Opel Releases Corsa Football Championship Edition Dedicated to the German National Team

To celebrate the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa that will kick off in Johannesburg's Soccer City Stadium on June 11th, Opel has released a limited edition version of its Corsa supermini dedicated to the German national soccer team. For the record the Germans were drawn into Group D where they will play their three first round matches against Australia, Serbia and Ghana.

But back to the Corsa, the German-market "Football Championship Edition" features the traditional colors of the country's soccer team combining a white paint job with stripes that run from the hood to the rear quarter window and also cover the exterior mirrors, and a set of 17-inch alloy wheels finished in black.

The special edition Corsa also gets dark tinted headlights and tail lights, sport seats, aluminum pedals, leather steering wheel and center console in piano black.

Air conditioning, stereo CD radio with steering wheel controls, electric windows and central locking with remote control are standard.

Prices for the new Corsa Football Championship Edition start from €15,160 for 87HP 1.4-liter Ecotec model.

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Opel Corsa OPC: Nürburgring Edition Spy Shots

Here are some spy shots of what is believed to be the Opel Corsa OPC Nürburgring Edition special.

Based on the standard OPC, this should basically be the Corsa version of the Astra-based 2008 Nürburgring Edition model. That means it'll most likely come with the standard Corsa OPC's 192-horsepower (141 kW) / 170 lb-ft (230 Nm) turbocharged 1.6 liter mill and extra add-ons.

Other baubles to expect are upgraded Brembo brakes, Recaro leather seating, carbon-look decor for the interior, unique lightweight wheels, and maybe even a tuned suspension.

The front appears to get a new lip spoiler and the rear valence some big exhaust tips pushed to the sides (instead of the standard version's center piece).

Throw on some fancy graphics to break up all that yellow and it'll be a cute little racer.

By Phil Alex

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First Pre-Production 2012 Opel Ampera EV Rolls off the Line

The first pre-production 2012 Opel Ampera, or the European market version of the Chevrolet Volt, rolled off the line at GM's assembly plant in Warren, Michigan, on Friday, April 23, marking an important milestone in the project.

General Motors said that the it build more pre-production Amperas in the coming months. The pre-production vehicles will not be sold at dealerships, but used for testing and validating the production intent design as well as developing the final vehicle software and control.

"We're right on target for producing the Ampera for European markets later next year," said Andrew Farah, Vehicle Chief Engineer for the Ampera "There's still work to be done, but being able to drive an Opel Ampera off our pre-production line is a great accomplishment for the teams here and in Europe."

The Opel Ampera is the sister car to the Chevrolet Volt sharing the same extended-range electric drivetrain, interior and basic sheet metal, but with some minor unique styling cues up front and at the back of the car.

Like the Volt, it can deliver up to 60 kilometers of pure electric
driving before a small displacement petrol engine /generator kicks in to recharge the battery and extend the range to more than 500 kilometers. It is scheduled to go on sale in Europe by the end of 2011.

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First Pre-Production 2012 Opel Ampera EV Rolls off the Line

The first pre-production 2012 Opel Ampera, or the European market version of the Chevrolet Volt, rolled off the line at GM's assembly plant in Warren, Michigan, on Friday, April 23, marking an important milestone in the project.

General Motors said that the it build more pre-production Amperas in the coming months. The pre-production vehicles will not be sold at dealerships, but used for testing and validating the production intent design as well as developing the final vehicle software and control.

"We're right on target for producing the Ampera for European markets later next year," said Andrew Farah, Vehicle Chief Engineer for the Ampera "There's still work to be done, but being able to drive an Opel Ampera off our pre-production line is a great accomplishment for the teams here and in Europe."

The Opel Ampera is the sister car to the Chevrolet Volt sharing the same extended-range electric drivetrain, interior and basic sheet metal, but with some minor unique styling cues up front and at the back of the car.

Like the Volt, it can deliver up to 60 kilometers of pure electric
driving before a small displacement petrol engine /generator kicks in to recharge the battery and extend the range to more than 500 kilometers. It is scheduled to go on sale in Europe by the end of 2011.

»»  read more

Vauxhall Vivaro Gets the Paddy Wagon Treatment, Courtesy of SVO

Vauxhall's Special Vehicle Operations is expanding its range of safety products to include prison vans; specifically, a "fully fitted prison cell" installed in the firm's Vivaro transporter. This is a first for both Vauxhall and UK police, who have until recently relied strictly on aftermarket firms to create these cells-on-wheels.

A major bonus, according to UK Police officials, is that as manufacturer-outfitted vehicles, the Vauxhall police vans will be more rigidly tested. "A key concern with these other products is how they perform in crashes as the huge forces involved can snap free fixing points and put the van driver, passengers and detainees in danger."

Examples of Vauxhall's testing include extreme acceleration (0-30 mph in 1/10th of a second) and a variety of crash tests.

Agencies looking to pick up the cell'd-out Vivaro should know that it will be available on models packing two rows of standard seating (holding up to six passengers). Also, all the standard emergency-service fare is available ("lightbars, grille lights, high level rear lights, switch panel, siren, various liveries etc.").

By Phil Alex

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SPIED: New Opel Zafira 7-Seater MPV

The next-generation of GM Europe's Opel (Vauxhall in Britain) Zafira MPV has been spotted by our man with the long-lens undergoing development testing in Germany.

Opel's traditional harlequin suit of camouflage leaves a lot to the imagination about the Zafira's looks, but expect a sleeker shape incorporating many of the styling cues seen on the Astra, Insignia and the Meriva, including the creased swoop behind the front wheels.

From what we can tell by looking at these photos, it appears that Opel hasn't applied the Meriva's trick suicide doors on the Zafira which gets conventional rear doors.

The spy shots also give us a sneak peak of the dashboard, which shouldn't differ much from the one found in the latest Astra that forms the basis for the Zafira.

Like the current model, Opel's new minivan will get three rows of seats featuring the firm's FlexSpace seating system with room up to seven passengers.

Unsurprisingly, the new Zafira will use hardware from the recently revealed Astra hatchback. Expect to see the same suite of turbocharged and naturally aspirated petrol and turbo diesel engines when the car arrives in late 2011 - early 2012.

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Vauxhall Presents Astra VXR 240HP Arctic Special Edition

The Astra VXR (OPC for the rest of Europe) will soon be replaced by an all-new model based on the next generation of the firm's C-segment hatch, but for now, Vauxhall is adding to the allure of the current version with the presentation of a limited production model called "Arctic Edition".

Only 500 units of the Arctic Edition are offered in the UK with prices set at £23, 595 on the road, or £720 more than the standard Astra VXR.

All are painted in Olympic White with a contrasting black painted roof, mirror covers, front V-grille and tailgate trim. Each Arctic Edition also gets £1965 worth of options including heated leather Recaro front seats, tinted glass and Black 19-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels.

In addition, for the first time on a VXR product, customers can also specify their Arctic Edition with the Panoramic Windscreen that costs £920.

There are no changes under the hood with the Astra VXR Arctic Edition featuring a 240HP 2.0-liter turbo engine that propels the hot hatch from 0-60mph (96km/h) in 6.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 152mph or 244 km/h.

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GM Shows Off Astra Police Car at HOSDB Exhibition

The recent Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HODSB) show saw General Motors' Vauxhall division displaying its new generation Astra police vehicle that is offered for UK and overseas law enforcement officials.

Dick Ellam, Manager Vehicle Conversions for Vauxhall said: "It was a great honour to be asked to exhibit the new generation Astra at such an influential show, particularly with an organisation as well regarded as ACPO. We were delighted to be able to show our British built Astra to so many of the leaders in today's law enforcement industry."

Along with the latest-generation Astra, GM's European arm also offers a police version of the new Insignia (to be sold as the Buick Regal in the States).

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