The last time German tuner Irmscher got their hands on one of our favorite roadsters, the Opel GT, they added additional 51 horsepower bringing the total to 315. You would think that’s enough power for a roadster the size of the Saturn Sky’s European brother. Well when it’s your 40th anniversary, you want to go all out.

To celebrate their 40th birthday at Geneva, Irmscher will unveil its latest creation - the GTi40, a V8 powered Opel GT. The 6.0 liter engine will produce 473 horsepower.

Guess Geneva won’t be all that ‘green’ afterall.

Click through for the press release.

Continue reading…

GM’s Opel marketing team in Europe is studying the market for a plan to enter the small SUV market. The new model will give Opel a rival against the Fiat Sedici and Suzuki SX4. Chevrolet is also expected to follow Opel’s move.

“There is a need for small SUVs and our marketing team has been working on this. First we need to develop a concept,” Opel Managing Director Hans Demant told Automotive News Europe.

Continue reading…

GM today introduced the combustion process formally known as homogeneous charge compression ignition, or HCCI, for the first time in two drivable concept cars. GM has fitted the 2007 Saturn Aura and the Opel Vectra with HCCI which provides up to 15 percent fuel savings while meeting future emissions standards.

Virtually the engines burn gasoline in the same way that a diesel engine burns diesel fuel. To do this the process is combined with advanced technologies, direct injection, electric cam phasing, variable valve lift and cylinder pressure sensing.

Continue reading…

German tuner Irmscher have got their hands on our favorite roadster, the Opel GT. Originally, the Opel GT is powered by a 2.2 liter direct-injection turbocharged engine that produces 264 horsepower, giving it the ability to do 0-60 mph in 5.7 seconds. Just with those specs, we think the Opel GT is a brilliant car that delivers outstanding performance.

Of course, 264 horsepower wasn’t enough for Irmscher, so they added an additional 51 horsepower bringing the total to 315. Irmcher also added cosmetic modifications to make the Opel GT a little more aggressive looking with a huge front spoiler lip, 19-inch GT Star aluminum wheels and a stainless steel sport exhaust with dual pipes.

Click through for more images.

Irmscher Opel GT Gallery:

Continue reading…

The European division of GM gave a taste of what it has in store for the Frankfurt Auto Show at a news conference in Berlin. GM plans to unveil a hydrogen fuel cell Opel concept car called the HydrGen4, as well as showcase its E85 bioethanol variant of the Cadillac BLS.

GM will also show its new Opel Corsa 1.3 liter CDTI with 75 horsepower, which emits 119 grams of carbon dioxide per km. The car uses a common rail diesel turbo injection system that injects fuel into the chamber at a pressure of 1,800 bar.

Continue reading…

The Opel GT in Europe, which is the Saturn Sky in the U.S., is a beautiful and inexpensive roadster that costs nearly 11,000 Euros ($14,627) less than the BMW Z4, but delivers almost the same power. In a comparison done by AutoBild, the Opel GT Roadster delivers 264 horsepower with a 0-60 mph time of 6.3 seconds, while the BMW Z4 delivers 265 horsepower with a 0-60 mph of 6.1 seconds. Now remember, this isn’t about who crosses the finish line first, this is about if an unexpectedly powerful underdog can keep up with German engineering.

Continue reading…

Opel unveiled the new Corsa OPC at the Geneva Motor Show, the most powerful Corsa ever with a 1.6 liter turbo engine that porduces 192 horsepower giving it the ability to do 0-60 mph in 7.2 seconds. The Opel Corsa OPC is an addition to Opel’s already sporty OPC family. The Corsa OPC requires 7.9 liters of fuel per 60 miles which is a pretty good figure for a performance class vehicle. The Opel Corsa will be coming to the United States within the next 5 years under a Saturn badge. Check out the images and press release after the jump.

Continue reading…

One of our favorite roadster to debut in 2007, the Opel GT pleased the crowd at Geneva and won the “Cabrio of the Year.” The 2007 Opel GT has a 2.2-liter direct injection turbocharged engine that produces 264 horsepower giving the roadster the ability to do 0-60 mph in just 5.7 seconds. The Opel roadster will be built at the Wilmington/Delaware plant in the USA, where the Pontaic Solstice and the Saturn Sky are also built.

Continue reading…

Remember that little Opel concept sneak peek we showed you last month? Well GM just unveiled that car, called the Opel GTC Concept, on the eve of the Geneva Motor Show which begins on the 8th. GM is saying that the Opel GTC Concept gives an insight into how Opel’s design language will look in the future. Adding to progressive shapes and surfaces, the four-seat coupé features unique LED lighting concepts in the front and rear, providing a new signature lighting style for the brand. The Opel GTC Concept is powered by a 2.8-liter V6 turbo engine that produces 300 horsepower.

Continue reading…

Opel, GM’s European division, will unveil a new concept at the Geneva Motor Show next month. There is no word on what this car is as of yet. Speculation is surrounded around a new Vectra sedan.

GM owned Opel will help develop a potential production version of the Chevrolet Volt electric car. GM unveiled the new Chevrolet Volt Concept at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show. The Chevrolet Volt Concept is a plug-in hybrid that has a charge time of 6.5 hourse offering 40 miles on battery alone and has a 640 mile range with a full tank of gasoline. The car has a top speed of 120 mph and does 0-60 mph in 8.5 seconds.

GM in Europe today announced the new 2007 Opel GT, a two-seater roadster with a powerful front-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive, a cockpit with sporty instruments and a tailor-made fabric roof. The Opel GT is GM’s attempt to release a popular roadster model for the European market based on the Pontaic Solstice and the Saturn Sky. The 2007 Opel GT has a 2.2-liter direct injection turbocharged engine that produces 264 horsepower giving the roadster the ability to do 0-60 mph in just 5.7 seconds.

Continue reading…