Photo: Kleber Silva
European automakers are known for making hot hatchbacks of varying sizes. Through the 2000s, Opel contested VW, MINI, or Ford with its line of performance family-friendly cars called OPC.
In parallel, Vauxhall had its VXR brand, and many of the technologies they developed reached all the corners of the world through the Buick and Holden brands. However, OPC died with the last generation of the little Corsa.
The Corsa is Opel's version of a subcompact car, kind of like a Ford Fiesta. While affordability was its main attribute, one extremely potent generation did offer hardcore performance.
The Corsa OPC/VXR went up against the MINI Cooper S, also sporting a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine. Opel went through several iterations, each time upping the game with more power, better suspension, and fancier bucket seats.
The pinnacle was between 2014 and 2017, when this sporty little box made about 205 horsepower and went around the Nurburgring in 8:40 at an average speed of 89 mph (143 kph).
We mostly remember OPC models for their naughty exhausts, blue paint and triangular chrome trim. And rendering artist Kleber Silva wanted to bring back a little bit of that with his 2020 take on the classic.
Not only did he give the current model a full body kit and some snazzy wheels, but he also converted it into a 3-door coupe. It looks faster already!
In addition, he also made a kind of chopped version that's supposed to resemble the old Tigra. There were two versions of that car, the first made between 1994 and 2001 that had a coupe body, followed by a "twin-top" convertible from 2004 to 2009. Can you guess which one was the sportiest?
As things stand, Opel is unlikely to ever use the OPC badge again. The new Corsa is mostly offered with 1.2-liter engines and the quickest model in the range is actually fully-electric. Hot hatchbacks are a big no-no in Europe right now, as they have above-average CO2 emissions.
The Corsa is Opel's version of a subcompact car, kind of like a Ford Fiesta. While affordability was its main attribute, one extremely potent generation did offer hardcore performance.
The Corsa OPC/VXR went up against the MINI Cooper S, also sporting a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine. Opel went through several iterations, each time upping the game with more power, better suspension, and fancier bucket seats.
The pinnacle was between 2014 and 2017, when this sporty little box made about 205 horsepower and went around the Nurburgring in 8:40 at an average speed of 89 mph (143 kph).
We mostly remember OPC models for their naughty exhausts, blue paint and triangular chrome trim. And rendering artist Kleber Silva wanted to bring back a little bit of that with his 2020 take on the classic.
Not only did he give the current model a full body kit and some snazzy wheels, but he also converted it into a 3-door coupe. It looks faster already!
In addition, he also made a kind of chopped version that's supposed to resemble the old Tigra. There were two versions of that car, the first made between 1994 and 2001 that had a coupe body, followed by a "twin-top" convertible from 2004 to 2009. Can you guess which one was the sportiest?
As things stand, Opel is unlikely to ever use the OPC badge again. The new Corsa is mostly offered with 1.2-liter engines and the quickest model in the range is actually fully-electric. Hot hatchbacks are a big no-no in Europe right now, as they have above-average CO2 emissions.
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