Road Test: Opel Astra OPC

The hot hatch segment is tougher than ever before and manufacturers are pushing the limits of design and technology. They need to squeeze the most out of their 2.0-litre turbocharged engines, which isn’t a difficult task, what is difficult though is getting that power onto the road.

The Golf GTI has set the benchmark over the years facing off against some tough competition from Ford, Renault and Opel. They have all tried to dethrone the GTI to no avail, now though, Opel has unleashed its most powerful production Astra produced to date and its got the GTI lined up for a head shot.

For starters the Opel Astra OPC definitely looks the part. I maintain that it’s the best looking out of all the current hot hatches. It provides an expression of a passion for power and speed. The sporty profile of the vehicle is enhanced by the incorporation of a carefully sculpted aero treatment. Front and rear bumpers, side skirts, an aerodynamic roof spoiler and two, fully integrated, trapezoidal shaped exhaust tail pipes, define the external shape of the Astra OPC with its base shape derived from the Astra GTC. Wheel rims are 20-inch forged alloy for an added statement of performance.

The driver’s cockpit is defined by the flat bottom steering wheel and light-weight sports type bucket seats. The steering wheel takes its styling cue directly from a motorsports environment and is ten millimeters in diameter smaller that the item found in the regular Astra, for a more precise, sporty and direct steering sensation. Thumb areas are sculpted into the steering wheel for optimized grip and visibility of the instruments.

To knock the GTI well off of its pedestal, the OPC has been given a 206 kW turbocharged direct injection 2-0-litre, 4-cylinder, engine with maximum torque of 400 Nm. This enables the Astra OPC to sprint from 0-100 km/h in just 6 seconds with an electrically governed top speed of 250 km/h.

Opel’s OPC group has designed a high performance chassis specifically targeted at optimized lateral dynamics and superb handling qualities to complement the 206 kW/400 Nm drive train of the new Astra OPC. The Astra doesn’t ride as soft as the GTI, but then again, it’s more performance focused. It’s designed to get around corners as fast as possible and it does. On a track or mountain pass, my money would be on the OPC.

Sending all of the OPCs power to the road requires some fancy mechanical wizardry. Opel have fitted a multi-plate limited slip differential, which ensures that the maximum torque possible is transferred to the road, with the minimum of traction loss and wheel spin. At the core of the limited slip differential is a series of clutch plates that engage under different load conditions, such as when the road surface varies, or when severe acceleration forces are encountered, to inhibit wheel spin.

Despite the performance and handling prowess, I do however have a few reservations. For starters, the transmission doesn’t cope as well as it could with snappy shifts from 1st to 2nd gear and yes, the ride is on the hard side. The car is also rather low, therefore requiring some added care when navigating the odd speed bump.

Whereas the Golf GTI is seen as the benchmark in the segment for it’s a appeal to a wide range of customers, the Astra OPC is directed unashamedly at the enthusiast. For this reason, the OPC looks every bit the part of a serious hot hatch. It’s loud, in your face and offers a very engaging driving experience. Opel have also improved on their quality throughout the range and the OPC is no different.

What we like…

• Bold styling.
• Huge grip from the 20-inch rubber and LSD.
• The sporty driver’s cockpit.

What we would like…

• An improved synchro between 1st and 2nd gears.
• A seatbelt extender to avoid the excessive reach.

Watch the Astra OPC lay down a 2 minute 7 second lap of Kyalami in the hands of our Ed., and also read about the real-time, OEM, data logging app available from Opel.

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