Opel has released details of the drivetrain in its new Astra OPC, claiming to have developed the highest specific torque in its class.

Developed using motorsport engineering, the Opel Astra GTC OPC’s transmission delivers a claimed 400 Nm of peak torque from a turbocharged 2.0-litre direct-injection engine. Featuring a unique aluminium cylinder head and improved turbocharger, the engine develops 206 kW, which is claimed to get the OPC from 0 – 100 km/h in just 5.9 seconds.

Vauxhall’s clever HiPerStrut (High Performance Strut) has been adapted for the Astra OPC. The system reduces front wheel camber changes during cornering, enhancing steering feel and filtering out unnecessary torque-steer under hard acceleration. The new OPC is also fitted with a mechanical multi-plate limited-slip differential for optimum traction.

The car also features ZF Sachs dampers, 30 percent lower and stiffer springs, stiffer suspension bushes, Watt’s link rear suspension, Brembo brakes and 19-inch alloy wheels. The more obvious exterior identifiers of the car’s sporting intentions are sculpted front and rear bumpers, side skirts, roof spoiler and twin trapeze-shape exhaust pipes, while performance seats and a flat-bottom steering wheel reminder the driver the he/she is piloting something special.

The new Opel Astra OPC is the most powerful Astra ever and will go head-to-head with other serious hot-hatch machinery like the Renault Megane RS Trophy, Volkswagen Golf R, Mazda3 MPS and the Ford Focus RS. GMSA has not announced an estimated time of arrival, but we expect the new car to arrive towards the end of 2012 or early 2013.

Opel has recently announced that the new generation of the Astra OPC will be officially presented at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

The most powerful production Astra ever is based on the sporty-looking Astra GTC three-door hatch and features a 2.0-litre turbocharged direct injection engine developing 206 kW and a maximum torque of 400 Nm. A six-speed manual gearbox and a specially developed mechanical limited-slip differential transfer power to the front wheels.

The OPC model also benefits from a raft of bespoke chassis modifications with changes to the suspension, steering and braking systems, while it is also employs Opel’s FlexRide adaptive dampers featuring a dedicated Sport- and OPC-drive mode.

Likewise, the interior boasts select upgrades such as the body-hugging sports seats trimmed in leather with contrasting stitching that also feature on the door panels, the flat-bottom steering wheel and gear shifter.

Without going over the top, the Astra OPC looks the part with a new front bumper sporting a larger lower vent, side skirts, roof spoiler, a new rear bumper that houses a diffuser and rectangular tail pipes, and delicious 20-inch alloy wheels.

The new Astra OPC will compete against the Ford Focus ST, the VW Golf GTI/R (depending on pricing) and the Renault Megane RS. More details on the model are expected to be announced at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show next month.

With just under three weeks left until the 2010 Paris Motor Show kicks off, Opel have released what they say is the strongest indication yet of what the next Astra GTC will look like.

Styled under the direction of GM Europe’s British-born design chief, Mark Adams, the GTC concept mixes styling cues from across the firm’s model range.
In particular, the ‘blade’ surfacing on the car’s flanks is reversed from the five-door Astra’s, leading from the front door instead — in a manner used on the Insignia — to create a subtle, integrated side skirt. A second crease runs from the front edge of the door handles to the rear lights. The front styling cues include a sharp crease down the centre of the bonnet – a feature from Opels of old, the firm claims – and headlights that sweep back into the front wings. The rear gets LED tail-lights in a ‘flying wing’ motif and a subtle spoiler at the top of a hatch that has a complex shutline

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At 4.46 meters, the Astra GTC is actually slightly longer than the five door Astra, by 40 mm. Despite the obvious lower roof line, Opel say there’s still plenty of room for five adults. Underpinning the new body is a wider chassis, which is coupled with Opel’s FlexiRide adaptive damping and an electronic limited-slip differential.

The Astra GTC concept is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, with the Astra GTC OPC version expected to have around 220 kW on tap. The engine will also feature stop/start technology and be mated to a manual gearbox.

Opel are promising more detail on the GTC at the Paris Motor Show, but despite the production-ready looks, the concept is appearing more than a year before the three-door Astra is due on sale in the UK late next year. With a bit of luck, the OPC version will arrive soon after.

We recently received an email from one of you, our readers, on behalf of all Opel fans in the country, asking that we cover more news of the all-new, and good looking, Opel Astra.

It’s not that we’ve been ignoring developments on the Opel front, it’s just that, well, here in sunny SA there haven’t been any. When we spoke with the new president and MD of General Motors South Africa (GMSA), Edgar Lourencon, towards the end of last year, he said that the costs of bringing the new Astra range to our market are simply too high at this point in time.

But being unable to compete due to high production costs is only part of the Opel story. Since the financial crisis began towards the end of 2008, Opel AG has been on a rocky road and was on the brink of being sold off by General Motors, the summary of which you can see here.

However, since GM has decided to retain the brand in its global product mix, changes are afoot within the German automaker. Opel’s new business plan reportedly foresees the manufacturer reaching break-even by 2011 and becoming profitable by 2012. Opel CEO, Nick Reilly, has outlined the company’s future plans in a video interview, which you can watch here.

 

But as the headline suggests, what’s happening with the brand in South Africa and what do the plans and changes in Europe mean for us locally? We contacted GMSA’s product communications manager, Des Fenner, to share your sentiments and ours, around the new Astra and the future of Opel SA in general. Here is what he had to say:

“We at GMSA also think that the New Astra is the ‘real deal’. It is a great product that has done extremely well since it was introduced in Europe. We also know, understand and appreciate the loyal Opel followers that we have in the SA market. We still continue to supply the older version of the Astra into the market as well as the new Opel Corsa.

Yes, we have been forced to cut down on our range available to the local market and this has been as a direct result of poor economics. We need to be able to bring this great Opel product to market, at competitive prices. Unfortunately, it does not make good business sense to bring a particular product into a specific segment of the market and having to sell it at a premium price, where no loyal consumer can afford to purchase it. High source cost and exchange rates have been our biggest enemy in this area.

The good news is that GMSA is working closely with the new Opel management team in Europe, to work through the obstacles, to try and bring more great Opel products to the SA market. This process is not as easy as it may sound, but we continue to try our utmost best to satisfy you and all of those other loyal GMSA and Opel fans out there!”

So unfortunately it seems to be a case of ‘hurry up and wait’. On the plus side, the Opel Corsa still looks fresh and we hear the OPC is a flier. We know our Astra is now a generation behind that of Europe, but like most cars, it will still look good until the new model arrives and only then will be perceived as old.

Wouldn’t it be nice if the new Astra’s delay resulted in a limited production run of a Superboss inspired Astra GTC OPC, exclusive to South Africa. After all, Europe has the Nürburgring Edition.

Send us your comments on the current Astra – is it showing its age or could it survive another year in the market place? Are you an Opel fanatic and if so, how long would you wait for new models to arrive before considering a switch to a new car with another manufacturer?