2007 Opel GT news, pictures, and information

Sharp lines coupled wîth taut surfaces give the new Opel GT a crisp, dynamic look. Its strong face is dominated by the fender's accentuated sweep, the bold chrome crossbar wîth integrated Opel logo, the elongated hood wîth brand-typical center crease, chrome-bordered vents and bold 3-D headlamps in clear glass look drawn deep into the side panels. The GT's especially sporty characteristics include the long air vents in the hood, the grooving in the front fenders wîth their dynamic, Opel-typical horizontal contours - like on the Antara -, the double-pipe exhaust system and the twin air scoops behind the head restraints, which are reminiscent of designs from roadster and motor sport history. 18-inch aluminum wheels in new five-spoke design fill out the wheelarches, and emphasize the roadster character, as does the fabric roof, which completely disappears beneath a cover for open-top driving fun.

Chrome-ringed instruments in the cockpit clearly display all important information, while black piano lacquer and chrome finishes accentuate the high-tech nuance of the surface structures. These all combine wîth optional leather seats wîth visible stitching to highlight the sporty ambience. The short gear stick adds significantly to the driving fun: directly connected straight to the roadster's five-speed transmission, its short gear travel enables quick gear shifts from the roadster-typical seating position.

High-tech Turbo Engine

The new Opel GT does not just look quick, it is quick! Its longitudinally front-installed 264 bhp engine wîth turbocharging and gasoline direct injection accelerates the roadster to 60 mph from a standing start in just 5.5 seconds, and up to a top speed of around 140 mph. '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. There's no question about it: no other Opel has ever produced 132 bhp output per liter. The new Opel GT's engine not only complements the car's dynamic look perfectly, it also far outperforms today's other roadsters and most two-seat sports cars.

Chassis wîth Classic Sporty Configuration

For the Opel GT, engineers designed a classic, sporty configuration based on a rigid chassis, wide track and long wheelbase: all four wheels are suspended from twin A-arms made from forged aluminum, the center of gravity is low, and the weight distribution of 51:49 percent (front/rear) is well balanced.

A manual five-speed transmission wîth sporty, short gear travel and limited slip differential provide propulsion power. A torque beam between the transmission and rear axle suppresses reactions to acceleration/deceleration effects.

While disk brakes on all wheels, ABS, Traction Control (TC) and the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) monitor safety, the driver can control the level of ESP and use of TC himself. Both systems are fully active after ignition, wîth the setup providing driving fun but also keeping the vehicle stable within the physical limitations. At the touch of the ESP button in the instrument panel, the Traction Control (TC) is switched off, but ESP remains active and intervenes as soon as the yaw angle exceeds certain thresholds. Two short presses change the ESP's calibration to a sportier mode and keep the Traction Control (TC) deactivated. Pushing and holding the ESP again for around ten seconds until the 'ESP Off' symbol illuminates, completely deactivates ESP and TC. A short press of the button in any mode returns the two systems to their normal states, which also occurs automatically wîth each new engine start.

The first Opel GTs will be on the road in March 2007 and dealerships have been accepting orders since summer 2006. Opel cars aren't available in North America.