And that pretty much explains the 'whys' and 'hows' of this Polish experiment with a three-door Opel Corsa that you can enjoy in the video after the jump.
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However, Akerson did not elaborate on what GM plans to do about the group’s two European brands, Opel/Vauxhal and Chevrolet.
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Well, not entirely, according to Automotive News. And that’s because Opel’s cars are technologically advanced and due to high German working rates, are quite expensive to manufacture. However, they cannot be sold in prices similar to direct competitors such as Volkswagen because they lack their rivals’ image.
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Some 80% of car thefts now require would-be thieves to steal the owner’s keys or otherwise load their targets onto trailers for transport. And even then, tracking systems in some high-end cars mean these cars are recovered rather quickly.
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Nevertheless, we are offered out first look at the open-top version of the new Astra series, which is planned to go on sale by early 2013. The most important change over the previous Astra TwinTop is the replacement of the more complicated, heavier and costly retractable metal roof with a traditional fabric hood.
Today, Reuters came out with a new report saying the Detroit automaker is “frustrated” with its money-losing Opel brand and is “considering options for a turnaround”, noting, however, that a sale of the Opel brand is highly unlikely.
"Akerson is fed up with Opel, and the turnaround isn't gaining traction," a unnamed source who is close to the GM CEO told Reuters. "He is trying to think of all possibilities to improve performance. But a sale is wishful thinking,” the source added.
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According to the news reports, GM allegedly was no longer in need of Opel’s know-how in manufacturing small cars as well as low emission and fuel efficient powerplants and that it could replace the German brand with its South Korean GM Chevrolet unit, formerly known as Daewoo.
GM’s European subsidiary is confident about its new Astra GTC with Vauxhall going as far as to claim that it will “lay down the gauntlet to VW’s Scirocco and Renault’s Megane Coupe with a heady mix of dynamic excellence, dramatic design features and competitive pricing".
The UK insurance firm came to this conclusion after looking at data from over 18,000 hairdressers in Britain. The company said the MINI One is three and a half times more likely to be driven by someone working as a hairdresser than everyone else.
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Recently, our spies in Germany caught a glimpse of an Astra-based model, which appears to be the cabriolet variant of the series. While we can’t be 100 percent sure, it is clear that this Astra has a boot while the close ups reveal a more raked rear windshield line than you’d normally expect to see on a four-door family sedan.
To get an idea of what the Astra Convertible might look like, here's our artist’s impression based on the upcoming GTC model. Even though our image of Opel’s VW Golf Cabriolet contender was styled with a soft-top, it has not yet been revealed if the German company will adopt this solution or if it will continue to use the current Astra TwinTop’s retractable metal roof.
We have already brought you the news and the first batch of photos in our previous post (see here), but now we have also obtained the launch film showing Opel’s people carrier on the move.
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The Zafira nameplate was first launched onto the market in 1999 with Opel having introduced a second-generation model in 2005. Now in its third iteration, the new Zafira will attempt to expand its customer base by adding a more impressive design and a more premium feel to the mix of qualities that are typical of the minivan segment.
Even though we'll have to wait for the Paris Motor Show in October for the official unveiling of the GTC, we can give you a glimpse of the sporty looking three-door Astra as two prototype models were caught on film during testing in Germany.
As you can see in the video after the jump, the first camouflaged Astra GTC features a single tail pipe at each corner of the rear bumper and beefy tire/alloy combos, suggesting it's a turbocharged model, quite possibly, the rumored GSi that's said to be fitted with a more potent version of the 1.6-liter turbo delivering a little over 200HP.
The exterior design of the Astra Sports Tourer brings to mind the Insignia ST, and that's a positive thing. Unlike its boxy predecessor, Opel's styling team led by Mark Adams opted for a much more 'lifestyle estate' design with a more raked roofline and a less perpendicular tailgate.
The Sports Tourer shares its footprint with its five-door sibling, with a similar 2,685 mm-long wheelbase and front and rear tracks of 1544 and 1558 mm respectively.
We've already shown you a bunch of revealing spy photos (here) and videos (here) of the upcoming Astra Sports Tourer and from the looks of it, the new model boasts a slicker style with a more raked roofline than today's Astra estate.
