It's probably been a long time since you heard the car brand name “Opel” and sports car in the same sentence, in fact, if you're young enough, like me, you probably never heard the word sports car describing an Opel period. But the General Motors European branch is trying to change that with a very cool looking Opel GT Concept set to make an appearance at the Geneva International Motor Show Switzerland.
A Small Opel With Big Features
The little two-seat coupe has a lot of big features that prove that Opel is looking to move forward with up-to-date innovations that can attract younger people and compete with the many other compact sports cars in today's auto market.
According to Opel's CEO, Karl-Thomas Neumann, “the concept is no business case, but more of a brand investment.” The idea behind the Opel GT concept is to see the reaction of the consumers and see if something like the GT is something that consumers are really looking to get into.
Although the Opel GT is just a concept and has a long way to go to become a real production car, the '68-'73 Opel GT was also just a concept in 1965, but in just three short years it was in production and making the Opel name popular.
Like many concepts, the Opel GT Concept is built with many innovations that might not make it into production even if the Opel GT sports car does. The first one is the noticeable red front tires and wheels that are designed to look much like a roller skate wheel. You also might notice a set of doors that flow seamlessly into the windows with a silver tint to match the vehicle. It looks pretty cool, but government rules would keep the idea out of production unless some laws are changed.
Another innovation that is pretty cool is if you look closely you will notice that there are no side mirrors. The side mirror's duties are relieved by two cameras mounted on both sides of the rear-wheel arches and then displayed on right and left side monitors inside the vehicle. With that fanciness, you may also notice that there are no door handles. You open the doors by an invisible touch-pad integrated into the red stripe that divides the two-tone paint job.
The Opel is Fun, Small with Power to Match
The sports car power is supplied by a three-cylinder aluminum engine block with a turbocharger. The power is converted to a six-speed transmission that can be controlled with steering wheel paddle shifters. The combination gives the Opel GT 145-hp, which may not sound like a lot for a sports car, but this car only weighs about 2,200-lbs.
Along with some other cool perks like duel exhaust that pokes out of
the rear bumper, panorama glass roof, and a patented door design that allows the doors to partially open into the front wheel-well for easier parking in tight areas - this Opel concept might be something we might see making headlines in the near feature – maybe even with Buick emblems on it. If you look closely at the Buick Avista Concept and compare it with the Opel, the cars look very similar, and it wouldn't be the first time that Buick slapped badges on an Opel.
The North America International Auto Show always brings us the
latest and greatest new cars, trucks, and SUVs that the auto industry
has to offer. They also bring us cool concept cars that may or may
not make it into production in the near future. For the 2016 NAIAS,
there were many concepts that stood out this year, but perhaps the
one concept that stood out the most and has the biggest chance of
making it into production sooner than later is the 2016 Buick Avista
concept.
A Luxurious Interior Cool Enough For Space Travel
The Avista is built on the Camaro Alpha chassis, which leaves room
on the inside for four passengers to enjoy the comfort of Mist
Gray leather seating inserts, 3-D printed door and seat trim, and
exposed carbon fiber and aluminum accents. The future of Buick's
IntelliLink technology is also displayed throughout the dash and is
controlled by touchscreen controls on a widescreen instrument panel
display. The touchscreen technology is also displayed on the center
console that stretches all the way to the back seat passengers.
From the driver seat, the driver can feel like he is captain of
his own spaceship with the digital futuristic instrumental panel that
smoothly integrates into the dash and flows seamlessly with the rest
of the interior components. And, in your spaceship like Buick, it may
also sound like you are somewhere out in space with the most up-date
next-generation QuietTuning and air-quality control, including
advanced noise cancellation technology, ionic air purifiers, and
aromatherapy.
“There is elegant simplicity in the Avista’s surfaces, which
speak to the purity of the car’s performance, and a timeless beauty
that’s a hallmark of Buick design,” Bryan Nesbitt, executive
director of Global Buick Design says. “It was designed to capture the
spirit of the perfect drive for all passengers.”
Driving a Buick Full of Technology and Power
Buick really has not been known for power-punching cars outside of
the '86 and '87 V-6 turbocharged Grand Nationals. And before that, you
have to go back to the muscle car era, when Buick was producing
455-cu-in torque monsters to find fun fast worthy cars to drive. But
Buick knows that Buick fans are ready for some more technology-driven
fast and fun cars.
If the Buick Avista makes it to the market the way it sits as a
concept, it will receive a 3.0-liter V-6 400-hp twin-turbo engine
that will be matted up to an 8-speed automatic transmission. 400
horses are good, especially when you are getting it out of a V-6 that
will use Active Fuel Management (cylinder deactivation) with
Start-Stop technology to bring you some very good mpg averages. And
along with all that awesome power comes an awesome ride, the wide
stance and 20'' rims not only help the car look great, but also work
perfectly with General Motors' iconic Magnetic Ride Control for nice
and tight cornering.
Smooth, But, Bold Exterior Excellence
The exterior profile of the Buick Avista's wide stance gives the
vehicle an aggressive sportier look. With the intent to attract
younger customers, Buick put a lot of effort into making the Buick stand out with bold and futuristic-looking head and taillights, 20''
aluminum rims, and a big mesh front grill with the Buick emblem front and
center.
“The Avista embodies the dynamic soul of Buick,” said Duncan
Aldred, vice president of Global Buick Sales, Service, and Marketing.
“It is a modern expression of the brand’s heritage of
sophisticated performance, communicated with beautiful elegance.”
A lot of times these cars never even make it into production, and
if they do they are deturned, toned-down versions from their concept
start. But the market is hungry for a vehicle like this. It was not
long ago the Chevy Volt sat in front of us as a concept vehicle and
one mesially year later it was rolling off the assembly line, in other
words, let's keep our fingers crossed, it could be here in no time.
