General Motors South Africa (GMSA) today announced that the Opel Corsa OPC Nürburgring Edition will be making its South African debut this October. Available in limited numbers, the Nürburgring Edition will not only be a rare sight on local roads but as part of an international limited edition production run, the Opel Corsa OPC Nürburgring Edition is one of the most exclusive Opels ever built.
Opel’s ties to the Nürburgring Nordschleife date back to the 1960s and the track is probably the most gruelling and demanding in the world. Despite that all Opel vehicles are tested at the Nürburgring before entering production, OPC variants receive extra-special fine tuning of chassis, performance and handling dynamics to ensure they perform at the top of their respective classes. Nicknamed the ‘green hell’ by Sir Jackie Stewart, OPC vehicles are amongst the fastest around the circuit – the previous generation Opel Astra OPC and original Zafira OPC both having achieved records in their segments at the track.
Hot, hotter, hottest
The hottest Corsa ever – and not just in the looks department. The new Opel Corsa OPC Nürburgring Edition features a host of visual and performance upgrades to push the envelope even further, the changes culminating in a striking and extra-zippy little car.
Visual changes include the addition of a front lip spoiler, a new rear roof-mounted spoiler, dual exhaust pipes and dark-painted 18-inch alloy wheels. The latter play host to brand-new high-performance Brembo disc brakes. Interior changes include Recaro sports seats in Nappa leather, while equipment upgrades include rain-sensing wipers, automatic climate control and an upgraded audio system with USB and Bluetooth compatibility.
The chassis has undergone further development, enhanced for better performance by Bilstein. The turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine has been tweaked as well, now producing a maximum of 154 kW at 5 850 rpm and 250 Nm of torque from 2 250 rpm – and as much as 280 Nm on overboost. The Corsa OPC Nürburgring Edition also features a new mechanical multi-plate limited slip differential on the front axle, to ensure the torque is translated into speed with a minimum of fuss.
The new Opel Corsa OPC Nürburgring Edition dispatches the 0-100 km/h dash in just 6.8 seconds, running on to a top speed of 230 km/h. Performance notwithstanding, the Nürburgring Edition’s ECOTEC engine still produces sound efficiency figures – its combined cycle average is just 7.6-litres per 100 km and carbon emissions are 178 g/km.
With Opel’s heritage in South Africa beginning as far back as 1930, Opel is a key brand within the GMSA portfolio, the new Corsa Nürburgring Edition following hot on the heels of the brand new Opel Astra OPC which was launched earlier this year. The new Corsa OPC Nürburgring Edition boosts the product line-up as a halo model, its exclusivity set to evoke the passion and enthusiasm South Africans have for the Opel brand even further.
Internationally, Opel has a solid strategy in place to increase revenue and variable profit significantly through its go-to-market plan by improving the image of the Opel brand, strengthening the quality of market share and entering new markets and segments. The New Corsa OPC Nürburgring Edition is a passionate example of this strategy in motion.
More detailed information on the new Opel Corsa OPC Nürburgring Edition’s heightened performance and various other upgrades will be made available closer to the time of launch.
