Photo: CarPix
We want to dismiss this test prototype as just a regular Insignia with a body kit. But the simple fact that it's wearing full camouflage, as well as some of the smaller details suggests we're looking at the next Insignia OPC.
It could just be the OPC Line body kit, like the ones that are available for the regular Insignia and the Astra. Why go to all the trouble of testing a RHD car in Germany wearing full camo?
Opel hasn't made a great performance car in a long time, and we don't think that's about to change with the steroid-induced Insignia. But the thought of a big car with over 300 horsepower is appealing, and it reminds us of the era when the Mondeo ST220 and Vectra OPC roamed the streets.
But first, let's examine what we see here. It's a RHD car on German license plates, and it has the Holden lion logo hiding under a black wrap. The reason? Well, the Australians have already done the work of installing and testing a gasoline-fed V6 engine under the hood, while all the European models have four-banger turbos.
We already have the specs for that mill, which produces 230 kW (313 PS) and 370 Nm of torque from its 3.6 liters of displacement. All-wheel-drive and a 9-speed automatic will come standard when the new Commodore is launched.
In theory, that's the engine they'll use for the Insignia OPC/VXR as well. By comparison, the old performance model had a twin-turbo 2.8-liter V6 (shared with Saab) that produced 325 PS and 434 Nm of torque.
Despite speculation, the Australian company has ruled out a twin-turbo V6 engine for the new Commodore, saying that it simply wouldn't fit. But maybe that's a trap, as Admiral Ackbar would say. I mean, isn't this Insignia visibly bigger than the last one?
There are such engines in the GM inventory, like the one powertrain in the Cadillac ATS-V. Unfortunately, the Delta and E2XX platforms would produce infertile babies, since one is RWD and the other FWD-oriented. But at least we know Peugeot's acquisition isn't throwing a spanner in the OPC works.
Opel hasn't made a great performance car in a long time, and we don't think that's about to change with the steroid-induced Insignia. But the thought of a big car with over 300 horsepower is appealing, and it reminds us of the era when the Mondeo ST220 and Vectra OPC roamed the streets.
But first, let's examine what we see here. It's a RHD car on German license plates, and it has the Holden lion logo hiding under a black wrap. The reason? Well, the Australians have already done the work of installing and testing a gasoline-fed V6 engine under the hood, while all the European models have four-banger turbos.
We already have the specs for that mill, which produces 230 kW (313 PS) and 370 Nm of torque from its 3.6 liters of displacement. All-wheel-drive and a 9-speed automatic will come standard when the new Commodore is launched.
In theory, that's the engine they'll use for the Insignia OPC/VXR as well. By comparison, the old performance model had a twin-turbo 2.8-liter V6 (shared with Saab) that produced 325 PS and 434 Nm of torque.
Despite speculation, the Australian company has ruled out a twin-turbo V6 engine for the new Commodore, saying that it simply wouldn't fit. But maybe that's a trap, as Admiral Ackbar would say. I mean, isn't this Insignia visibly bigger than the last one?
There are such engines in the GM inventory, like the one powertrain in the Cadillac ATS-V. Unfortunately, the Delta and E2XX platforms would produce infertile babies, since one is RWD and the other FWD-oriented. But at least we know Peugeot's acquisition isn't throwing a spanner in the OPC works.
Google News