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2016 Opel GT Concept Doesn't Look Production-Ready, Sadly

The 86th edition of the Geneva Motor Show will be hosting plenty of intriguing premieres, and the 2016 Opel GT Concept will probably be one of the most polarizing vehicles present at the show.
2016 Opel GT Concept 18 photos
Photo: Opel
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Unfortunately, despite its gorgeous looks, the new Opel concept seems to be as far from a production car as we are from world peace. In other words, we'll just have to look at it like at a piece of unattainable art, not a preview of things to come.

The new GT Concept is mostly reminiscent of the 1960s and 1970s European sports cars, with the 1965 Opel Experimental GT being the primary source of inspiration behind the project.

Also presented at the Geneva Motor Show, the Experimental GT was Opel's first ever concept car and the result of a one year's work by the company's design studio, which was a first for a European carmaker in those days.

Consistent to how lightweight sports cars were specced in the 1960s, the 2016 Opel GT Concept is powered by a 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine that's based on the mill used by the Adam, Corsa and Astra.

In the GT Concept, the three-cylinder has a front-midship positioning and develops 145 hp and 205 Nm (151 lb-ft) of torque. These figures may not seem like much, but in a car that allegedly weighs less than 1,000 kg (2,204 pounds), they should be pretty satisfactory.

Opel says that the tiny coupe can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in less than 8 seconds and has a top speed of 215 km/h (134 mph). As they say, it's how you get there that counts and the GT Concept seems to be worth more than the sum of its specs.

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.

Not to burst your bubble, Mr. Neumann, but that beautiful, long and flat hood would never pass European pedestrian crash tests, while those sexy doors would probably increase a possible production version's price to big-ticket territory, making it unfeasible.

That said, even a watered-down production version of the GT Concept would probably work in certain markets, especially if Opel keeps the turbocharged engine, thus leaving enough room for aftermarket tuners.
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About the author: Alex Oagana
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Alex handled his first real steering wheel at the age of five (on a field) and started practicing "Scandinavian Flicks" at 14 (on non-public gravel roads). Following his time at the University of Journalism, he landed his first real job at the local franchise of Top Gear magazine a few years before Mircea (Panait). Not long after, Alex entered the New Media realm with the autoevolution.com project.
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