GM's German division has a new Opel GT concept car in the works slated to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March. Opel has lacked a halo model to drum up excitement and showcase what the brand stands for, and that might be what the GT concept will become.
In the late 1960s and early '70s, the Opel GT served that purpose with a tight, curvaceous shape and a two-seat cockpit in a classic front-engine/rear-drive layout. It was essentially a third-generation Opel Kadett B but with custom coachwork from a French outfit, making it something of a European counterpart to the Chevy Corvette – albeit with a small four-cylinder engine instead of a big V8. Decades later, the nameplate was revived as a clone of the Saturn Sky in 2007, replacing the mid-engined Lotus-built Opel Speedster that preceded it. But since the roadster's discontinuation (along with the Sky and Pontiac Solstice), the brand has been lacking a halo car.
Hopes were kindled anew when Opel revealed the Monza concept in Frankfurt a couple of years ago, but now they appear to be taking another step forward in the form of the new GT concept. The automaker promises another teaser video in a couple of days that will hopefully show us more than its CEO walking down a futuristic hallway with a creepy Terminator-style red eye, and we're looking forward to seeing what it has in store. With a bit of luck, it will prove a worthy successor to the nameplate – and maybe, just maybe, will yield a production sports car that the General might consider bringing Stateside as a Chevy, Buick, or Cadillac.
In the late 1960s and early '70s, the Opel GT served that purpose with a tight, curvaceous shape and a two-seat cockpit in a classic front-engine/rear-drive layout. It was essentially a third-generation Opel Kadett B but with custom coachwork from a French outfit, making it something of a European counterpart to the Chevy Corvette – albeit with a small four-cylinder engine instead of a big V8. Decades later, the nameplate was revived as a clone of the Saturn Sky in 2007, replacing the mid-engined Lotus-built Opel Speedster that preceded it. But since the roadster's discontinuation (along with the Sky and Pontiac Solstice), the brand has been lacking a halo car.
Hopes were kindled anew when Opel revealed the Monza concept in Frankfurt a couple of years ago, but now they appear to be taking another step forward in the form of the new GT concept. The automaker promises another teaser video in a couple of days that will hopefully show us more than its CEO walking down a futuristic hallway with a creepy Terminator-style red eye, and we're looking forward to seeing what it has in store. With a bit of luck, it will prove a worthy successor to the nameplate – and maybe, just maybe, will yield a production sports car that the General might consider bringing Stateside as a Chevy, Buick, or Cadillac.
Seeing Opel With Fresh Eyes: The Opel GT Concept is Coming
Breathtaking sportscar concept to celebrate world premiere at Geneva Motor Show
2016-01-14
Rüsselsheim. It is only visible for a few moments in the first video but they are enough to create an appetite for more: Opel Group CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann announces the next major step for Opel – the GT Concept. With this, the company will launch the next step of the sculptural Opel design philosophy. "You will see Opel with a fresh pair of eyes," promises Dr. Neumann. The concept car carries on the great tradition of the carmaker that is already made clear by the name: the Opel GT Concept is coming.
In the film, a characteristic red detail is mirrored in the eye of the beholder – a first preview of a trendsetting concept that will celebrate its premiere at the Geneva Motor Show (March 3 to 13). The breathtaking and puristic sportscar expresses the continuous innovative strength and the new lifestyle of Opel. Dr. Neumann will reveal more on the newcomer in a second clip on January 21.
Breathtaking sportscar concept to celebrate world premiere at Geneva Motor Show
2016-01-14
Rüsselsheim. It is only visible for a few moments in the first video but they are enough to create an appetite for more: Opel Group CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann announces the next major step for Opel – the GT Concept. With this, the company will launch the next step of the sculptural Opel design philosophy. "You will see Opel with a fresh pair of eyes," promises Dr. Neumann. The concept car carries on the great tradition of the carmaker that is already made clear by the name: the Opel GT Concept is coming.
In the film, a characteristic red detail is mirrored in the eye of the beholder – a first preview of a trendsetting concept that will celebrate its premiere at the Geneva Motor Show (March 3 to 13). The breathtaking and puristic sportscar expresses the continuous innovative strength and the new lifestyle of Opel. Dr. Neumann will reveal more on the newcomer in a second clip on January 21.
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