Future Car Trends: Opel GT: In Depth

New Icon in Roadster Scene

With 264 turbo hp for 30,675 euros, new GT offers plenty of power for the money
Ample fresh air and driving enjoyment means lots of roadster fun for two
Legitimate heir to the ’68 cult coupé

With a wide stance, long, front-hinged hood, sleek silhouette, bold rear, cockpit for two and a tailor-made fabric roof, which completely disappears under a cover, the new athletic two-seat Opel GT storms into a segment that is charged by emotion more than any other. As a clear commitment to pure driving fun, the GT is a roadster that perfectly fits into the Opel model range, even if its goal is not top marks for luggage compartment space, flexibility or family suitability: the new two-seater continues a tradition first started by the Opel GT in 1968.

The new Opel GT also showcases the passion for building dynamic cars, and the conviction that “Opel was never as young as today”. This is underlined by niche models with a high fun factor, such as the Astra GTC with panorama windshield, the Tigra TwinTop and Astra TwinTop cabrio-coupés, as well as the high-performance OPC model family. They enrich the model portfolio and emotionalize the brand.

But the GT would not be a true Opel if it did not also appeal to customers’ more practical side. “When it comes to high-performance roadsters, there is no better balance between price, driving enjoyment and fun,” says Alain Visser, Executive Director Sales and Marketing, Opel. The new GT also follows in the footsteps of its predecessor when it comes to its 30,675 euro price tag. At 10,767 German marks, the first GT also caused a sensation with its price in 1968. At that time, this was equivalent to roughly 10 months’ average gross wages; around 490 euros a month today. Almost 40 years later, the price ratio for the new GT is now even somewhat improved. Today, the average wage has risen to 3500 euros, and while buyers no longer get a steel roof, they do get almost three times the power of the 90 hp GT 1900.

The legend lives on

The legend of an affordable sports car lives on. The new two-seater has the advantage of being designed on roadster architecture right from the start. The original GT from the 1960s was based on a pre-existing Opel sedan model. The reason for this was the limited production capacity at the time. In order to undertake assembly at the Bochum plant, the ’68 model had to be based on the Kadett. The bodies were produced in France, and the sale of one of the plants to a competitor in the automotive industry was a key reason for ceasing production in 1973. Up to that point, 103,000 units had been built. The new 2007 Opel GT will be built in the roadster plant in Wilmington/Delaware in the USA, together with its highly successful American GM sister models, the Pontiac Solstice and the Saturn Sky.

The only extra apart from brilliant or two-coat-metalic-paint is the Premium package, which costs 1285 euros. It includes leather upholstery in ebony black or cobalt red/black, and a CD-Radio with 6 x CD changer. An original Opel wind deflector and tailored luggage set are also available.

The first GTs will be on the road in March 2007 with prices starting from 30,675 euros (recommended retail price ex works incl. VAT in Germany). Dealerships have been accepting orders since summer 2006.

First Opel GT – The Cult Coupé of the 60s and 70s

“Only Flying is More Exciting” – this slogan has become a classic in advertising history, and even an everyday saying in German-speaking countries. It belonged to a car which has itself long since become a classic – the Opel GT. Its career got off to a flying start in 1965 when, to everyone’s surprise, Opel presented an aerodynamic “Experimental Concept” at the IAA in Frankfurt – a car which did not fit into the usual world of
central European high volume automobile production. In view of the sensational design, it was no surprise to see the production version on the road three years later. But what few people knew was that Opel had set a precedent: for the first time in Europe, a vehicle went into production that had initially debuted as a concept car.

The story of the original GT’s creation mirrors that of one of the best American sports cars. 15 years earlier, the original 1953 Corvette had become the first car in the world to be presented to the public as a concept before going into series production. The 2007 GT has also followed a similar path, and is a prime example of GM’s transcontinental cooperation. As a young Opel manager, Bob Lutz played an important role in the original 1968 GT’s launch, and initiated the expansion of the product portfolio with an architecture for a compact, sporty two-seater with rear-wheel drive. The motto: “Simple, pure, attractive!” The Solstice concept was created in 2003, followed by the Vauxhall VX Lightning concept, which was developed at the GM Advanced Design Studio in Coventry, England. Finally, in addition to the highly successful Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky roadsters in the USA, came the Opel GT. The final Opel GT design was completed jointly at the GM Europe Design Studios in Rüsselsheim and the GM Design Studio in Detroit under the direction of Bryan Nesbitt.

The 1968 Opel Coupé could not deny a certain similarity to the legendary 1968 American Corvette, nor did it want to. It followed a new design style called the “Coke Bottle Shape”, which also outstanding the Stingray. “Besides having a fantastic look, the Opel sports car was primarily designed to impress with sophisticated aerodynamics,” explains Erhard Schnell, GT designer at the time. A sleek front end with retractable headlamps that rotate on the longitudinal axis, broad fender, tapered flanks in the door area, then bulky rear fenders which flow into the rear with sharp separating edges and round lamps – these were the Opel GT’s key design characteristics.

“Safety belts are standard, please buckle up” – this was the Opel advertisement that promised GT occupants outstanding acceleration. And the driving performance the sporty 90 hp two-seater offered was truly top class in the late 1960s. Its 1.9-liter engine accelerated the GT from zero to 100 km/h in 10.8 seconds, and on to a top speed of 185 km/h. Almost 40 years ago, this was really fast. As a top model in the upper mid-class segment at that time, the Opel Rekord 1.9 had a top speed of 160 km/h, for example. The200 km/h threshold was like the sound barrier, and had just been crossed by the muscle cars of that generation, such as the Mercedes 280 SE 3.5 with a 200 hp V8 engine. A Porsche 912 – which was commonly considered to be a car in the shape of the first 911, with four cylinders and 90hp, just like the Opel GT ? also had a top speed of 185 km/h, but took 12.5 seconds from zero to 100 km/h.

The 1968 GT’s sporty handling matched its performance figures thanks to a chassis with front twin A-arm axle and rear center-joint rigid axle with bolted springs, longitudinal control arm and lateral track bar.

Did you know that…?

… from 1968 to 1973, exactly 103,464 units of the GT were produced? The GT is a permanent collectors highlight, and a well-maintained model can fetch a fortune.
… 85 percent of the entire GT production run was exported, and 70,222 units (around 70 percent) went to the USA alone?
… the GT’s body in white was created by French specialists Chausson (Reims), while Brisonneau & Lotz in Creil, north of Paris, took care of lacquering, electrics and interior equipment? The final car assembly took place in Bochum, where the body was ‘married’ to the powertrain and chassis. It was also the production center for the Kadett, upon which the GT was based.
… space for the 1.9-liter engine, which was also used in the Rekord, was so small that the hood had to be power domed and the cylinder-head cover skewed in the front section? The “Power dome” was not just for show!
… the Aero GT concept with removable targa roof was presented in 1969 at the IAA? One of the two prototypes can be found today in Opel’s classic collection.
… the company founder’s grandson, Georg von Opel, reached 188 km/h in
mid-1971 at Hockenheim in a converted Opel GT with electric propulsion? The following year, a team of motoring journalists and race car drivers set 20 world records at the Opel Test Center in Dudenhofen in the “Diesel World Record GT 1972”.
… many reasons led to the end of production in August 1973? These included demands from the USA ? the most important export market ? to fit bulky safety bumpers, which did not match the style of the car, and the fact that Brisonneau & Lotz was bought by Renault, signaling the end of the contractual relationship with Opel.
… Robert A. Lutz, “car guy”, GM Vice Chairman, Global Product Development, was a sort of godfather to both Opel GTs? In 1968, in his position as Manager at Opel, he played a decisive role in speeding up the decision on series production, and he also gave the green light to the new General Motors roadster troop ? Solstice, Sky and GT.

Saturn and Opel partner for new vehicles in North America, Europe

The integration of transcontinental thinking and resources within General Motors grows every year. One example is the increasingly important bi-lateral design and technology alliance between Opel in Germany and Saturn in the United States. The latest examples of this trans-Atlantic collaboration are the Opel GT and the Saturn Astra.

The Saturn Astra will be manufactured alongside the Opel in Antwerp and will share nearly all its componentry. While the Astra is bound for North America, the Opel GT may literally cross its wake in the Atlantic since it will mirror that program, sharing a manufacturing facility in Wilmington, Delaware, and componentry with the Saturn Sky roadster.

Saturn is one of the newest GM brands, marketing vehicles exclusively in the United States and Canada. The brand focuses on innovative products with high technological quality, solid value and excellent customer service. Formed in 1985 with a mission to bring new buyers to GM, Saturn took its name from the rocket that powered American astronauts to the moon during the space race with the USSR in the 1960s.

The brand’s first car left the production line at 10:57 a.m. on July 30, 1990 at a new plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Sales began on October 25, 1990, as did the brand’s innovative sales philosophy. Saturn retailers have stores dedicated only to selling Saturn vehicles, offering attractive “no-hassle, no-haggle” prices and a consumer-friendly sales and service experience.

The launch of the mid-size L-Series in 1999 marked the first cooperative effort between Saturn and Opel, with the new vehicle derived from the platform and powertrains of the Opel Vectra of that time. Since then, the cooperation between the two brands, which are both solidly positioned in their own home markets, has steadily increased. Today, the two brands share the technological basis and numerous components for the new Opel Antara and Saturn Vue crossovers, Opel Vectra and Saturn Aura sedans in the mid-size class, as well as the previously mentioned Astra, GT and Sky. When the Astra debuts late in 2007, no Saturn model will have been in the market more than 20 months, giving the brand one of the freshest product lineups in the industry.

“The Astra is the perfect addition to the Saturn range,” says GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz. “It is another example of how General Motors can strengthen our individual brands through cross-continental cooperation. Saturn and Opel are a natural fit. They share similar demographics and brand positioning in their respective markets. Their collaboration means that each brand will have strong, broad product lineups that will attract buyers to the brands in North America and Europe.”

U.S.A.

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Source: Source: Adam Opel AG