We recently took the 2017 Opel Insignia for a spin and were surprised to notice that steering feel and power delivery were among the newcomer's top assets, despite the lack of an OPC hot model. Well, we were just as surprised earlier today, when we checked out the Nurburgring test footage of the 2018 Insignia OPC.
Our jaws dropped due to the soundtrack of the prototype and we weren't kidding in the title above - the fast Opel does sound like it wants to kill its front tires.
The understeer concert reminds us of the days when the Vectra OPC mixed hefty V6 power with front-wheel-drive, a recipe that worked brilliantly, as long as the driver didn't intend to use the steering wheel.
Nevertheless, we'll cut the upcoming range-topper some slack and there are two reasons for that. First of all, one should always take test vehicle experiences with a grain of salt. After all, we've heard such understeer madness before, without the issue being passed down to the production car and we're talking about the 2018 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe tester that lapped the Green Hell last summer, whose aural side was as odd as possible.
Secondly, the second-gen Insignia OPC will follow the car it replaces down the all-wheel-drive path and we're expecting the German engineers to do their homework well.
Interestingly, while we know the spicy Opel will mix all-paw traction with a nine-speed automatic transmission, we still have some waiting to do before we get to discover the contents of its engine compartment. Regardless, the machine will deliver between 350 and 400 hp.
And while we're at it, here's a rendering of the 2018 Insignia OPC, albeit one that's delivered in Sports Tourer form, which remains a family dream for now, as the automaker might not build an uber-wagon. But this is another story for another time.
The understeer concert reminds us of the days when the Vectra OPC mixed hefty V6 power with front-wheel-drive, a recipe that worked brilliantly, as long as the driver didn't intend to use the steering wheel.
Nevertheless, we'll cut the upcoming range-topper some slack and there are two reasons for that. First of all, one should always take test vehicle experiences with a grain of salt. After all, we've heard such understeer madness before, without the issue being passed down to the production car and we're talking about the 2018 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe tester that lapped the Green Hell last summer, whose aural side was as odd as possible.
Secondly, the second-gen Insignia OPC will follow the car it replaces down the all-wheel-drive path and we're expecting the German engineers to do their homework well.
Interestingly, while we know the spicy Opel will mix all-paw traction with a nine-speed automatic transmission, we still have some waiting to do before we get to discover the contents of its engine compartment. Regardless, the machine will deliver between 350 and 400 hp.
And while we're at it, here's a rendering of the 2018 Insignia OPC, albeit one that's delivered in Sports Tourer form, which remains a family dream for now, as the automaker might not build an uber-wagon. But this is another story for another time.