General Motors recently saw the unveiling of an Opel Gran Turismo concept, almost one month before the debut of the Geneva Auto Show in March.
The Opel GT concept gives a nod to old-school car styling, a decision which is most evident in the pair of round exhaust tips. The automaker firstly implemented this design choice at the 1965 edition of the Frankfurt Auto Show.
It should be noted that the in memoriam-elements from the new Opel GT are merely hints at the company's history, as the car steps away from the full-on retro approach of Volkswagen Beetle and Fiat 500.
To show its dedication to the contemporary trends, Opel gifted the smooth-lined coupe with a front that reminds of the carmaker's Monza concept. The chromatic finishing is nothing short of head-turning, as the new Opel GT concept is coated in gray, black and red, with slithering accents that incorporate the side windows.
The Germany-based automaker went full minimalistic by using cameras integrated into the arches of the front wheels, instead of the "boring" lateral mirrors. Keeping in touch with the fascination towards touch pads, the company equipped the car with small touch pads that work as door handles.
In its official press release, the company tells the story behind the red front tires.
"The distinctive red front tires - mounted on rims with a cheeky roller skates design - are reminiscent of the Opel motorbike Motoclub 500 that was also avant-garde at its time and was the proud owner of two red tires in 1928," Opel's press release reads.
Under the seductive hood of the new Opel GT concept sits a turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine. The power source is borrowed from Adam, an Opel model that directly eyed Fiat 500's market niche.
The three-cylinder engine packs no less than 145 horsepower, taking the car from zero to 60 mph in under eight seconds. The top speed of the six-speed sequential gearbox-loaded car is 133 mph.
The innovative, edgy design could be the first sign that Opel's design team carves a special direction for its incoming models. However, insiders point out that the concept heralds the mass manufacturing of a coupe that takes the place of the unsuccessful Astra GTC.
Customers will be able to choose from two variants of Opel GT: a diesel engine packing four cylinders and a gasoline-powered three cylinder. Rumors hinted that an OPC-badged model which will holster a staggering 300 horsepower could see the manufacturing stage later on.
Although the historical model of the GT was a staple of rear-driving, the new Opel concept will be assembled using the new Astra's platform. This means that GT owners will lose some of the fun and have to settle for front-wheel driving.
It should be noted that the car pays homage to the original GT from 1968, dubbed "baby Corvette" in Europe. The mention is important, as the American auto fans probably know the Opel GT as the short-lived Saturn Sky who faced some troubled times in the U.S.
You can feast your eyes below on the tantalizing advertisement for the new Opel GT concept.
Opel, who is part of the global General Motors conglomerate, saw a surge of recalls a few years ago, and the Saturn Sky was part of the recalled batch. The numbers ranked high enough that the CEO of GM was called for repeated hearings in front of the U.S. Senate.
We certainly hope that the sleek-looking Opel concept will face little problems during manufacturing and afterwards.
