PRINT EMBARGO: 00.01AM WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016
ONLINE EMBARGO: 07:00AM WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016
VAUXHALL REVEALS GT CONCEPT AS TEMPLATE FOR FUTURE SPORTS CARS





Purebred concept receives world premiere at Geneva Motorshow
Bold, minimalistic form points to Vauxhall/Opel’s ever-evolving design philosophy
Turbocharged, front mid-engined, rear-wheel drive with sequential gearbox
1966 Vauxhall XVR & ‘65 Opel Experimental GT showcars pre-cursors to GT Concept
Re-visits name of first Vauxhall concept created more than half a century ago
Luton/Rüsselsheim – Vauxhall and Opel will reveal their vision of the future sports car with
the GT Concept at this year’s Geneva International Motorshow (March 3-13).
Purebred, pared down, yet unashamedly avant-garde, the GT Concept is even shorn of door
handles and door mirrors, its breathtaking form clothing a classic front mid-engined, rearwheel drive chassis that will appeal to driving enthusiasts.
While the GT Concept is forward-thinking, encapsulating Brit designer Mark Adams’
philosophy of ‘Sculptural Artistry meets Technical Precision’, its name mirrors that of the
1964 GT Concept, the first styling model to be produced by the nascent Vauxhall Design &
Engineering Centre in Luton which opened the same year.
But importantly, it pays homage to two significant motor show cars: the 1966 Vauxhall XVR
and the 1965 Opel Experimental GT, the first true concept vehicles to appear from the
design houses of a European manufacturer. The 2016 GT Concept is also a logical step on
from the innovative and beautiful Monza concept from 2013.
‘We created the GT Concept to capture the bold, emotional spirit of both the Vauxhall and
Opel brands,’ said Mark Adams, Vice President, Design Europe. ‘It is dramatic, sculptural and
full of innovations, which is our great tradition that we intend to continue. In the midSixties, Vauxhall and Opel created their own interpretations of a light-weight sports car –
the XVR and the Experimental GT – both of which were thoroughly modern with dynamic
sculptural forms. It’s certainly difficult to reinvent iconic concepts like these, but just as each
was avant-garde back then, so too is this GT Concept today – absolutely pure, minimalistic,
yet bold and uncompromising. This coupe impressively demonstrates the continuous
development of our design philosophy.’
A key innovation of the GT Concept is its large doors with integrated side windows that
show a seamless transition from glass to painted surfaces. Both driver and front passenger
gain access to the spacious interior after pressing a touchpad for the electric doors that is
integrated in the red signature line of the roof. The doors cleverly open into the front
arches, using a space-saving and patented mounting that allows a large opening angle for
tight parking spaces in urban areas. Two cameras mounted behind the wheel arches offer
enhanced visibility, especially in city driving. They transmit their images to two monitors on
the left- and right-hand side of the cabin, rendering external mirrors obsolete. The
windscreen flows into a glass panorama roof, affording occupants a similar experience to
that of a targa-topped car.
Vauxhall’s Chairman and Managing Director, Rory Harvey, summarised what the GT Concept
meant to both brands: ‘It shows what Vauxhall and Opel stand for now – ambitious and
confident brands that are not frightened to innovate.’
GT Concept continues philosophy of Vauxhall and Opel’s groundbreaking Sixties’ concepts
‘GT Concept’ was the name given to a remarkably prescient and rakish, full-sized styling
model, the first of its kind from Vauxhall’s new-for-1964, £2.25m Design & Engineering
Centre in Luton, which became the leading centre of its kind in the UK for the next two
decades. But two years later it was a radical show-car that really put the Centre on the map.
‘Uncompromising in its styling treatment, the XVR shows the future trend in world
automotive design’, said Vauxhall’s Director of Design, David Jones, when he revealed the
Luton company’s radical concept at the Geneva Motorshow in 1966.
Built to showcase Vauxhall’s design innovation and autonomy in the mid-Sixties, the XVR
project was managed by the legendary Wayne Cherry at Luton. Inspired by parent company
GM’s work with concepts in the US – including the ‘65 Mako Shark II – the XVR (Xperimental
Vauxhall Research) had a simple purity of line, gull-wing doors forming a unique split
windscreen, a clam-shell bonnet and pop-up headlights. Three cars were built, including a
100mph driveable vehicle with a pre-production 2.0-litre engine producing 100bhp. And
while the car never reached production, design cues like the ultra-slim rear lights could later
be seen in Vauxhall’s Viva HC and Firenza models.
Opel’s Experimental GT, however, did become a production reality. First shown at the
Frankfurt Motor Show in 1965, it broke the mould for European concept cars. A sleek and
low-slung coupe, the Experimental GT was the product of Opel’s new-for-1964 design
centre in Rüsselsheim. Like today’s GT Concept, it eschewed unnecessary decoration and
made the ‘design statement’ that its creator, Erhard Schnell, was keen to achieve. Three
years later, the Opel GT was a production reality.
Fifty years later, the GT Concept once again showcases Vauxhall and Opel’s pioneering
spirits. Reinforcing its appeal to driving enthusiasts, the car has a red signature line that
splits the vehicle body horizontally and proportions it. The distinctive red tyres – mounted
on rims with a ‘roller-skate’ design – are a reference to an iconic Opel motorbike from the
1920s – the Motoclub 500 – which sported red-coloured rubber. And while the long bonnet,
central dual exhausts and lack of a boot-lid are all shared with both the Vauxhall XVR and
Opel Experimental GT, today’s GT Concept is unashamedly forward-thinking, with no retro
references.
A real sportscar – front mid-engined, turbocharged and rear-wheel drive
The GT Concept’s front-mid engine configuration keeps the car’s centre of gravity low and
central for excellent dynamics. Beneath its stretched bonnet is a powerful 1.0-litre, threecylinder turbocharged engine, based on the all-aluminium unit used in the ADAM, Corsa and
Astra. Developing 145PS and maximum torque of 205Nm, the engine delivers drive to the
rear wheels, via a six-speed sequential transmission operated by steering-wheel mounted
paddle shift. Weighing under 1000kgs, the GT Concept accelerates from 0-62mph in less
than eight seconds and on to a maximum speed of 134mph.
Another unique feature of the GT Concept is its integrated headlamp/indicator units. Using
ultra-modern projection technology, the lights have a three-dimensional beam which allows
glare-free high-beam driving. Based on Vauxhall/Opel’s award-winning IntelliLux LED matrix
lighting, first seen in the recently launched Astra, the GT Concept sees the intelligent lighting
system’s next stage of development. The design of the lights is completed by the threedimensional design of the tail lamps.
ENDS
Press contact:
Simon Hucknall
00 44 (0)1582 427 606
simon.hucknall@vauxhall.co.uk