carscoop: Opel

Showing posts with label Opel. Show all posts

Vauxhall Gets Artsy with New Adam City Car

Opel's brother-in-arms, Vauxhall, is exhibiting three examples of its new Adam premium sub-compact, each prepared by a different artist.

Fred Butler, Louise Gray and James Small are responsible for what you see in these pictures and video, with the three cars being displayed outside the home of Vauxhall Fashion Scout, Freemasons’ Hall, Covent Garden from Friday, September 14 to Tuesday, September 18, 2012.

GM Reportedly Plans to Reduce Opel’s Administrative Staff by 30 Percent or 1,000 Positions

Despite analysts’ advice that getting rid of Opel/Vauxhall and retaining Chevrolet as its sole European mass-marker brand is in GM’s best interest, the Detroit carmaker is determined to hold on to the German brand.

Doing so, though, involves restructuring the whole operation and making it more cost-effective to stop bleeding massive amounts of cash.

This has already been announced in the “Drive Opel 2022” 10-year plan that is the subject of GM’s negotiations with the workers’ unions.

Morgan Stanley Report Says GM Should Get Rid Of Cash-Bleeding Opel

General Motors is keeping its Opel/Vauxhall European brands, despite losing money. In an attempt to reduce costs, utilize its plants’ output and face the European financial crisis, it has formed an alliance with PSA Peugeot Citroen.

Yet analysts are not convinced that any rescue plan GM may have devised for its ailing European brands can succeed. In fact, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas said that, while it might be costly right now, selling Opel is in GM’s long-term interest.

Opel Brand Opens its Wings and Launches in Australia and Chile

While Ford's European arm is trying to counter slow sales in the region through a product offensive, GM's rivaling Opel brand is going international launching in Australia and Chile.

In the Land Down Under, Opel's initial model range consists of the Corsa supermini, the Astra five-door compact hatchback and Sports Tourer (station wagon), and the Insignia mid-size sedan.

U Spy: Watch Opel's Engineers Thrash the New Convertible Around the Nürburgring

This isn't the first time that Opel's as-of-yet, unnamed, Convertible model has set foot onto the Nürburgring, but up until now, we had only seen pictures of the production ready prototypes pushed around the famed race track in Germany.

This freshly filmed footage from the 'Ring shows the brand's engineers trying out a couple of Convertible test cars with their fabric tops in both up and down positions.

Chevy Said to Use Opel Designed 1.6-liter Turbo Engine in the U.S., Could Sprout Sonic SS

It seems that the American hot hatch game could be getting even hotter. A report from GM Inside News (GMI) tell us that the new 1.6-liter turbo developed by GM’s European subsidiary Opel, will be finding its way stateside within the next couple of years. Read more »

Scoop: New Opel / Vauxhall Convertible Drops its Top and Enjoys a Ride on the 'Ring

Earlier this month, we brought you the first spy shots of the soon-to-be revealed Opel Astra-based convertible model (to be sold as a Vauxhall in the UK) wearing its production body while undergoing hot weather testing in Southern Europe with its top closed.

If you happen to be wondering what the prototype version of the new Opel model will look like with its traditional fabric roof tucked neatly away under a tonneau cover behind the rear seats, we have good news for you as our scoopsters spotted the firm's engineers enjoying the summer weather on the Nürburgring.

Opel to Celebrate World Premieres of New Astra Sedan and Facelift Astra Range at Moscow Show

As a testament to the growing importance of the Russian car market, for the first time ever, Opel will celebrate an automotive world premiere at the Moscow International Auto Salon that runs from August 29 to September 9.

To be more precise, GM's European division will host three world debuts including the brand-new Astra four-door sedan and the facelifted Astra five-door hatchback and the Astra Sports Tourer (station wagon).

Opel and Vauxhall to Begin Accepting Orders for New Adam Mini on September 27

Fittingly, Opel and its sister company in Britain Vauxhall will announce prices and begin accepting orders for the new Adam mini on the same day that the car will make its world premiere at the 2012 Paris Motor Show on September 27.

The automaker said that it will also premiere a new internet-based configurator for the Adam in its official websites in several markets across Europe.

Opel and Vauxhall to Begin Accepting Orders for New Adam Mini on September 27

The automaker said that it will also premiere a new internet-based configurator for the Adam in its official websites in several markets across Europe.

Spied: Opel Insignia OPC Facelift Prototype Offers First Glance at Restyled Interior

We have already scooped the regular versions of the European market Opel Insignia facelift a couple of times, but now our spies have snapped the range-topping OPC (sold as the Vauxhall Insignia VXR in the UK) undergoing tests at the Nürburgring track.

Not surprisingly, the OPC model will receive a similar suite of styling tweaks as the normal versions of the series (marketed as the Buick Regal in North America) and which include redesigned bumpers, a new front grille and possibly changes to the headlamp and taillight fixtures.

Google Maps Gone Wrong? Street View Car Found Wrecked in India

It's not every day that you stumble upon an abandoned Google StreetView Camera Car in the middle of nowhere. And since you are bound to ask, by 'nowhere' we mean down a rocky hill in the Leh district of northern India.

An unidentified man who sounds like he has an American or a Canadian accent captured a film of the aftermath. The video shows the high standing camera-equipped Opel Astra hatchback (previous generation) facing down the hill with its front smashed up on the rocks.

Spy Shots: Opel's New Astra-Based Convertible Takes Final Shape Ahead of Paris Debut

Up until now, Opel and Vauxhall engineers had been seen working on unfinished, test mules of the upcoming Astra-based convertible model with framed doors and other non-production parts.

Now, our spies were finally able to spot a camouflaged prototype of the open-top model wearing its production body including the electrically operated ragtop.

You may have noticed that we're constantly using the term 'Astra-based', the reason being that while the new Opel model is built on the current Astra replacing the previous Astra TwinTop, company officials have said that the four-seater convertible will gain a new and bespoke name - much like VW's Golf-based Eos.

Opel and its sister company Vauxhall will market the new convertible model as a more premium proposal than its predecessor, despite that fact that it gets a folding soft top instead of the TwinTop's retractable hardtop.

New 192hp 2.0-liter BiTurbo Diesel Now Available on Astra 5d and Sports Tourer Wagon

Opel and its sister company Vauxhall are expanding the availability of the firm's new 2.0-liter BiTurbo CDTI diesel engine in the recently updated Astra range.

First offered on the Astra GTC three-door hatch, the oil-burner is now available for order on the Astra five-door hatchback and the Astra Sports Tourer station wagon with deliveries expected towards the end of 2012 (for both the Opel and Vauxhall brands).

GM Global Marketing Chief and European Division's Next VP of Design Step Down

Even one resignation of a high-ranking official at a major car company would make news, but General Motors is in the difficult position of announcing two separate resignations at the same time.

The first one concerns General Motors Marketing Chief Joel Ewanick who stepped down during the weekend, with Bloomberg News reporting that he resigned because he "didn’t meet the company’s expectations of an employee," according to an e-mailed statement it acquired from the Detroit automaker.

New Opel Astra OPC / Vauxhall VXR Vs. Renault Megane RS 265 Cup

The new Opel Astra OPC, otherwise known as the Vauxhall Astra VXR, is the latest arrival in the European hot hatch segment. If there's one model it has to beat - aside from the ever-popular VW Golf GTI, it is the highly regarded Renault Megane RS 265 Cup.

In terms of specs, the two models are similar with the Astra OPC / VXR sporting a 2.0-liter turbocharged four that produces 276hp (280PS) and 400Nm (295 lbft) of peak torque channeled to the front wheels via six-speed manual and a limited slip differential.

Meet the Adams Family: Buick's Waterfall Grille Plastered on Opel's Premium Mini

Knowing that GM has rebadged a number of Opel models as Buicks since its restructuring in 2009, including the Astra and the Insignia, there was no doubt in our minds that sooner or later, someone would turn Opel's new Adam premium city car into a Buick.

'Automotive manipulator' Theophilus Chin replaced Opel's French mustache-styled chrome piece with Buick's trademark waterfall grille, and well, that's all that was done to the car.

Opel Adam Makes its Debut on Film, Plus New Photos

The first video trailers of the brand-new Opel Adam have hit the web following Tuesday's presentation of the premium mini and in advance of its grand premiere at the Paris Motor Show this fall.

There's no denying that Opel and its sister brand Vauxhall are trying to market the Adam as a more up-to-date and playful alternative to the Fiat 500 and to some extent, the MINI, something that is evident in the video spots as well as the photo gallery, which we have updated with new images.

New Opel Adam Officially Unveiled, Ready to Take on the Fiat 500 and Mini [30 Photos]

We don't know if Fiat should be flattered or annoyed by Opel's (and Vauxhall's) attempt to recreate the 500's success in more ways than one with its new "urban-chic small car" named Adam, which coincidentally or not, is the name of the company’s founder, Adam Opel.

While some will see traces of the Fiat 500's design here and there and even more so at the rear - as evidenced by our readers' comments in our previous story on the car, GM's European brand is quick to point out in its press blurb that "unlike other rivals", the Adam has a modern feel to it:

"But unlike other rivals in the segment, ADAM bucks the trend for retro-based design with a fresh and bold look that will appeal to open-minded individuals who want to defy convention with a car that’s distinctive and striking," says Opel.

Among other styling highlights underlined by Opel is the so-called "floating roof", which is visually disconnected from the body and can be ordered in two different shades that contrast the rest of the car.

The German carmaker and its British counterpart say that the Adam will be the first model in the A-segment to have the option of LED daytime running lights.

Opel Adam Caught Naked During Photo Shoot in Spain

While Opel only wanted us to know the name of its new Fiat 500-rival and almost nothing about the styling, a reader of the Spanish website Autofacil had other plans capturing the new Adam city car without a single trace of camouflage at a photo shoot in the village of Miñano in Spain.

As you can see in the photos, there were four cars, each sporting a different two-tone color theme as a testament to the broad customization options that will be available when the Adam goes on sale as an Opel in mainland Europe and as a Vauxhall in the UK early next year.