Frankfurt Preview: Opel Flextreme revealed!
by Alex Nunez on Sep 7th 2007 at 10:03PM 
Click image for photo gallery
The Opel Flextreme concept is GM's European answer to the Chevy Volt, and it's destined to be one of the stars of this year's very green-tinged Frankfurt Motor Show. The vehicle's name was leaked in a Financial Times article published on August 31, and this evening, several photos and more information about the concept were published online. We happily share what's available so far.
The Flextreme sports a Euro-friendly hatchback/crossover-style body as opposed to Volt's US-targeted sedan duds, which allows for an area in which a pair Segways can be stored and charged by the car's onboard electrical system. It's also got a glass panoramic roof, rear suicide doors, and rearview cameras in lieu of traditional mirrors.
Under the skin, the Flextreme and Volt are largely the same save for the engine supplying power to the car's onboard generator. The Flextreme utilizes a 1.3-liter Ecotec turbodiesel instead of the 1-liter 3-cylinder turbo E85/flex-fuel unit featured in the Volt. A lithium-ion battery pack provides the juice for the car's front-mounted electric motor. Battery-only range on a full charge is 40 miles, and when battery power has been exhausted, the diesel will kick in to start replenishing it. It's a PHEV, so it can also be charged by being plugged into an electrical outlet.
The gang headed to Germany will bring us all plenty of live shots and first-person coverage next week.
[Sources: Carscoop, km77, Jalopnik]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Jason 10:07PM (9/07/2007)
Lamborghini called... they want their wheels back.
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nagmashot 4:08AM (9/08/2007)
that wheel design is used by Opel since a long time... all OPC models come with such looking rims..
nice 10:19PM (9/07/2007)
nice.
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ckm 10:33PM (9/07/2007)
Is it me or does this look very, very similar to the new Ford Fiesta concept....
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ford-verve-concept/366909/
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far jr 10:46PM (9/07/2007)
Can you say 20xx Opel/Saturn Astra Greenline? We can only hope.
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R.Autry 10:52PM (9/07/2007)
Ladies and gentlemen...Your next Saab.
Love the left, right and rear facing cameras. Cool!
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yago bal 10:58PM (9/07/2007)
The SAAB bit is stupid. :) The Volt would be more likelly to end-up as a SAAB: it's all SAAB technology!
far jr 11:32PM (9/07/2007)
Yago do you have a link to that particular tidbit? I am referring to the Saab technology portion.
nagmashot 4:16AM (9/08/2007)
yago you know that all Saab development is done by OPEL... Opel is GM´s leading developing brand for all small and midsize cars sold by GM brands outside the USA (Holden for all large vehicles). The next generation Saab 9-3 is not only completly developt by Opel it is completly build by Opel in Rüsselsheim Germany.
KC 11:37PM (9/07/2007)
Starting to think GM is not so serious on this whole E-Flex thing.
Gonna come out in 2010 and they are showing off concepts that are maybe 20% production ready... I mean, very little of that design is going to make it into the final vehicle.
As interesting as it is, it's far far from anything that will be on the road in production form.
Plus, what's up with the Segways? Is that a hint that GM expect this whole project to flop just like the Segway? Real encouraging to see them pack in a couple of the personal transportation vehicle that was supposed to change the world but really had absolutely no impact at all.
Maybe GM is just keeping the final details close to their chest as 2010 is a ways away and the competition is watching, but I am starting to think the whole E-Flex thing is more marketing hype then anything else.
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far jr 12:24AM (9/08/2007)
Perhaps you are correct. However, even if it looks different than the prototypes, the E-flex may happen relatively close to 2010.
http://www.autoobserver.com/2007/08/chevy-volt-the-.html
Remember GM had an operational prototype of a series electric version of the EV-1. Most of this E-flex componentry may be further along in development than the GM-bashers would like you to think.
http://www.chevyvoltforum.com/index.php?showtopic=17
Brian R 11:22AM (9/08/2007)
HA! I laugh - "flop"?
That's like saying cars were a flop when people didn't FLOCK to them in the first 5 years from their horses to "horseless carriages'
There's about 7 people in my town that use PT's everyday to get to work. It depends on where you live, and Europe would be great for something like this.
Can't park to within a mile of your destination? Pull out the PT's. Need to get to a central point and then "cruise" the town? Pull out the PT's. Seems logical to me.
JZeke 3:02AM (9/11/2007)
Car styling on concepts is usually a teaser of what has already been locked in for products up to a decade down the pipeline. The public perception is that the concepts come before the production models, but concepts these days are quick studies that extrapolate and embelish a form language already locked into future product development.
E-Flex is definetly far ahead in its development, the shape of car it arrives in is largely irrelevant. Expect a GM Prius: advanced, different but not a radical leap.
Coleman Foley 11:50PM (9/07/2007)
looks pretty cool
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solarV 1:26AM (9/08/2007)
omg, what a shit :O
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yago bal 2:37AM (9/08/2007)
@far jr
Of course I do:
From April 11th 2006:
http://www.trollhattansaab.net/archives/2006/04/did_gm_screw_sa.html
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RicardoHead 11:02AM (9/08/2007)
One posting on a SAAB fanboy site (plus hateful followups by other fanboys) is your source for your claim that the Volt is "all SAAB technology?
far jr 12:49PM (9/08/2007)
Yago did Saab also design the EV-1 series prototype back in 1998? Your article refers to a Saab prototype which is much more recent.
I'm sure GM will utilize any expertise from it's Norse brothers and sisters (they would be fools not to do so). However, I believe the basis for the Volt as well as the Saab prototype in your post are derived from the research done on the EV-1 series hybrid of 1998.
The hold up in 1998 was low gas prices, high production cost, and subpar battery technology. By 2010 things may be very different with all three of those factors.
yago bal 1:41PM (9/08/2007)
@Ricardo Head
If you actualy read the article, you'd see the source is the AFTONBLADET, the biggest swedish newspaper, and the "Smoking Gun" follow up is based on the actual original press release from SAAB, which was withdrawn before beeing rewritten, and revealed by australian AUTOWEB.
This was published in many places.
Trollhattansaab was simple the first one I found on Google.
It's serious, but there's no need to react like that.
MoonRover 8:06AM (9/08/2007)
Now I could live with that design, truly different, truly beautiful. General Motors seems to be on the right track with all their new products, it's good to see.
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