Opel auto news

Official: Opel reaches milestone 150th anniversary [w/video]

One hundred and fifty years. That's a mighty long time for any company to have been around, much less an automaker. Particularly since the automobile has only been around for 125 years or so. But while Opel, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, is known primarily as an automaker, cars are only part of its long business history.

Founded in 1862, Opel started out making sewing machines, and over the course of the last century and a half, has produced bicycles, motorcycles, rockets and refrigerators along with cars and trucks. Well over 50 million automobiles, in fact, as the company hit that particular milestone back in 1999.

Since 1929, Opel has been part of General Motors, and today - together with its British sister brand Vauxhall - its 40,500 employees produce more than a million vehicles every year in six different countries, selling them in over 40. Want to know more about Opel's history? Follow the jump for the full press release and a three-minute video, and check out the historical photos in our high-res image gallery.

Continue reading Opel reaches milestone 150th anniversary [w/video]

Report: Opel Ampera delayed over Chevy Volt battery fears

Automotive News reports Opel is delaying delivery of its Ampera extended-range hybrid to customers. The plug-in gas-electric hatchbacks have already arrived at dealers across Europe, but the automaker wants to ensure the vehicles' batteries are safe even in the event of an accident. The delay comes on the heels of a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration evaluation which saw its Chevrolet Volt twin catch fire three weeks after a series of crash tests. Since the Volt and Ampera are mechanically identical, Opel says that it wants to set up a process to deal with the batteries to make sure they're safe.

Both the Volt and the Ampera are assembled at the General Motors plant in Hamtramck, Michigan, and both make use of lithium-ion batteries to power their electric motors. GM has offered to buy back any Chevrolet Volt models from owners concerned about the safety of their vehicle, but few have taken them up on the offer. The company is currently working on a solution to the fire issue, and the U.S. government is investigating why it took NHTSA so long to bring the battery pack problem to light.

Video: If you seek humor, tear down this wall (with an Opel Corsa)

Is there any higher form of comedy than Eastern Europeans doing stupid things with cars? This latest YouTube stunner features the usual stock characters: A guy wearing track pants, his cheap 15-year-old hatchback, and an audience egging him on. We'll not give away the entire plot, but it involves an Opel with a trailer hitch, some high-tensile cord and a two-story brick wall. Let's just say that the guy was given enough rope, barely...

Now be forewarned, this is an eight-plus-minute video. You will be as tempted to scrub forward to find the money shot as we are to give you the timecode when it happens. But we're not going to do that, as the payoff is pretty spectacular. Watch the video after the jump.

Continue reading If you seek humor, tear down this wall (with an Opel Corsa)

Official: GM vice chairman Girsky named Opel boss

Reilly recently stepped down from his position with Opel and will retire from GM early next year, leaving as the German automaker struggles to produce consistent earnings. The Detroit News points out that the company posted a loss in the last quarter after turning two quarters of profit. GM CEO Dan Akerson is quoted as saying that with Grisky on point at Opel, shareholders can expect the brand to return to "sustainable profitability."

No pressure, Grisky.

Earlier, Akerson warned that the European auto market may be headed for a deeper economic downturn, and that the implosion may have widespread repercussions. Grisky does seem to have a plan for Opel, however, saying that he intends to optimize the company's cost structure, improve its margins and better leverage GM's scale to the company's benefit. Hit the jump for the press release.

Continue reading GM vice chairman Girsky named Opel boss

Report: Opel pondering Manta redux?

On the one hand, Opel continues to pump out good looking sedans, hatches and wagons with some gumption and motoring chops. Meanwhile, there have also been so many proposed new products and segment competitors for the German brand (Calibra, standalone Astra cabrio, Insignia crossover, Junior hatch, vans, etc) that sometimes we wonder which way the lightning bolt is going. The latest imagining of new Opel wares comes from chairman Karl-Friedrich Stracke, who says he could see modern takes on both the Opel Manta and Opel GT.

The Manta was a sport coupe rendition of the Opel 1900 that didn't just take on the Ford Capri, but also Group B rallying. They were praised by American scribes for their handling but they never really caught on - certainly not like the GT, which sold more than 70,000 units in North America. Nevertheless, while it's true that Opel doesn't have a true sport coupe or sports car in its range, we wonder where and how a new Manta and/or GT would fit, especially considering what could be done with the supposedly forthcoming Calibra. Unless either one of those could be the small Opel that General Motors supposedly wants to bring to the U.S....

Official: 2012 Opel Astra OPC gets 280 horsepower, 155 mph top speed

We ogled the curvaceous Opel Astra GTC at Frankfurt, but this is the one we've really been waiting for: The OPC version. Standing for Opel Performance Center, "OPC" is similar to the Honda "Type R" or BMW "M" nomenclature, although not nearly as well known. The 2012 Astra OPC could change that in a hurry.

GM's European division has really done a number on the compact hatchback to make it worthy of the badge, dropping a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four with direct injection underhood. The 280-horsepower engine is also good for 295 lb-ft of torque, and GM says the Astra OPC can do all of 155 mph. Like the Astra GTC, the OPC uses the HiPerStrut front suspension with adjustable dampers, steering and throttle, thanks to the FlexRide control system. But the top-of-the-line Astra model adds a limited-slip front differential to help control all that turbo torque. Brembo brakes, special front and rear fascias, dual exhaust, performance seats, a special steering wheel and new instrumentation round out the OPC package.

The Astra OPC will also be sold as the Vauxhall Astra VXR in the U.K.

Of course, the first question any of us here in the States have is, "Will we get it?" To which the answer is, per usual, not likely. If we do get any version of the Astra, it's much more likely to be the GTC, which could potentially be sold as a coupe version of the Buick Verano. Read the entire press release after the jump.

Continue reading 2012 Opel Astra OPC gets 280 horsepower, 155 mph top speed

Report: Next Opel / Vauxhall Astra cabrio to be standalone model

The Opel Astra CC suffers from the same ailment as other small, hardtop convertibles like the Renault Megane and Peugeot 308 cc: an ungainly backside. Stowing a tin roof that needs to cover four people inside a small car just blows things up in the rear. That's why the head of General Motors design in Europe says that the next Astra cabrio won't be a hardtop, but return to cloth.

And in fact, it won't even be called "Astra." Set to bow in 2012, it will break from that nomenclature and forge its own - as yet unknown - brand path. "This car demands a new name," it was said, because "it will look nothing like an Astra," burdened as it will be with continuing the fight to raise Opel and Vauxhall cachet as, a battle begun with the Insignia.

We thought the Opel GTC we saw at the Frankfurt Auto Show was pretty hot - put a softtop on that and hold its stance, and we'd applaud. But if Opel has something even better in mind, well then bring on 2012. We can't wait to see it.

Submit your questions for Autoblog #248 LIVE

We record Episode #248 of the Autoblog Podcast tonight, and you can drop us your questions via our Q&A module below. Check out our discussion topics or chime in to help determine what else the crew chats about this evening. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.

Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #248

• Zach's Targa Newfoundland Odyssey
• Hyundai Veloster
• The end of the Ford Crown Victoria
• Chevrolet Caprice PPV

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Report: Is the Opel RAK e electric concept headed for production?

Soon after unveiling the Opel RAK e concept at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, General Motors of Europe president Nick Reilly revealed to Autocar that the RAK e is a "very serious concept," adding that Opel is currently investigating production feasibility and believes the two-seat electric could launch with a £9,000 price tag (Around $14,216 U.S. including England's massive Value Added Tax)

The RAK e's lead designer told Autocar that the lightweight concept has been constructed "with production in mind." Meanwhile, Reilly says, "We've got to work on costs and we've got to refine [the RAK e] and do it right."

Autocar claims the RAK e could replace Opel's now-abandoned electric version of the Junior minicar, which was recently scrapped due to "excessively high" costs. While we'd be thrilled to see the RAK e enter the production cycle, there seems to be no indication that it will ever come to the States.

Frankfurt: Opel RAK e electric concept looks to the future of low-cost urban motoring

Before we delve into the details of the RAK e electric concept, let's step back in time with a brief historical primer. The oldest industrial division within General Motors' current portfolio, Opel started as a sewing machine manufacturer way back in 1862. Evolving to the production of bicycles soon after, Opel's presence in wheeled transportation turned to automobiles in 1899. Now, at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, Opel looks to the future with its debut of the ultra-modern RAK e Concept.

Back in 1928, Opel captivated the media with its experimental rocket-powered RAK 2. Its streamlined shape and solid-fuel rocket propulsion system demonstrated Opel's vision of the future. Developed 83 years after the RAK 2, the RAK e tandem 1+1 concept projects Opel's take on personal urban mobility.

As an experimental design and technical platform, the RAK e is a narrow four-wheeler built around a steel space frame. Built with an eye toward inexpensive materials, the RAK e is a lightweight (838 pounds) concept presented as a vehicle that Opel says even the youngest of buyers could afford.

Propulsion for the RAK e comes from a 49-horsepower electric motor that draws juice from a five-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Range is listed at up to 62 miles and operating costs are claimed to be only one euro per 100 kilometers ($2.19 per 100 miles).

Follow the jump to read over the complete press release from Opel and be sure to check out our live photos of the RAK e in the high-res image gallery.

Continue reading Opel RAK e electric concept looks to the future of low-cost urban motoring