New Opel Corsa OPC: Fifth Generation Athlete
02/04/2015
Opel
No matter whether the Green Hell or the urban jungle - the new Opel Corsa OPC is at home on all terrains. No matter whether on the Nürburgring or during rush hour - the fastest member of the new generation Corsa combines extreme uncompromising athleticism with outstanding suitability for everyday use. The roughly four-meter long powerhouse impresses with its high-torque, 207 hp, 1.6 liter turbocharged engine, agile handling and not least with its sporty look. However, neither the spacious interior, well known from the Corsa, nor the good comfort have suffered. The Corsa OPC is the athlete of the small car family. It will celebrate its world premiere at the next Geneva Motor Show (March 5-15, 2015).
"Our OPC models are the dynamic spearheads of our car ranges. They reflect Opel's sporting tradition, epitomize German engineering, emotional design and distinctive driving dynamics. The new Corsa OPC impressively proves how high our engineers have set the bar in the sporty small car segment. It shows exactly what it is made of on winding mountainous roads and even on the racetrack, and it is so much fun that you do not want to get out of it anymore. Typical OPC - simply pure passion," enthused Opel Group CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann after completing the final fast calibration laps in the new Corsa OPC at the Opel Test Center in Dudenhofen.
OPC design: Powerful appearance
Sticking to the OPC tradition the top-of-the-range Corsa can immediately be identified as a true member of the Opel Performance Center. Apart from the new, OPC-exclusive paint in flash blue the Corsa also boasts a new front-end design with new large air intakes. In particular, the aluminum-framed openings below the headlights create a visual link to the Corsa's bigger sports brother, the Astra OPC. A small scoop is located in front of the distinctive hood giving the Corsa OPC an additional optical dash of athleticism. The dynamically modelled flanks with bold sill side trims create the appropriate connection to the rear end.
The Corsa OPC's uncompromising sporty design is continued when viewed from the rear. The spoiler attached to the trunk lid is available in two different varieties - a subtle rear spoiler that comes as standard and a much more flamboyant version that creates even more downforce at the rear axle. The twin-pipe Remus exhaust with a diffusor around the tailpipes adds further athletic touches both optically and acoustically which becomes apparent once the accelerator is pressed.
The interior also creates a sporty ambience. Recaro performance seats, which offer passengers optimum side support even in the most demanding maze of corners, are prominent. The leather steering wheel, flattened at the bottom, the OPC gear knob and the sports pedals along with the characteristic instruments in the OPC design complete the interior. In addition, drivers will not have to miss out on outstanding connectivity. Opel's IntelliLink infotainment system will be available as an option and bring the world of smartphones, both Apple iOS and Android, to the Corsa OPC.
1.6 Turbo ECOTEC: 207 hp and up to 280 Nm
Under the hood, the 152 kW/207 hp turbocharged gasoline engine of the new generation Corsa OPC is only waiting to be kicked into action. The 1.6-liter OPC unit now offers maximum torque of 245 Nm between 1,900 and 5,800 rpm - an additional 35 Nm are available when required with the overboost functionality. Much attention has been paid to fast torque build-up and extending the torque plateau compared to the previous generation model (max torque was only reached at 2,250 rpm in the exclusive Nürburgring Edition), so that the car is much more responsive at low engine speeds. The OPC power is transferred to the front wheels via a six-speed transmission with short and sharp shifting travels. Thus, the new Corsa OPC races to 100 km/h from a standing start in a mere 6.8 seconds. A maximum speed of 230 km/h is possible. Despite its sporting credentials, fuel consumption is a respectable 7.5 liters per 100 kilometers for the combined cycle (174 g/km CO2).
FSD sports chassis: Always the right frequency
In order to deliver the power to the road in the best possible manner the Opel engineers teamed up with the specialists from Koni to develop a chassis that can boast innovative damping. The new Frequency Selective Damping (FSD) technology enables the damping forces to adapt to the frequency of the car, thus enabling the balancing act between uncompromising athleticism and an adequate level of comfort. The other chassis component were also calibrated accordingly. The Corsa OPC is 10 millimeters closer to the road surface than its tame standard Corsa siblings. A latest generation electronic control systems allows for various modes to be selected for the electronic stability program (ESP) and the traction control (TC). In 'Competition Mode' for example traction control is inactive while the ESP gives a Corsa OPC a slightly longer leash. Experienced drivers can even switch off the ESP completely when pushing the vehicle to its limits on racetracks.
Elsewhere, the steering has also been optimized. It reacts even more direct and precise and gives OPC drivers much better feedback. 215/45 R17 Michelin performance tires as standard ensure perfect grip. An OPC-optimized braking system with 308-millimeter braking discs on the front axle can be seen.
Performance Package: Pure racing flair for road use
Drivers looking for even more racing flair can turn to the Corsa OPC Performance Package. It includes a mechanical multi-disc differential lock made by Drexler, 18-inch wheels with powerful grip Michelin tires and an even more athletic chassis set-up. Furthermore, the Performance Package comprises a Brembo high performance braking system with 330-millimimeter braking discs on the front axle providing optimal deceleration. The Performance Package ensures that the Corsa OPC becomes a true athlete that can deal with the demands of both the urban jungle and the Green Hell: while they know that the Corsa OPC will spend some time in city traffic, the development engineers have made sure, with their usual OPC tests on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, that it can take on all challenges of the toughest race track in the world.