British summertime may have begun, but Vauxhall’s latest addition to the VXR range (Opel OPC range to South Africans) still looks cooler than the country’s recent snowstorms, yet its performance is as hot as ever.

Priced a fraction above the cost of the more standard Astra VXR – each of the 500 Arctic Editions are painted in Olympic White with a contrasting black painted roof, mirror covers, front V-grille and tailgate trim, ensuring that this version of the Astra VXR looks like no other.

Each Arctic Edition also gets a healthy does of options included in its price. Heated leather Recaro front seats, tinted glass and Black 19-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels all form part of the Astra VXR Arctic Edition’s armoury.

And for the first time on a VXR product, customers can also specify their Arctic Edition with the Panoramic Windscreen, an option that offers a window on the world that extends back over the front seats with heat-absorbing glass. And if the skies are grim, a full-length shading system with pull-out sunblinds is also included.

Of course, none of this diminishes the Astra VXR Arctic Edition’s exceptional performance. With 177 kW of power and 320 N.m of torque between 2 400 and 5 000rpm, it’ll hit a top speed of 243 km/h, with 100 km/h arriving from standstill in just 6.2 seconds. Lowered and uprated sports suspension, ultra-low profile 235/35 x 19 tyres and 321 mm front ventilated brakes discs complete the Arctic Edition’s dynamic package.

With Opel being on-hold in SA at the moment, the Astra OPC getting a bit ‘long in the tooth’ and Europe having launched a Nurburgring Edition and now the Arctic Edition, we really think Opel SA should consider an exclusive, limited edition, SA only, Superboss, or motorsport inspired Astra GTC OPC.

It’s no secret that GM’s eleventh hour decision to keep Opel left many in Germany, both public and private, feeling a bit burned. But Nick Reilly, the new Opel CEO, isn’t running from the issue. In fact, he’s addressing it head on.

He’s saying it’s time to end the usual blame-shifting tactics within GM’s European branch. The ultimate problem, he says, was the bureaucratic culture that found roots in the company. With Reilly’s appointment, he’s looking to change that, and that means taking responsibility for the company’s failures as well as its successes.

At this early stage, that amounts to little more than a lot of flowery talk, however. If Reilly’s enthusiasm should bear fruit, it might serve to ease some of the fears in Germany’s auto workers unions and within the German government. On the other hand, the realities of adjusting Opel’s capacity to fit the smaller global marketplace may leave Reilly no alternative but to make unpopular cuts.

And that may be the darker side of the responsibility Reilly is talking about assuming. Opel’s German workforce is about 25 000 members strong, and despite an announcement last week upon taking the reins that no product engineers would lose their jobs, there’s still a very real possibility that capacity – and therefore jobs – will have to be cut.

On the up side however, there are some bright spots in the product portfolio, including the new Insignia sedan/wagon, which have been on the road for just about a year in Europe now. Headed to the U.S. largely unchanged as the 2011 Buick Regal, the Insignia could speak well for the future of Opel. The new Astra, which will also spawn a Buick variant that shares much with the Cruze as well, could also point the direction toward a future that doesn’t require drastic cuts.

Whatever the next few months may hold for Opel, it’s looking like the new leadership may be just what the company needs to shed its tired, near-bankruptcy image.

Adapted from MotorAuthority

Beating out a field of over 30 rival cars, the Volkswagen Polo 5 has been voted Europe’s Car of the Year – the first victory for VW in 18 years.

The supermini narrowly beat the Toyota iQ in the final voting, earning 347 points versus 337. The Polo received 59 scoring votes in total from the 59-strong judging panel, including 25 selections as the number one car. In contrast, the iQ received 58 votes, with 20 selections as the best car.

The result is determined from a list of 33 new cars, which are voted on by European car journalists.

A shortlist of seven cars is then determined, with 59 European judges making their selection. Each judge has 25 points to allocate as they see fit, although at least five contenders must receive points, and the chosen winner must receive more points than the runners-up.

Last year’s winner was the Opel Insignia, also sold in the UK as the Vauxhall Insignia and the US as the Buick Regal. There are no plans to offer the Insignia in South Africa.

The full list of results is below. (Click to expand)

In Europe, engine options include 1,2 and 1,4-litre petrol engines, and a turbocharged 1,2-litre TSI petrol engine. A new 1,6-litre TDI common rail diesel engine is also offered.

The new Polo is scheduled to arrive in South Africa in the first quater of next year. Specific dates, local pricing and engine options have not yet been revealed.

The International Motor Show, or Frankfurt Motor Show, is the world’s largest motor show. It is held every two years in Frankfurt, Germany and this year, from 17 – 27 of September, the 63rd exhibition takes place.

The 2010 Volkswagen R20 Golf, Mini Coupe Concept, Fiat Punto Evo, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and brand new Bugatti Bordeaux car are just a few of the top cars making up Frankfurt’s stellar line-up. But are any of them good enough to make it into our Top 10 cars hitting the showroom floor?

Join us as we run through ten cars you should take note of at the 2009 International Motor Show.

(Click to reveal...)

Adapted from Orange

After months of previews, teasers and small official photos, the 2010 Opel (Vauxhall) Astra has finally been let out of the bag. The hatch has been revealed in high-res photos and for the first time we get a look at the upcoming car’s stylish new interior.

The new Astra is crucial for Opel as it will need to recover market share lost by the current model to Ford’s strong-selling Focus hatch as well as fend off the Fiesta compact. With Europe’s love for hatches and the increasingly tight fuel and emissions standards – not to mention the taxes that go with them – the hatch will be key for Opel’s sales.

The car will make its official world debut at this September’s Frankfurt Motor Show, before arriving in European showrooms by the end of the year. This is the sixth generation of the Astra, which comes almost 30 years after the launch of the original, and its styling was led by Mark Adams, the British designer responsible for Opel’s award-winning Insignia. Also, like the Insignia, the new Astra has spent over 600 hours in the wind tunnel, benefiting performance, economy and overall refinement.

Echoing the flowing forms of its bodywork, the new Astra’s interior marks a major shift towards premium design and quality in the compact sector. The Astra’s interior employs the recurring wing and blade motifs that were first introduced in the Insignia and also includes a wraparound instrument panel, which embraces both front seat occupants.

Ambient lighting enhances the quality feel of the cabin, with lighting points framing the gearbox surround, and providing illumination from above the center console and within the door handle recesses, depending on trim level.

Beneath the car’s pretty sheet metal is a 4.4 metre-length body and an updated GM Delta platform with a 71 millimetre-longer wheelbase. Tracks are wider in the both the front and the rear, with the later featuring a new axle design. This not only improves stability and agility but improves ride and comfort as well. Enhancing ride quality further is the addition of Opel’s FlexRide adjustable damper settings, which allows drivers to select between standard, sport and tour suspension modes. Another special feature is adaptive bi-xenon headlights.

The highlight of the new Astra’s powertrain line-up is the introduction of an all-new, 103 kW turbocharged 1,4-litre petrol unit, which builds on Opel’s commitment to engine downsizing and reduced emissions and fuel consumption. This engine joins three further petrol engines, which range from 74 kW to 132 kW, and four diesel engines ranging from 70 kW to 118 kW. All engines are Euro 5 compliant.

Adapted from MotorAuthority