Fifth-Generation Athlete: New Opel Corsa OPC

• Powerful: 1.6-litre turbo with 152 kW and 280 Nm
• Fast: From 0 to 100 km/h in only 6.8 seconds, maximum speed 230 km/h
• Stunning: Tested on the Nürburgring; sporty look, with performance package
• Coming soon: world premiere at Geneva Motor Show in early March

11 February 2015 – Rüsselsheim.  Regardless of whether it’s being thrown around the Green Hell or cruising slowly down the street in the urban jungle – the new Opel Corsa OPC is at home on all terrain. The new Corsa OPC combines extreme uncompromising athleticism with outstanding suitability for everyday use. The roughly four-metre long powerhouse impresses with its high-torque, 152 kW, 1.6-litre turbocharged engine, agile handling and not least with its sporty looks. The new Corsa OPC will celebrate its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show (March 5-15, 2015).

“Our OPC models are the dynamic spearheads of our car ranges. They reflect Opel’s sporting tradition, epitomising German engineering, emotional design and distinctive driving dynamics. The new Corsa OPC impressively proves how high our engineers have set the bar in the sporty small car segment. It shows exactly what it is made of on winding mountainous roads and even on the racetrack, and it is so much fun that you do not want to get out of it. Typical OPC – simply pure passion,” enthused Opel Group CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann after completing the final fast calibration laps in the new Corsa OPC at the Opel Test Centre in Dudenhofen.

OPC design: powerful appearance

Sticking to the OPC tradition the top-of-the-range Corsa can immediately be identified as a true member of the Opel Performance Centre. Apart from the new, OPC-exclusive paint in Flash Blue the Corsa OPC also boasts a new front-end design with new large air intakes. In particular, the aluminum-framed openings below the headlights create a visual link to the Corsa’s bigger sports brother, the Astra OPC. A small scoop is located in front of the distinctive hood giving the Corsa OPC an additional visual dash of athleticism. The dynamically modelled flanks with bold sill side trims create the appropriate connection to the rear end.

The Corsa OPC’s uncompromising sporty design is continued when viewed from the rear. The spoiler attached to the trunk lid is available in two different varieties – a subtle rear spoiler that comes as standard and a much more flamboyant version which creates even more down force at the rear axle. The twin-pipe Remus exhaust with a diffuser around the tailpipes adds further athletic touches both visually and acoustically which becomes apparent once the accelerator is pressed.

The interior also creates a sporty ambience. Recaro performance seats, which offer passengers optimum side support even in the most demanding of corners, are prominent. The leather steering wheel, flattened at the bottom, the OPC gear knob and the sports pedals along with the characteristic instruments in an OPC design complete the interior. In addition, drivers will not miss out on Opel’s outstanding connectivity. Opel’s IntelliLink infotainment system will be available as an option and bring the world of smartphones, both Apple iOS and Android, to the Corsa OPC.

1.6 Turbo ECOTEC: 152 kW and up to 280 Nm

Under the bonnet lurks Opel’s proven 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine boasting 152 kW and maximum torque of 245 Nm between 1 900 and 5 800 rpm – an additional 35 Nm are available when required with the overboost functionality. Much attention has been paid to quick torque build-up and extending the torque plateau compared to the previous generation model (max torque was only reached at 2 250 rpm in the exclusive Nürburgring Edition), so that the car is much more responsive at low engine speeds.

The OPC’s power is transferred to the front wheels via a six-speed transmission with short and sharp shifts. Thus, the new Corsa OPC races to 100 km/h from standstill in a mere 6.8 seconds. A maximum speed of 230 km/h is possible. Despite its sporting credentials, fuel consumption is a respectable 7.5-litres per 100 km on the combined cycle (174 g/km CO2).

FSD sports chassis: always the right frequency

In order to deliver the power to the road in the best possible manner, Opel engineers teamed up with specialists from Koni to develop a chassis that boasts innovative damping. The new Frequency Selective Damping (FSD) technology enables the damping forces to adapt to the frequency of the car, thus enabling the balancing act between uncompromising athleticism and an adequate level of comfort.

Other chassis components were also calibrated accordingly. The Corsa OPC is 10 mm closer to the road surface than its tame standard Corsa siblings. A latest-generation electronic control systems allows for various modes to be selected for the electronic stability program (ESP) and the traction control (TC). In ‘Competition Mode’ for example, traction control is inactive while the ESP gives the Corsa OPC a slightly longer leash. Experienced drivers can even switch off the ESP completely when pushing the vehicle to its limits on racetracks.

Elsewhere, the steering has also been optimised. It reacts even more directly and precisely and gives OPC drivers much better feedback. Standard 215/45 R17 Michelin performance tyres ensure perfect grip. An OPC-optimised braking system with 308 mm brake discs on the front axle can be seen.

Performance Package: pure racing flair for road use

Drivers looking for even more racing flair can turn to the Corsa OPC Performance Package. It includes a mechanical multi-disc differential lock made by Drexler, 18-inch wheels with even stickier Michelin tires and an even more athletic chassis set-up. Furthermore, the Performance Package comprises a Brembo high performance braking system with 330 mm brake discs on the front axle providing optimal deceleration.
The Performance Package ensures that the Corsa OPC becomes a true athlete that can deal with the demands of both the urban jungle and the Green Hell: while they know that the Corsa OPC will spend some time in city traffic, the development engineers have made sure, with their usual OPC tests on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, that it can take on all challenges of the toughest race track in the world.
The new Corsa OPC is planned for launch in South Africa in the third quarter of 2015.