Photo: CarPix
In therms of appeal, the Opel Astra sits pretty well in the European marketplace, right up there with Ford's Focus compact hatch. However, the current generation dates back to 2008 and is beginning to show its age, despite the recent facelift.
Opel news is dominated by headlines of the next-generation car, expected to debut as early as 2015. It's their most important project right now and could have serious implication for the next Buick compact sedan, expected to be made in Europe. We've seen prototypes in various stages of development on roads in Germany and Spain, but the Astra has yet to hit the Nurburgring track.
Our spy photographers have just just sent us these pictures of a camouflaged Astra prototype arriving at the track ahead of high-speed test that are going to be carried out tomorrow morning. Locked away behind closed doors, the car's secrets are safe for now, but eventually, they will all come to light.
It's said that a kilometer of testing at the Green Hell is equal to at least 10 in the real world. That's why many automakers have chosen this place to benchmark their cars and find flaws in their engineering.
Now, the Astra is not a racing car designed to cope with track conditions. Its suspension is too soft and the brakes won't last for very long. But Opel engineers are going to improve the handling over the current generation.
GM's new D2xx platform which is said to underpin the car is said help it shed about 80 kg (176 lbs). A range of "SIDI" turbocharged direct injection engines should ensure the compact family car is also a little faster than the current model. These will include a tiny 1-liter making 115 hp and a new 1.4-liter turbo challenging the competition with 150 hp.
Just like Ford has done with the Focus facelift, the Astra could adopt its first twin-clutch automatic gearbox. News from China suggests sister car the new Chevy Cruze is getting a 7-speed DCG (short for Dual Clutch Gearbox). While it's yet unclear if the Germans will also use it, the move makes a lot of sense.
Our spy photographers have just just sent us these pictures of a camouflaged Astra prototype arriving at the track ahead of high-speed test that are going to be carried out tomorrow morning. Locked away behind closed doors, the car's secrets are safe for now, but eventually, they will all come to light.
It's said that a kilometer of testing at the Green Hell is equal to at least 10 in the real world. That's why many automakers have chosen this place to benchmark their cars and find flaws in their engineering.
Now, the Astra is not a racing car designed to cope with track conditions. Its suspension is too soft and the brakes won't last for very long. But Opel engineers are going to improve the handling over the current generation.
GM's new D2xx platform which is said to underpin the car is said help it shed about 80 kg (176 lbs). A range of "SIDI" turbocharged direct injection engines should ensure the compact family car is also a little faster than the current model. These will include a tiny 1-liter making 115 hp and a new 1.4-liter turbo challenging the competition with 150 hp.
Just like Ford has done with the Focus facelift, the Astra could adopt its first twin-clutch automatic gearbox. News from China suggests sister car the new Chevy Cruze is getting a 7-speed DCG (short for Dual Clutch Gearbox). While it's yet unclear if the Germans will also use it, the move makes a lot of sense.
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