Photo: opelvauxhalldesign on Instagram
At this year’s edition of the Frankfurt Motor Show, the Opel Astra could get a warm hatchback derivative in the form of the GSi. There’s still debate as to what model will receive the high-performance treatment, but one thing is crystal clear: the GSi badge is making a return, and go-faster goodies are in the pipeline.
Correct me if I’m wrong about this, but the last time I’ve seen a GSi-branded Opel was in the early 2010s with the Corsa D. From a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the Corsa GSi is good for something like 150 metric ponies (148 brake horsepower) and 210 Nm (155 pound-feet) of oomph.
The hunch as to the Astra K receiving the GSi treatment stems from a report dated December 2015. According to the story, the most likely culprit to receive the treatment is the ever-popular Astra. In GSi form, think of the go-faster Astra as the response Opel has for Ford and the Focus ST, Volkswagen and the Golf GTI, and the list goes on. Turns out, however, that the spy shots that served as the basis for the report were of the then-unreleased Astra OPC Line Sport Pack. But more on that in the final paragraph of this write-up.
Regarding the teaser image shared by opelvauxhalldesign on Instagram, all we have is a red-painted body shell, G and S finished in black, and the letter I beautified by chrome and a touch of red. From the comments section, the #7in17 hashtag suggests that the Astra GSi counts as a standalone premiere of the seven new vehicles Opel will launch in 2017 (think Grandland X).
There’s still no information on a full-blown Astra OPC or the Insignia OPC for that matter, but the waiting game will soon come to an end. A first step in this direction was made by Opel back in September 2016, when the Astra gained the €1,150 OPC Line Sport Pack. Needless to say, the aesthetically-improved model serves as an appetizer for performance-oriented derivates.
The hunch as to the Astra K receiving the GSi treatment stems from a report dated December 2015. According to the story, the most likely culprit to receive the treatment is the ever-popular Astra. In GSi form, think of the go-faster Astra as the response Opel has for Ford and the Focus ST, Volkswagen and the Golf GTI, and the list goes on. Turns out, however, that the spy shots that served as the basis for the report were of the then-unreleased Astra OPC Line Sport Pack. But more on that in the final paragraph of this write-up.
Regarding the teaser image shared by opelvauxhalldesign on Instagram, all we have is a red-painted body shell, G and S finished in black, and the letter I beautified by chrome and a touch of red. From the comments section, the #7in17 hashtag suggests that the Astra GSi counts as a standalone premiere of the seven new vehicles Opel will launch in 2017 (think Grandland X).
There’s still no information on a full-blown Astra OPC or the Insignia OPC for that matter, but the waiting game will soon come to an end. A first step in this direction was made by Opel back in September 2016, when the Astra gained the €1,150 OPC Line Sport Pack. Needless to say, the aesthetically-improved model serves as an appetizer for performance-oriented derivates.
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