If you find the Opel / Vauxhall Ampera and consequently the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrids a little too plain and boring for your tastes, then you ought to a look at this handsome conceptual proposal from GM’s European arm. The 4.7-meter long Opel Flextreme GT/E concept with its coupe-like proportions and suicide-style rear doors illustrates how GM’s extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV) technology can be plugged into a larger size vehicle with a more emotional design DNA.

Despite its good looks, the concept model has been optimized for aerodynamic efficiency featuring among other things a pair of retractable spoilers hidden behind each rear wheel-arch that extend out 350-mm at speeds over 50 km/h or 31mph to guide high-speed airflow around the rear corners of the car, further reducing the amount of turbulence.

According to the Germans, the Flextreme GT/E achieves a projected drag co-efficient of just 0.22 The study uses the Volt’s E-REV drive system, meaning the front wheels are always driven by an electric motor producing 160HP (120kW) and 370Nm of torque with a 1.4-liter gasoline engine kicking in to supply electricity once the lithium-ion batteries are depleted.

Opel said that the Flextreme GT/E is estimated to offer performance similar to that of the Ampera with a battery-powered driving range of up to 65km or 40 miles and a total range of over 500km or 311 miles. Average fuel consumption is estimated at 1.6lt/100km or 147mpg US, with CO2 emissions of under 40g/km

The five-door concept is said to be able to accelerate from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in less than nine seconds and achieve a top speed in excess of 200km/h or 124 mph

By CarScoop

Some new vehicle launches come as a surprise, while others are expected well in advance. After Fiat released the updated Punto Evo, it was only a matter of time until Opel did the same with its Corsa. Why is that, you ask? Because the Corsa isn’t just a competitor to the Punto: it shares the same platform. In fact the platform that underpins the Corsa can also be found in everything from the Alfa Romeo MiTo to the Peugeot Bipper, all courtesy of joint ventures among three major automakers across Europe. It was co-developed between General Motors and Fiat, and underpins some eight different vehicles sold as at Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Abarth, Citroën, Peugeot, Opel and Vauxhall dealerships. But even setting the others aside, the Corsa is Opel/Vauxhall’s top seller, accounting for some 30 percent of its overall sales. A vital product, then.

For the latest Corsa, Opel has kept things simple. That is to say, simple on the outside. While the exterior remains virtually unchanged, a host of revisions have been carried out underneath the skin. For starters, the engine range – comprised of five gasoline fours from 1.0-liter up to a 1.6 turbo and three diesels – has been revised to deliver more power while consuming less fuel and emitting fewer carbon molecules. The suspension has also been recalibrated for increased ride comfort and the steering comprehensively re-tuned by the company’s OPC performance division for greater precision.

By AutoBlog