New Opel Corsa Color Race Harks Back to 1970s Rallye Kadett B Sprint

Chevrolet isn't the only brand in the GM Group playing around with vivid colors and special editions that hark back to models of the 60s and 70s. So is the firm's European division Opel that has released a new exclusive edition of the Corsa supermini called 'Color Race' inspired from the late 1960s - early 1970s Rallye Kadett B Sprint.

However, unlike the sporty Kadett that combined exclusive styling cues with performance enhancements, the Corsa Color Race's upgrades are limited to cosmetic upgrades.

The three-door Color Race is available with a choice of three exterior finishes - Sunny Melon Yellow color, Casablanca White and Magma Red- and comes with a standard black hood as well as side and tailgate appliqués with a checkered flag motif, black painted roof and black 17-inch alloy wheels.

The special edition model's interior features matching color highlights such as special seat stitching and vent bezels, a Panorama sunroof and a leather-clad steering wheel.

The Corsa Color Race is offered with the same range of engines as the other 2010 Corsa models including the new 1.4-liter gasoline unit with 87HP or 100HP and the 130HP 1.7-liter CDTI turbo diesel that returns a combined fuel consumption of just 4.5-liter per 100 km or 52.3 mpg US.

Pricing in Germany starts from €15,560 or at today's exchange rates, approximately US$22,500.

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).

Irmscher 'Facelifts' the New Opel Meriva MPV

Opel customizing specialist Irmscher has introduced a tuning program for the all-new Meriva small MPV that we first saw in the flesh at this year's edition of the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month.

The German tuning firm starts by upgrading the small MPV's exterior with a new radiator grille that's available in silver or black carbon fiber trim, a new roof spoiler and a choice of 16-, 18- or 19-inch alloy wheels.

The only available performance mods for the time being are a 30mm suspension drop and exhaust silencers with elliptical twin exits.

Irmscher also treats the 2010 Meriva's interior with a leather package that covers the seats, door panels and central armrest and is offered in a variety of colors, along with aluminium door pins and pedals.

The tuner has not released pricing yet on the Meriva sport package.

Geneva Show: Opel Flextreme GT/E Concept for a Sportier Volt

If you find the Opel / Vauxhall Ampera and consequently the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrids a little too plain and boring for your tastes, then you ought to a look at this handsome conceptual proposal from GM's European arm.

The 4.7-meter long Opel Flextreme GT/E concept with its coupe-like proportions and suicide-style rear doors illustrates how GM's extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV) technology can be plugged into a larger size vehicle with a more emotional design DNA.

Despite its good looks, the concept model has been optimized for aerodynamic efficiency featuring among other things a pair of retractable spoilers hidden behind each rear wheel-arch that extend out 350-mm at speeds over 50 km/h or 31mph to guide high-speed airflow around the rear corners of the car, further reducing the amount of turbulence.

According to the Germans, the Flextreme GT/E achieves a projected drag co-efficient of just 0.22.

The study uses the Volt's E-REV drive system, meaning the front wheels are always driven by an electric motor producing 160HP (120kW) and 370Nm of torque with a 1.4-liter gasoline engine kicking in to supply electricity once the lithium-ion batteries are depleted.

Opel said that the Flextreme GT/E is estimated to offer performance similar to that of the Ampera with a battery-powered driving range of up to 65km or 40 miles and a total range of over 500km or 311 miles. Average fuel consumption is estimated at 1.6lt/100km or 147mpg US, with CO2 emissions of under 40g/km.

The five-door concept is said to be able to accelerate from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in less than nine seconds and achieve a top speed in excess of 200km/h or 124 mph.

A conceptual study that demonstrates how General Motors' extended-range electric vehicle (E-REV) technology can be utilized in larger and more stylish cars than the Chevy Volt and its European twin, the Opel Ampera, will be the star of the German brand's stand at next month's Geneva Motor Show.

"The Flextreme GT/E concept shows the shape of things to come from Opel," says Frank Weber, Vice President, Corporate and Product Planning. "Bold, expressive and highly efficient, it represents the product strategy we will apply to all our future vehicles, large and small, across all market segments."

Described by Opel as a 'five-door coupe', the 4.7-meter (185-in.) long Flextreme GT/E concept that adopts the new Meriva's rear-hinged rear doors also illustrates a further development of the firm's current design language as seen on the Insignia, Astra and Meriva.

>But there's more than meets the eye about the concept model's design as the car achieves a projected drag co-efficient of just 0.22 helping it reach a 200 km/h-plus top speed as well as conserve energy and extend its driving range.

Stand-out features include a pair of retractable spoilers hidden behind each rear wheel-arch that extend out 350-mm at speeds over 50 km/h or 31mph to guide high-speed airflow around the rear corners of the car, further reducing the amount of turbulence.

Other highlights include the hidden door handles that are replaced by light sensors and the specially designed 21-inch alloy wheels fitted with relatively narrow 195/45, low rolling resistance tires.

Drive for the Flextreme GT/E concept comes from the Chevy Volt's powertrain that uses a an electric motor with 120kW / 160HP and 370Nm of torque to move the front wheels.

For journeys up to 60 km or about 37 miles, energy is supplied by a T-shaped lithium-ion battery pack located under the floor and rear seat.

Once the battery is depleted, a 1.4-liter gasoline engine / generator kicks in to supply electricity. In this mode, the driving range is extended to more than 500 km or 311 miles, until the plug-in battery pack can be recharged or the car is refueled.

Opel projects that the average fuel consumption of is estimated at 1.6 l/100 km, with CO2 emissions of less than 40 g/km, while the company supports that the study can go from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in less than nine seconds and achieve a top speed in excess of 200km/h or 124 mph.