Autoblog

Rally for youth with footage of the Opel Adam Rallye Cup Car

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:44:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Europe, Videos, Hatchback, Opel, Racing

We checked out the Opel Adam R2 Rally concept and its 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 185 horsepower and 140 pound-feet of torque at the Geneva Motor Show. The one-make series the car was built for, the ADAC Opel Ralleye Cup, has kicked off with 24 teams in identically prepared cars lining up for eight races in this inaugural season.

Meant to help young drivers find a less expensive way into motorsports, the championship is part of the German ADAC Rally Masters series and will actually run 140-hp cars. We're not sure how much the Opel prepped by Holzer Motorsport for this series costs, but English company M-sport prepares an R2-spec Ford Fiesta with 170 hp for 43,000 pounds (about $66,000 US). There's 100,000 euros in prize money up for grabs and the cup winner gets career help, a shot at the Adam R2 car in 2014 and a chance to hop into rally-prepped Opel Corsas.

The first video below has shots of the Adam Rallye Cup car on the move. For more footage and a closer look at the car, the second video has more rolling footage and an interview - in Danish with no subtitles, sadly - with the Danish rally team of 22-year-old Simon Lund Larsen and co-driver Ole R. Frederiksen.

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Rally for youth with footage of the Opel Adam Rallye Cup Car originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Opel Adam R2 Rally Car is a plucky little bruiser

Zach Bowman — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 14:01:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Hatchback, Opel, Racing

If there's anything more entertaining than watching a B-segment car bash its way through the woods, we don't want to know about it. Good for us, then, that Opel revealed a competition version of its Adam at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.

The Adam R2 Rally Concept is designed to conform to FIA R2 regulations and boasts a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 185 horsepower and 140 pound-feet of torque. While technically a concept, Opel says it will work to homologate the hatch. Once done, buyers will be able to compete in any number of international rally events.

So far, Opel has built 40 of the machines for competition in France in Germany, and the whole lot has been sold already. There's no word on how much the production models will cost buyers when the bow, but you can check out the full Opel release below for more information.

Continue reading Opel Adam R2 Rally Car is a plucky little bruiser

Opel Adam R2 Rally Car is a plucky little bruiser originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 07 Mar 2013 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Opel plans return to motorsport

George Kennedy — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 11:31:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Performance, Europe, Hatchback, Opel, Racing

With a financial crisis ravaging the European automotive industry, many automakers have tightened budgets, and motorsports programs have, in many cases, been among the first things to go. That's the case at Ford and Mini, but it's the opposite at Opel, which announced its return to motorsports in the form of spec series for two very fun-looking hatchbacks.

The first racer is the Opel Adam Cup, which will participate in the ADAC Rally Masters competition for the Opel Rally Cup Trophy. The series will closely match FIA R2 specifications, and will offer special coaching for younger drivers that place well in the "junior rally" system. There will also be cash prizes.

If hosing the dirt off your car after every race isn't your thing, there's the Astra OPC Cup. Featuring Opel Astra OPC, the highlight of the season will be a 24-hour endurance race at the Nürburgring. As with the Adam Cup, there will be cash prizes.

There's plenty of history here. Opel's rally exploits included a European Championship title in 1974, and again in 1979. This success was followed by campaigns in DTM in the 1990's, culminating in a constructor championship in 1998. Opel also found overall victory in the 24-hour endurance race at the Nürburgring in 2003. To read up more on Opel's and its new racecars, check out the press release below.

Continue reading Opel plans return to motorsport

Opel plans return to motorsport originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Nov 2012 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Opel Adam caught undisguised at a photo shoot

Jonathon Ramsey — Sat, 30 Jun 2012 16:04:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Budget, Paris Motor Show, Hatchback, Opel, Electric

The new and not-yet-revealed Opel Adam was taken to a Spanish technology park for a photo shoot, and there it was caught by an unofficial photo crew sent by our sister site Autoblog Spanish. It was described as looking like a cross between an Opel Corsa and an Audi A1 in the metal. There appears to be some French inspiration as well, especially the front end. Unless the light deceives, in-house cribbing comes in the Insignia-like swage line along the door, and we do hope that those wheels are offered on the production version.

A reminder, the Adam is six inches longer than the Volkswagen Up! but still shorter than the Opel Agila. We'd read that the electric version of the hatch had been canceled, but according to Italian site CarPasion.it, the EV will be one of three trim lines: the electric Adam Jam, more elegant Adam Glam and the sporty Adam Slam. Eventually it will have three-cylinder engines co-developed with SAIC underhood, but there could be powerplants from the Corsa line offered at launch.

The Adam should be in showrooms next spring for less than €10,000 ($13,000 USD). Before that, we'll see it unveiled at the Paris Motor Show.

Opel Adam caught undisguised at a photo shoot originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 30 Jun 2012 16:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Opel dubs upcoming city-car "Adam"

Noah Joseph — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:20:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Europe, Paris Motor Show, Hatchback, Opel, Vauxhall, UK

Tiny city cars are becoming a big business in overseas markets. Mercedes-Benz was a pioneer in the segment with the entire Smart brand, Toyota tackles it with the iQ, Volkswagen recently launched the Up! (along with the Skoda and Seat versions that came along with it), and soon Opel and Vauxhall will, as well.

The new city car, snapped last month undergoing testing at the Nürburgring and released in this latest pair of "official" spy shots, promises to give General Motors a slice of the city-car pie. But its nameplate has left us scratching our heads. The project has at times been referred to as the Junior or the Allegra, but has now been officially confirmed to be called the Adam.

The name is an apparent nod to the company's founder, Adam Opel, and in its invasion follows the same formula as the Ferrari Enzo - albeit and the complete opposite end of the spectrum. If this emerges as a new naming trend, we should be looking forward to seeing models like the Ford Henry, Chevrolet Louis, Lamborghini Ferruccio and Porsche Ferdinand flooding showrooms in the near future. Before that, though, expect the Opel Adam to debut at the Paris Motor Show in the fall... hopefully without the camouflage.

Opel dubs upcoming city-car "Adam" originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 May 2012 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Opel Adam a.k.a. Junior a.k.a. Allegra caught on the 'Ring

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:15:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Budget, Paris Motor Show, Hatchback, Opel, Vauxhall

The new Opel minicar has been so long in gestation that it has worn three names (so far). From the Junior and Allegra, we are now being told that it will now be called the Opel Adam, no doubt a nod to company founder Adam Opel.

Still clothed in enough camo to hide a barn, we can't tell much about how it looks, but with the latest spy shots we do know its sporting chops have been tested at the Nürburgring. That's a necessity since a longer version of the Adam's platform will go under the next Opel/Vauxhall Corsa. Beyond that, we aren't sure what will power it at launch but three-cylinder engines co-developed with SAIC are in the product pipeline. The electric version, however, has reportedly been canned.

At 3.70 meters, the Adam extends 15 cm beyond the Volkswagen Up! but is smaller than the Opel Agila. It is expected to go on sale in the Spring of 2013 for a base price of under €10,000 (Roughly $13,000 USD). If it does, that would be a turnabout from last year when former Opel chief Nick Reilly said the "Junior" would be an upscale mini and cost more than the larger Agila, which currently lists at €10,600 ($14k), but still wouldn't be a competitor to the Mini Cooper.

Stay tuned, for those and other mysteries will begin to be solved on May 8, which is when Opel will officially announce the car. So the rumors say. The showcase reveal will come at this year's Paris Motor Show.

Opel Adam a.k.a. Junior a.k.a. Allegra caught on the 'Ring originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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