Vauxhall Insignia gains New 1.4-Liter Turbo Petrol and Improved EcoFlex Diesels

It’s model-year changeover over time for the Vauxhall Insignia with the British company announcing the addition of a low emissions ecoFLEX diesel model and a new-to-the-range 1.4 Turbo petrol engine. Read more »

Rumors: Opel Astra GTC May Come to the U.S. as a Buick

It seems the success of the Buick Regal, which is essentially a rebadged Opel Insignia, has determined GM management to consider bringing another Opel to the U.S., the Astra GTC hatch. Buick will soon have a compact sedan in its range, the Astra-based Verano due to be launched this fall, but it also wants a sporty hatchback with enough power and fine handling to lure young buyers. Read more »

British Study Reveals the Most Popular Hairdresser’s Car in Real Life

And no, despite what you may have heard or read, the Audi TT ain’t the most popular car among hairdressers – or at least not in Britain. According to a new study made available today by UK women's car insurance specialist Diamond, that title goes to…*drums please*…the one and only, MINI One hatchback. In fact, the BMW Group’s MINI brand had two vehicles in the top five positions.

The UK insurance firm came to this conclusion after looking at data from over 18,000 hairdressers in Britain. The company said the MINI One is three and a half times more likely to be driven by someone working as a hairdresser than everyone else.

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GM’s Opel follows in the Footsteps of Ford, Asks Bloggers to Write About the Astra GTC to Attend the Presentation

Those of you readers that have been with us for a while might remember our revealing post about Ford Motor Company’s shady marketing tactics (via its media agency) to attract attention and web traffic to the brand by asking bloggers to participate in a Ford website-linking contest and win a place in the company’s 2010 Model Year Drive event.

That said, we are no strangers to the mommy-blogger-type approach from marketing companies representing major automotive brands, but we never cease to be amazed. This time we were approached by a social media agency called Knallgrau on behalf of GM’s European Opel unit. When we received the first email, we believed it was a media / press invitation but upon our request for additional information, we discovered that wasn’t the case.

In a similar fashion to the Ford incident, the agency asked if we wanted to write about the new Astra GTC and participate in a type of contest, the winners of which will be invited to the official unveiling of the three-door hatchback at Opel’s headquarters in Rüsselsheim, Germany.

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SCOOP: Is this the New 2013 Opel / Vauxhall Astra Convertible?

With the new sporty looking three-door Astra GTC on its way and the Astra Sedan outlined by its sister models from Buick’s US (2012 Verano) and China (Excelle) divisions, the only body style left to complete the range of Opel’s C-segment model series is the convertible version.

Recently, our spies in Germany caught a glimpse of an Astra-based model, which appears to be the cabriolet variant of the series. While we can’t be 100 percent sure, it is clear that this Astra has a boot while the close ups reveal a more raked rear windshield line than you’d normally expect to see on a four-door family sedan.

To get an idea of what the Astra Convertible might look like, here's our artist’s impression based on the upcoming GTC model. Even though our image of Opel’s VW Golf Cabriolet contender was styled with a soft-top, it has not yet been revealed if the German company will adopt this solution or if it will continue to use the current Astra TwinTop’s retractable metal roof.

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New Opel Zafira Tourer Receives its Video Debut

Across the pond, General Motors is upping the ante in the popular compact MPV sector with the introduction of Opel’s third generation Zafira model that will go on sale in most European countries this autumn. The production version of Opel’s Geneva show concept will also wear Vauxhall’s badges with the first cars to reach UK showrooms by early 2012.

We have already brought you the news and the first batch of photos in our previous post (see here), but now we have also obtained the launch film showing Opel’s people carrier on the move.

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All-New 2012 Opel Zafira 7-Seater Minivan Breaks Cover Ahead of Frankfurt Motor Show

Meet the new Opel Zafira Tourer, which was revealed today in its final production form before a global premiere at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany this fall. General Motors’ European division had previewed its new range-topping people carrier as a concept model at the Geneva Salon this past March.

The Zafira nameplate was first launched onto the market in 1999 with Opel having introduced a second-generation model in 2005. Now in its third iteration, the new Zafira will attempt to expand its customer base by adding a more impressive design and a more premium feel to the mix of qualities that are typical of the minivan segment.

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Opel Corsa OPC Nurburgring Edition Photographed at its Natural Habitat

Last month we wrote about the Opel Corsa OPC Nurburgring Edition, a 210HP version of which only 500 units will be built. Opel had initially released three photos of the new car but now, the German carmaker returns with a bevy of new pictures of its pocket rocket. Naturally, all shots are taken at the Nurburgring racetrack, on the old Nordschleife section as well as on the modern Grand Prix circuit.

Opel didn't offer any new information on the car aside from announcing that the average fuel consumption is 7.6 liters/100 km (30.95 mpg) with corresponding CO2 emissions of 178 grams per kilometer.

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2012 Opel Astra GTC Sport Hatch is…Virtually Here: First Official Images and Video of Production Model

General Motors’ Opel division is getting ready to take the wraps off the all-new Astra GTC as the company released the first official renderings and a video of the production model shown in a virtual landscape.

The new sharp looking, three-door version of the Astra, will be revealed in the flesh and in detail in just six week’s time, on June 7, well ahead of its world premiere at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show, on September 15. Both Opel and its sister company in the UK, Vauxhall, will begin accepting orders in the summer with first deliveries expected this fall.

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SCOOP: 2012 Opel Zafira MPV Uncovered

These are the latest and most revealing spy shots of the upcoming 2012 Opel Zafira minivan (to be sold under the Vauxhall brand in the UK), which will receive its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September before going on sale across Europe this fall.

The new Zafira was previewed in conceptual form at the Geneva Salon in March and will sit atop the Meriva in Opel’s MPV range rivaling the likes of Ford’s C-Max and Citroen’s Grand C4 Picasso.

From the looks of the lightly camouflaged test model, the Zafira has remained close to the Geneva concept car, with the most visible changes concerning the shape of the mirrors and the lower parts of the front and rear bumpers along with the reduced angle of the kink in the rear-side window.

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Opel Reveals Hotted up Corsa OPC Nurburgring Edition with 210-horsepower

Based on the recently refreshed Corsa OPC, the Nurburgring Edition is a limited series version of Opel’s hot-hatch of which only 500 units will be produced. However, exclusivity is not its only advantage. The special edition Corsa OPC receives an increase of 18HP, so that the 1.6-liter turbocharged engine goes from 192 to 210HP, posting an impressive power rating of 131.4 hp per liter. Read more »

New Opel Insignia OPC Unlimited Edition Ditches Speed Limiter topping out at 270km/h

More and more carmakers are quietly abandoning their gentleman’s agreement of limiting top speed of their production models to 250 km/h (155 mph), despite the fact that the only place in Europe to legally drive that fast is on certain sections of the German autobahn. The latest company to do so is Opel which has released a new version of its high-performance Insignia OPC called ‘Unlimited’ without an electronically-restricted top speed.

“We are responding to frequently expressed customer wishes,” says Alain Visser, Vice President Sales, Marketing and Aftersales at Adam Opel AG. “Insignia OPC buyers are generally experienced and responsible drivers who want to enjoy the full technical possibilities of their car.”

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BMW Invests More in its 'i' Project, Snatches Chevy Volt’s Lead Engineer from GM

BMW recently acquired Frank Weber, formerly head of Opel/Vauxhall's product planning division and lead engineer on Chevrolet's Volt. Automotive News Europe reports that he will become head of BMW's vehicle architecture and integration division.

Weber will be in control of EfficientDynamics (the green stuff), driver safety/assistance tech, and "full vehicle concepts and architecture", as well as bringing a whole bunch of electrical wizardry and know-how to BMW's nascent electric future.

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New Opel Astra GTC Sport Hatch Appears on Facebook Completely Undisguised

The production version of Opel’s stunning Astra GTC Concept from last year’s Paris Motor Show is scheduled to appear this summer with its public debut to take place at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show in September. However, thanks to Carscoop reader Javier who has a knack for finding future Opel models, we can give you a sneak peak of the production GTC. Javier discovered the picture of the completely undisguised Astra GTC on Opel’s official Facebook page earlier today.

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New Opel Astra 2.0 CDTI with EcoFLEX Package Delivers 4.5lt/100km or 52.26 MPG

A new, more fuel efficient model has been added to the Opel Astra’s European lineup. The Astra 2.0 CDTI 160HP comes equipped the ecoFLEX package, which includes Start/Stop functionality. Already available for the Astra 1.3 CDTI, the package is offered as an optional extra for the 2.0-liter diesel hatchback and Sports Tourer models in combination with the six-speed manual transmission.

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GM Reportedly Readying Buick Version of Opel Ampera

Sure, the Opel Ampera is nothing more than a Chevrolet Volt with some extremely mild cosmetic changes, but doppelgangers have always had a very special place in the wonderful world of General Motors. If Bloomberg’s inside sources are right, GM is currently looking into the development of a Buick-badged version of the plug-in hybrid Opel Ampera. According to people familiar with the project, the Buick model could go on sale in 2013, if the plans goes ahead.

Given that the styling changes over the Chevrolet Volt would be limited to a Buick-specific grille and bumper designs, one of the most significant problems GM faces is how to justify the car and its higher price tag which would be in excess of the Volt’s base MSRP of US$41,000 not including a $7,500 federal tax credit.

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Watch This Space: High Performance Holden Cruze SS said to be in the Works

In Australia, the SS badge has a special meaning to Holden owners. Its most frequently associated with the Commodore large car and to a lesser extent, the ultra-rare Torana SS of the 1970s. It’s all about big Aussie V8’s and rear-wheel-drive. It’s as Australian as Fosters beer and Four’N Twenty pies.

So now, there’s talk of a performance version of the Cruze small car in the works - and insidious rumors this front-wheel-drive econobox may carry the prestigious double ‘S’ moniker previously reserved only for V8 models. “Sacrilege!” you scream, and I’m more than willing to agree. Nevertheless, let’s push on and see what the Australian rumor mill has in store for us.

It’s possible a high performance version of the Cruze would use the same 132 kW, / 180HP and 230 Nm 1.6-liter turbo four from the European Vauxhall / Opel Astra as there drivetrains are readily interchangeable thanks to both using the GM’s Delta II architecture.

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Opel Launches Meriva Color Edition Special in Germany

One year and some 120,000 European sales after the introduction of the second generation Meriva onto the market, Opel is enhancing the small MPV’s range with the presentation of a new special edition model. Read more »

VIDEO: Le Casse, A Mad Cap Car Chase through the Streets Of 1970’s Athens

Ah, the ‘70s. We had the Oil Crisis and Watergate, microwave ovens and VCRs, Maggie Thatcher and Jimmy Carter. As for cars, well: there were the greats like the Lamborghini Countach, Datsun 240Z and the Dodge Charger. Then there were the not-so-greats like the AMC Pacer, Chevy Chevette and the Ford Mustang Cobra II.

It was the decade that brought us The French Connection, Gone in 60 Seconds and Smokey and the Bandit. It also brought us a relatively unknown (well, to my –ahem- clearly sophisticated tastes) French film called Le Casse (The Burglars).

Oh sure, Bullitt had Steve McQueen in a Mustang and Goldfinger had Sean Connery in a DB5, but you ain’t ever seen a film so brazen to put Omar Sharif behind the wheel of...an Opel Rekord. Well, he is the villain. Surely our hero, Jean-Paul Belmondo, will get to drive something a bit smarter.

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SCOOP: Production Version of Opel Zafira Tourer Concept getting Ready for Frankfurt Show Debut

At this month’s Geneva Motor Show, Opel previewed the next generation of its 7-seater MPV model through the Zafira Tourer Concept. Now, our spies have snagged some new photos of the production version rolling around in Germany as Opel puts the final touches on the compact minivan before its world premiere at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show this fall.

Being that that Geneva show Zafira was more of a pre-production model than a pure concept, few things appear to have changed on the outside. These include the smaller size and less snazzy alloy wheels, the larger but obviously more practical for everyday use exterior mirrors, the redesigned tail lamps and the more mundane tail pipe designs.

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