Opel Astra OPC confirmed for Australia
Home >
News >
GM >
Opel
Recent new car releases ..... here
Upcoming new car releases ..... here
12th October, 2012
- Opel Performance Centre (OPC) – emotional and performance spearhead of Opel
- Turbocharged 2.0 litre direct injection turbo petrol engine with 206 kW
- 400 Nm torque, 0-100 km/h in just 6.0 seconds
- Exclusive high-performance chassis
- Powerful OPC design emphasises pure passion and sporty interior
Opel’s Astra OPC is heading down under with the most powerful Astra ever produced scheduled to join the Opel Australia
line-up from early 2013.
Powered by a 2.0 litre turbocharged direct injection engine, the Astra OPC (Opel Performance Centre) achieves a power
output of up to 206 kW and maximum torque of 400 Nm. The latest model to join the Opel Australia range can sprint from
zero to 100 km/h in just 6.0 seconds. Never before has an Astra been so fast, the Astra OPC is likely to be the most
powerful hot hatch available in its segment.
Opel Australia’s managing director, Bill Mott was very pleased to confirm that the Astra OPC will come to Australia.
“From early 2013 Australians will be able to experience what we think is the ultimate driver’s car. The Astra OPC
offers drivers unparalleled driving dynamics combined with sleek sporty coupe-like styling. It is a car that driving
enthusiasts can comfortably commute in during the week and on weekends, enjoy on the track,” he said.
Expressive Design: High Performance Astra Flexes Its Muscles
A powerful car needs powerful design. The body work of the Astra OPC is an expression of pure passion for power and
speed. Building on the design of the Astra GTC, the Astra OPC is given extra sportiness with a set of specially sculpted
front and rear bumpers, side skirts, an aerodynamic roof spoiler and two exhaust tail pipes in a trapezoid shape.
Inside the cabin, high quality materials and OPC exclusive features provide a sporty and premium atmosphere. The new
flat bottom OPC steering wheel takes its inspiration from motor sport and is 10mm smaller in diameter than the wheel used
in the other models in the Astra 'family', making the steering sensation even more precise, sporty and direct. The thumb
areas in the wheel have been re-sculpted to optimise grip and the visibility of the instruments.
New design front sports bucket seats, made with cutting-edge lightweight material and featuring state of the art
technology are standard in the vehicle. Along with exclusive OPC stitching in Cool Pearl throughout the cabin,
both elements add to the dynamic interior of the vehicle.
High Performance Chassis with FlexRide, HiPerStrut, limited slip differential
Opel has designed a high performance chassis package geared especially towards lateral dynamics and superb handling
qualities for the new Astra OPC. Setting it apart from all other current Astras is a specially developed mechanical
limited slip differential, which works on the front wheels. In conjunction with the sophisticated HiPerStrut (High
Performance Strut) package found on the Astra GTC, the LSD provides the Astra OPC with exceptional lateral grip and
traction through the bends.
|
|
|
Self-Catering Holiday
Accommodation in
Denmark, WA
..... more
|
|
|
The unit provides a locking effect with a ramp angle of 45 degrees under acceleration and 90 degrees under
deceleration. The locking effect improves traction when it’s needed – such as under acceleration through bends or over
changing cambers and surfaces – but the effect is relaxed off-throttle, when it’s not required, making the steering more
benign.
Further changes to the chassis include the addition of Brembo brakes and the standard fitment of Opel’s fully adaptive
FlexRide damping system. With FlexRide drivers have the choice of three separate chassis settings which can be selected
at the push of a button. ‘Standard’ delivers all-round performance for a wide range of road driving, with ‘Sport’
stiffening the dampers for reduced roll and tighter body control. The third setting is ‘OPC’, FlexRide’s most extreme
mode.
Not only does OPC mode enhance throttle responsiveness, and change the instrument backlighting from white to red, but
it alters the dampers settings once again. A ramp-control sub-mode further stiffens the dampers, but ensures that the
wheels are in contact with the road instantly after hitting a bump. This means the car has a soft landing even when the
springs on the struts rebound on an uneven surface. Meanwhile, the roll control sub-mode reduces tilt further during
cornering.
With cross-drilled and ventilated 355 x 32mm front discs, four-piston callipers and harder compound brake pads, Opel
and Brembo have co-developed a bespoke braking system to cater for the high performance requirements of the vehicle.
The brakes, as well as all other chassis elements, were tested on public roads and in the toughest of environments
including the Nürburgring and Contidrom race tracks in Germany, as well as on ice and snow in Scandanavia, and in the
searing Spanish heat at the Idiada test track.
Nordschleife – the ultimate proving ground
In line with the finest OPC traditions, the car was put through its paces and polished on the Northern Loop
(“Nordschleife”) of the Nürburgring race track in Germany. All OPC cars are tested in this “Green Hell” which is widely
considered to be the toughest and most demanding race track in the world. During the development phase, every OPC model
has to pass a 10,000 kilometre endurance test at high speed on the 20.8 km long Nordschleife. That is equivalent to
around 180,000 kilometres on the road. Under these extreme conditions the durability of all components are tested to
ensure maximum customer satisfaction.
Strong Track Record of OPC Label
The latest generation Astra OPC, the sporty spearhead of the new Astra family will further underscore the sporty
potential and the technical expertise associated with the OPC label.
The Astra OPC has a solid history of sales success with the nameplate amassing 15,000 units sold in the last seven
years alone. The Opel Performance Centre, responsible for the sporty accents in the Opel model line-up since 1999, is a
decisive element in the brand’s profile. It embodies a high level of emotion and passion for striking design, top-class
technology and extraordinary driving dynamics. The vehicles with “OPC” in their model name are positioned as the
emotional spearheads of the respective model lines.
Full pricing and specification will be published closer to launch.
| 
