Photo: Opel
Call me daft, but claiming that the Insignia GSi is a sporty sedan is a bit underwhelming. For starters, it’s not a full-blown OPC. Secondly, it’s powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine we know from the no-frills Insignia Grand Sport.
Under the hood, you’ll find a transversely mounted LTG with 260 PS (191 kW) and 400 Nm (295 pound-feet) of torque. The engine is mated from the get-go to an eight-speed automatic transmission. It’s a huge difference from the Insignia OPC of days gone past, which employed a force-fed 2.8-liter V6.
Despite the sizable difference in horsepower and torque from the Insignia OPC, the Insignia GSi “is clearly quicker over one lap of the Nurburgring Nordschleife.” Those are the words of the Opel director of Performance Cars & Motorsport, Volker Strycek. Yes, he’s the Volker who became DTM champion in 1984 without winning a single race with his 635 CSi.
Despite my skepticism, there’s one thing I admire in Opel bringing back the GSi badge. And that is the go-faster Insignia’s curb weight. According to the Russelsheim-based automaker, the newcomer is 160 kilograms (353 lbs) lighter than the Insignia OPC. And as we all know from a gentleman called Colin Chapman, lightness translates to great balance and handling.
“It is this combination of low weight – especially on the front axle – low center of gravity, easy handling, high power over a wide rpm-band, and best traction which makes the GSi so fast” adds Strycek. In truth, the handling of the Insignia GSi is bettered by many other things, chief among which are shorter springs, sports shock absorbers, and 345-millimeter Brembo brake calipers.
The Insignia GSi is the first GSi-branded Opel from a lineage that started 33 years ago with the Manta GSi and the Kadett GSi. The last time the automaker offered a GSi was in 2012. Expect to find out more about the Insignia GSi at IAA 2017, while sales in Germany are scheduled to kick off in mid-October.
At the same time Opel published the images of its new sports sedan, the other side of the Atlantic saw Buick take the wraps off the Insignia-based Regal GS. And that fellow packs 3.6 liters' worth of naturally aspirated V6.
Despite the sizable difference in horsepower and torque from the Insignia OPC, the Insignia GSi “is clearly quicker over one lap of the Nurburgring Nordschleife.” Those are the words of the Opel director of Performance Cars & Motorsport, Volker Strycek. Yes, he’s the Volker who became DTM champion in 1984 without winning a single race with his 635 CSi.
Despite my skepticism, there’s one thing I admire in Opel bringing back the GSi badge. And that is the go-faster Insignia’s curb weight. According to the Russelsheim-based automaker, the newcomer is 160 kilograms (353 lbs) lighter than the Insignia OPC. And as we all know from a gentleman called Colin Chapman, lightness translates to great balance and handling.
“It is this combination of low weight – especially on the front axle – low center of gravity, easy handling, high power over a wide rpm-band, and best traction which makes the GSi so fast” adds Strycek. In truth, the handling of the Insignia GSi is bettered by many other things, chief among which are shorter springs, sports shock absorbers, and 345-millimeter Brembo brake calipers.
The Insignia GSi is the first GSi-branded Opel from a lineage that started 33 years ago with the Manta GSi and the Kadett GSi. The last time the automaker offered a GSi was in 2012. Expect to find out more about the Insignia GSi at IAA 2017, while sales in Germany are scheduled to kick off in mid-October.
At the same time Opel published the images of its new sports sedan, the other side of the Atlantic saw Buick take the wraps off the Insignia-based Regal GS. And that fellow packs 3.6 liters' worth of naturally aspirated V6.
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