as joing favourites for outright victory. Below is a list of the top 20 starters (in the car section) plus other notable German powered vehicles.

Cars in bold are pictured in this post, underlined means there's a link through to the team's website.

300	Stephane Peterhansel Jean-Paul Cottret		Mitsubishi Lancer
301	Carlos Sainz, Michel Perin		Volkswagen Touareg
302	Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah, Tina Thorner		BMW X3 CC
303	Luc Alphand, Gilles Picard		Mitsubishi Lancer
304	Joan "Nani" Roma, Lucas Cruz Senra		Mitsubishi Lancer
305	Giniel De Villiers, Dirk Von Zitzewitz		Volkswagen Touareg
306	Guerlain Chicherit, Matthieu Baumel		BMW X3 CC
307	Dieter Depping, Timo Gottschalk		Volkswagen Touareg
308	Mark Miller, Ralph Pitchford		Volkswagen Touareg
309	Robby Gordon, Andy Grider		Hummer H3
310	Hiroshi Masuoka, Pascal Maimon		Mitsubishi Lancer
312	Christian Lavieille		Proto Dessoude
313	Miguel Barbosa, Miguel Ramalho		BMW X3
314	Stephane Henrard, Serge Bruynkens		Volkswagen Buggy HRT TDI
315	Orlando Terranova, Alain Guehennec		BMW X3 CC
316	Leonid Novitskiy, Oleg Tyupenkin		BMW X3 CC
317	Krzysztof Holowczyc, Jean-Marc Fortin		Nissan Navara
318	Peter Van Merksteijn, Eddy Chevaillier		BMW X3 CC
319	Jean De Azevedo, Youssef Haddad		Mitsubishi Pajero
320	Thierry Magnaldi, Guy Leneveu		Buggy SMG Porsche
325	Yvan Muller		Buggy SMG MONO Porsche
329	Balazs Szalay, Laszlo Bunkoczi		Opel Antara V6 RR
330	Rene Kuipers, Filipe Palmeiro		BMW X3 CC
335	Alfie Cox, Jurgen Schroder		Buggy SMG Porsche
347	Ricardo Leal Dos Santos, Filipe Palmeiro		BMW X5 CC
360	Erik Van Loon, Marc Wams		Volkswagen Buggy HRT TDI
361	Albert Michiels, Cedric Legein		Volkswagen Buggy HRT TDI
381	Jean-Pascal Besson, Yves Kornstein		Mercedes M Class
385	Etienne Smulevici, Jean-Jacques Martinez		Buggy SMG Porsche
386	Christian Barbier, Jean-Michel Richaud		Mitsubishi Pajero
387	Eric Bernard, Jean-Noel Cornuaille		BMW X3
395	Javier Herrador, Victor Vico		BMW X5
417	Werner Zoetaert, Katrien Boussier		Audi TT Buggy
455	Mark Dutton, Simon Dutton		Buggy Bremont Audi
492	Daniel Saskin, Damir Bruneruan		Opel Antara V6 RR

Insignia by Steinmetz

Steinmetz {link} have debuted their tuning package for the new Opel (Vauxhall) Insignia and it looks stunning! Whilst offering nothing revolutionary the Steinmetz package certainly adds more style to the standard car.
By lowering the Insignia and fitting some highly attractive 20" wheels (available in either white or anthracite with polished spokes and rim) Steinmetz have made the Opel (or Vauxhall) look more purposeful and dramatic immediately. Add on the deep front spoiler and large black badgeless grille and the end result is most impressive.
Along the side of the Insignia Steinmetz have opted for subtle but effective styling touches, using pinstripes to great effect.
The rear of the Steimetz Insignia benefits from a new twin pipe (left and right) exhaust back box which offers better sound quality, a little extra performance and a far sportier appearance.
With the insignia being such a new car tuners have had little time to develop a complete package for the car and Steinmetz are exactly the same. Expect them to add new products for the Insignia for many months to come.

Irmscher Opel / Vauxhall Insignia

The Opel / Vauxhall Insignia has yet to reach dealer’s showrooms and yet reknown GM tuners Irmscher {link} are already offering a range of styling products for it!
Ranging from the traditionally styled Irmscher cross hatch front grille (either in black or stainless steel) to side skirts, front spoiler and rear spoiler. Also available are a range of alloy wheels in a variety of sizes (up to a maximum diameter of 20”) finishes and designs plus a suspension kit that should lower the Insignia approximately 20mm.
Also in the pipeline but not available at the launch of the Insignia are a rear diffuser and twin exit exhaust system.

Opel Aura.

The launch of the Vectra replacement is fast approaching with Opel {link} dealerships preparing for the new Aura. Probably the most import Opel launch for many years the Aura needs to be instantly successful. With an elegant, almost coupe, design both hatchback and saloon certainly look good. The estate version also strikes an impressive pose.
Opel have invested heavily in making the Aura a more dynamic vehicle than its predecessor the Vectra with adaptive damping and even four wheel drive being available.
A larger selection of four and six cylinder engines (diesel and petrol) will be used in the Aura with top range models having between 200PS and 280PS.

Opel in 2008.

Opel {link} have an important new model release in 2008, plus a few additions to their current models, a face lift and a new version of a current model. First up, just after the New Year parties have died down, is the face lift of the Zafira. Hot on the heels of the updated Zafira is the new Agila in early spring. The middle of 2008 sees Opel launch their Ecoflex model designation into the Astra, Corsa, Meriva and Zafira ranges. The replacement for the Vectra is available from the end of autumn with the saloon Aura arriving in dealers a few months before the Aura estate.
The Opel Ecoflex models are optimised to offer the best environmental performance possible by using slightly revised aerodynamics, light weight materials, altered gearing and different tyres. Similar in concept to Mercedes’ Bluetec, Volkswagen’s Bluemotion and Skoda’s Green Line, Opel’s Ecoflex models concentrate on better economy and lower emissions. Opel’s first Ecoflex model will be a 1300cc CDTi Corsa in mid-spring.

Opel Flextreme.

Another German stunner at the Tokyo Motorshow was Opel’s Flextreme. Designed with the commuter in mind the Flextreme is an electric car with a difference. Using battery power for propulsion the Flextreme does have an internal combustion engine too. Surprisingly the 1300cc diesel engine isn’t connected to the wheels at all, instead it is used to generate electricity to charge the batteries should extra charge be required. Using battery power alone the Opel Flextreme has a range of approx 35 miles, ideal for most commuters apparently. A simple plug-in and charge system allows the Flextreme’s batteries to be recharged simply and quickly (Approx 3 hours charge time.).
Based on the Opel Astra Estate platform the Flextreme makes maximum use of space and technology using touch screen displays, lightweight plastic body and large wide opening doors (suicide style for the rear passengers).
Whilst the Flextreme is highly unlikely to see production GM and Opel {link} aim to introduce a range of hybrid vehicles around 2010.