Media Information
January 27, 2016
The Opel GT Concept: This is How Sportscars Will Look in Future
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First appearance: World premiere at the 86th Geneva Motor Show
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Emotional concept: Breathtaking and puristic design
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Successful ancestors: Following the tradition of the Opel GT and the Monza Concept
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True sportscar: front mid-engine, sequential gearbox, rear-wheel drive
Rüsselsheim. The Opel GT Concept will celebrate its world premiere at the 86th Geneva
International Motor Show (March 3 to 13, 2016). This trendsetting sportscar expresses the
continuous innovative strength of Opel – breathtaking in its shape, reduced to the bare
essentials, pure passion. The thoroughbred athlete with a front mid-engine and rear-wheel
drive is a direct descendant of the Opel GT and the Monza Concept and takes Opel’s
sculptural design philosophy to the next level. The sportscar is avant-garde yet puristic,
renounces everything that disturbs the pure form. The GT Concept has no door handles or
exterior door mirrors.
“We are taking the next step towards even more emotion and driving pleasure with the
Opel GT Concept. The GT Concept shows what Opel stands for now. We are confident,
ambitious, innovative and we want win over more customers with every new car,” said
Opel Group CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann who is already looking forward to the world
premiere in Geneva.
In the best tradition: GT Concept continues philosophy of Opel Experimental GT
The Opel GT Concept will follow in the footsteps of the famous Opel Experimental GT at
the Geneva Motor Show. In 1965, only one year after the foundation of the first design
studio run by a European car manufacturer, Opel presented this sleek and expressive
coupé with the reliable technology of the Kadett B at the Frankfurt Motor Show. However, it
was not just innovative because it was the first concept car ever presented by a European
Adam Opel AG
D-65423 Rüsselsheim
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manufacturer. The GT already shone with innovations such as retracting headlamps and
displayed a slim form along with perfect proportions without unnecessary decoration. The
uncompromising concept by Erhard Schnell mainly wanted to be one thing – a design
statement. The reactions from the public were so overwhelming that the series production
Opel GT was at dealerships only three years later. The rest is history – a success story, an
automotive icon.
The GT Concept once again showcases Opel’s pioneering spirit. A dynamic driving
machine something that is already symbolized by the red signature line that splits the
vehicle body horizontally and proportions it. 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.
Apart from that, the GT Concept does not have many links to the past. The long bonnet,
the absence of a trunk lid, the central dual exhaust and of course, the name all refer to the
original GT. Apart from that the Opel GT Concept is independent with no sign of retrodesign.
"We created the GT Concept to capture the bold, emotional spirit of the Opel brand. It is
dramatic, sculptural and full of innovations, which is our great tradition that we intend to
continue. Back in 1965, Opel developed the Experimental GT, a thoroughly modern vehicle
that also boasted a pure sculptural shape. It’s certainly difficult to reinvent an icon but just
as the Experimental GT was avant-garde back then, so too is this GT Concept today –
absolutely pure, minimalistic, yet bold and uncompromising. This coupé impressively
demonstrates the continuous development of our Design philosophy – ‘Sculptural Artistry
meets German precision’,” said Mark Adams, Vice President, Design Europe.
A key innovation of the Opel GT Concept are the large doors with the integrated side
windows that show a seamless transition from glass to painted surfaces. Both the driver
and the front passenger gain access to the unexpectedly spacious interior after pressing
the touchpad for the electric doors that is integrated in the red signature line of the roof.
Even tall drivers have enough room inside. The doors immerse considerably into the front
wheel arches when opened. This space-saving and patented mounting allows a large
opening angle – particularly in relatively tight parking spaces. The compact athlete is
therefore optimized especially for urban areas. Two cameras mounted behind the wheel
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arches ensure a safe overview while driving in the city. They transmit their images to two
monitors on the left and right-hand side of the cockpit – the days of exterior door mirrors
and blind spots are therefore over. The windshield flows into a glass panorama roof
enabling the occupants to enjoy a driving experience similar to that offered by a targa with
a removable roof.
Real sportscar: Front mid-engine, turbocharged and rear-wheel drive
The stretched hood reveals the powertrain concept of the GT Concept: Just like the first
Opel GT and US sportscar icon Corvette also made by GM it has a front mid-engine. The
vehicle’s center of gravity is therefore low and central – ideal for sporty handling and
excellent cornering dynamics. The Opel GT Concept has a powerful 1.0-liter, three-cylinder
turbocharged engine based on the ultra-modern all-aluminum engine used in ADAM, Corsa
and Astra. The extremely efficient direct injection gasoline unit develops 107 kW/145 hp
and maximum torque of 205 Nm in its sporty trim (consumption values for the Opel GT
Concept are not available yet). The turbo power is sent towards the rear axle with
mechanical differential lock via a sequential six-speed transmission that is operated by shift
paddles on the steering wheel. Thus, the Opel GT Concept possess traditional rear-wheel
drive especially appreciated by sportscar purists. The performance of the two-seater with a
total weight below 1,000 kilograms also matches this. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in
less than eight seconds and has a top speed of 215 km/h.
A further highlight of the Opel GT Concept are the main headlamps with integrated
indicators. Thanks to ultra-modern projection technology, these shine very threedimensionally. The next generation adaptive full LED light is obviously the perfect match
for this technology. The Opel IntelliLux LED® matrix light, which allows glare-free high
beam driving, already made its debut in the new Astra in 2015 and won the SAFETYBEST
Award. The Opel GT Concept sees the introduction of the next stage of development of the
intelligent light system. The design of the lights is rounded off by the three-dimensional
design of the tail lamps that make the new GT distinctive at night.
Contact:
Jean-Philippe Kempf
Peter Vos
Phone: +49 (0) 6142-7-66651
Phone: +49 (0) 6142-7-61736
jean-philippe.kempf@opel.com
peter.vos@opel.com