An electronic invitation to the press conference that Opel and sister company Vauxhall will hold at the 64th Frankfurt International Motor Show on September 13 gives us our first sneak peek at the firm's upcoming concept model. Read more »
Showing posts with label Vauxhall. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vauxhall. Show all posts
Opel Teases Frankfurt-Bound Concept Model through Invitation
An electronic invitation to the press conference that Opel and sister company Vauxhall will hold at the 64th Frankfurt International Motor Show on September 13 gives us our first sneak peek at the firm's upcoming concept model. Read more »
Opel Working on Several New Models Including Calibra Coupe and Small SUV
General Motors Europe president Nick Reilly has confirmed several new models for the group's joint Opel and Vauxhall division, including a new small city car. Reilly recently told Autonews that the so-called "Junior" Opel will be positioned as a premium model targeting “people who care about the status of their car, what it can do, what features and telematics it has”.
Reilly says his previous experience as the CEO of GM Daewoo in Korea has been helpful in developing the small Opel: “We learned quite a lot in Korea, where they actually make money in small cars”. His intention is to make the “Junior” a profitable project for Opel.
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Opel Promises to Wow Frankfurt Crowds with a Mystery Sports Concept
General Motor's Opel / Vauxhall division revealed today that it will pull the wraps off a brand new concept study at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.
The European automaker did not disclose any specific details simply stating the experimental car will explore "a new interpretation of ‘driving fun’" and "emphasise the company’s passion for driver-focused vehicles", adding that it will "wow the press and public with its level of innovation."
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Opel Says Second Generation Ampera Will be Cheaper, More Stylish
Even though deliveries of Opel’s extended-range hybrid aren’t expected to begin until early 2012, the company is already planning the successor to the Chevy Volt’s European alter-ego.
According to British magazine Autocar, the second generation of the Opel / Vauxhall Ampera is scheduled for release in 2015 and, if sources from within the company are reliable, it feature a more radical design and a lower starting price than the current model.
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Frankfurt Preview: Irmscher Sports up the New Opel Astra GTC
Well-known Opel tuner, Irmscher, is one of the first to get its hands on the new generation of the Astra GTC revealing details on its customazation program ahead of the car's world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
The upgrade starts with a performance package for the Astra GTC with the 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine. A stage 1 kit lifts output from 180-horses and 230Nm to 212HP and 274 Nm (202 lb-ft).
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Opel Increases Market Share in Europe, GM Still not Happy
Opel has increased its share in Europe this year, with sales rising 6% up to May, giving the brand a market share of 7.4%, compared to 7% in 2010. So mother company GM must be satisfied, right?
Well, not entirely, according to Automotive News. And that’s because Opel’s cars are technologically advanced and due to high German working rates, are quite expensive to manufacture. However, they cannot be sold in prices similar to direct competitors such as Volkswagen because they lack their rivals’ image.
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Today’s Cars Are Nigh Impossible to Steal, Says Motor Industry
In the UK, car theft is down by more than 60% over the last seven years thanks to improvements in anti-theft technology. Coded car keys, alarms, immobilisers, better locks, strengthened glass and built-in tracking devices have made the modern automobile virtually impossible to steal.
Some 80% of car thefts now require would-be thieves to steal the owner’s keys or otherwise load their targets onto trailers for transport. And even then, tracking systems in some high-end cars mean these cars are recovered rather quickly.
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2013 Opel Astra Convertible Spy Photos and Video Outline New Softop Model
Our spies have photographed and filmed the new Opel (Vauxhall in Britain) Astra Convertible on test in Germany. The vehicles caught testing here are early prototype models as the front doors appear to be carried over complete with their frames from the hatchback model.
Nevertheless, we are offered out first look at the open-top version of the new Astra series, which is planned to go on sale by early 2013. The most important change over the previous Astra TwinTop is the replacement of the more complicated, heavier and costly retractable metal roof with a traditional fabric hood.
Report: GM Fed up with Opel, but a Sale isn’t on the Table
They say, where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and true enough in the case of GM’s relationship with its European subsidiary Opel, there seems to be a lot of smoke piling up lately. Just yesterday, press reports from Auto Bild and Spiegel Online said that GM is looking for a buyer, but the news was quickly dismissed by spokespeople from both Opel and the government of Germany's state of Thuringia, home to one of the brand’s factories.
Today, Reuters came out with a new report saying the Detroit automaker is “frustrated” with its money-losing Opel brand and is “considering options for a turnaround”, noting, however, that a sale of the Opel brand is highly unlikely.
"Akerson is fed up with Opel, and the turnaround isn't gaining traction," a unnamed source who is close to the GM CEO told Reuters. "He is trying to think of all possibilities to improve performance. But a sale is wishful thinking,” the source added.
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GM Denies Reports Claiming Plans to Sell its Opel Brand Possibly to the Chinese or VW Group
German car magazine Auto Bild and weekly Der Spiegel reported Thursday that General Motors is once again considering the sale of its Opel and Vauxhall units. The reports were dismissed as pure speculation by the Detroit automaker as well as a German state with an Opel factory, which called the news “nonsense”.
According to the news reports, GM allegedly was no longer in need of Opel’s know-how in manufacturing small cars as well as low emission and fuel efficient powerplants and that it could replace the German brand with its South Korean GM Chevrolet unit, formerly known as Daewoo.
Opel Officially Reveals 2012 Astra GTC, High-Po OPC Coming Next Year
This is General Motors’ brand new Opel Astra GTC revealed more than two months ahead of its world premiere at the 64th International Motor Show in Frankfurt, Germany, in mid-September. The newest member of Opel’s ever-growing Astra family will go on sale across Europe including the United Kingdom where it will be available as a Vauxhall later this year. Recent reports also suggest it may come to the States under the Buick brand.
GM’s European subsidiary is confident about its new Astra GTC with Vauxhall going as far as to claim that it will “lay down the gauntlet to VW’s Scirocco and Renault’s Megane Coupe with a heady mix of dynamic excellence, dramatic design features and competitive pricing".
Vauxhall Insignia gains New 1.4-Liter Turbo Petrol and Improved EcoFlex Diesels
It’s model-year changeover over time for the Vauxhall Insignia with the British company announcing the addition of a low emissions ecoFLEX diesel model and a new-to-the-range 1.4 Turbo petrol engine. Read more »
British Study Reveals the Most Popular Hairdresser’s Car in Real Life
And no, despite what you may have heard or read, the Audi TT ain’t the most popular car among hairdressers – or at least not in Britain. According to a new study made available today by UK women's car insurance specialist Diamond, that title goes to…*drums please*…the one and only, MINI One hatchback. In fact, the BMW Group’s MINI brand had two vehicles in the top five positions.
The UK insurance firm came to this conclusion after looking at data from over 18,000 hairdressers in Britain. The company said the MINI One is three and a half times more likely to be driven by someone working as a hairdresser than everyone else.
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SCOOP: Is this the New 2013 Opel / Vauxhall Astra Convertible?
With the new sporty looking three-door Astra GTC on its way and the Astra Sedan outlined by its sister models from Buick’s US (2012 Verano) and China (Excelle) divisions, the only body style left to complete the range of Opel’s C-segment model series is the convertible version.
Recently, our spies in Germany caught a glimpse of an Astra-based model, which appears to be the cabriolet variant of the series. While we can’t be 100 percent sure, it is clear that this Astra has a boot while the close ups reveal a more raked rear windshield line than you’d normally expect to see on a four-door family sedan.
To get an idea of what the Astra Convertible might look like, here's our artist’s impression based on the upcoming GTC model. Even though our image of Opel’s VW Golf Cabriolet contender was styled with a soft-top, it has not yet been revealed if the German company will adopt this solution or if it will continue to use the current Astra TwinTop’s retractable metal roof.
New Opel Zafira Tourer Receives its Video Debut
Across the pond, General Motors is upping the ante in the popular compact MPV sector with the introduction of Opel’s third generation Zafira model that will go on sale in most European countries this autumn. The production version of Opel’s Geneva show concept will also wear Vauxhall’s badges with the first cars to reach UK showrooms by early 2012.
We have already brought you the news and the first batch of photos in our previous post (see here), but now we have also obtained the launch film showing Opel’s people carrier on the move.
Read more »
All-New 2012 Opel Zafira 7-Seater Minivan Breaks Cover Ahead of Frankfurt Motor Show
Meet the new Opel Zafira Tourer, which was revealed today in its final production form before a global premiere at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany this fall. General Motors’ European division had previewed its new range-topping people carrier as a concept model at the Geneva Salon this past March.
The Zafira nameplate was first launched onto the market in 1999 with Opel having introduced a second-generation model in 2005. Now in its third iteration, the new Zafira will attempt to expand its customer base by adding a more impressive design and a more premium feel to the mix of qualities that are typical of the minivan segment.
Unrestricted Vauxhall Insignia VXR with 170mph Top Speed Available for the UK
Following last month’s presentation of the Opel Insignia OPC Unlimited, Vauxhall introduced its own version of the performance sedan with the VXR moniker featuring the de-restricted package. The Unlimited option removes the standard Insignia VXR’s 155mph (250 km/h) restrictor, allowing Vauxhall’s range-topper to exploit its all-wheel-drive chassis and 325HP turbocharged 2.8-litre V6 engine to the full topping out at 170mph (274 km/h). Read more »
2012 Opel Astra GTC Sport Hatch is…Virtually Here: First Official Images and Video of Production Model
General Motors’ Opel division is getting ready to take the wraps off the all-new Astra GTC as the company released the first official renderings and a video of the production model shown in a virtual landscape.
The new sharp looking, three-door version of the Astra, will be revealed in the flesh and in detail in just six week’s time, on June 7, well ahead of its world premiere at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show, on September 15. Both Opel and its sister company in the UK, Vauxhall, will begin accepting orders in the summer with first deliveries expected this fall.
SCOOP: 2012 Opel Zafira MPV Uncovered
These are the latest and most revealing spy shots of the upcoming 2012 Opel Zafira minivan (to be sold under the Vauxhall brand in the UK), which will receive its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September before going on sale across Europe this fall.
The new Zafira was previewed in conceptual form at the Geneva Salon in March and will sit atop the Meriva in Opel’s MPV range rivaling the likes of Ford’s C-Max and Citroen’s Grand C4 Picasso.
From the looks of the lightly camouflaged test model, the Zafira has remained close to the Geneva concept car, with the most visible changes concerning the shape of the mirrors and the lower parts of the front and rear bumpers along with the reduced angle of the kink in the rear-side window.
Read more »
Opel Reveals Hotted up Corsa OPC Nurburgring Edition with 210-horsepower
Based on the recently refreshed Corsa OPC, the Nurburgring Edition is a limited series version of Opel’s hot-hatch of which only 500 units will be produced. However, exclusivity is not its only advantage. The special edition Corsa OPC receives an increase of 18HP, so that the 1.6-liter turbocharged engine goes from 192 to 210HP, posting an impressive power rating of 131.4 hp per liter. Read more »
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