A great name doesn’t have to be long. Indeed, for many automobile fans, the Opel GT is the cult sports car of the 1970s. Now the legendary name is making a comeback in the form of a stunning two-seat roadster that could also make automobile history. Opel will present the all-new GT to the international public for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show (March 2 to 12, 2006). With exciting, sharply-cut lines, rear-wheel drive, and a potent four-cylinder turbo engine with gasoline direct injection, the new sports car echoes the successful concept of the original GT, which was built between 1968 and 1973.

“The GT is a powerful addition to our range of attractive niche products, and thereby further enhances the appeal of the Opel brand”, says Carl-Peter Forster, President of GM Europe. “The Tigra, the Astra TwinTop, and the new GT mean that we will have three very different models, all of which deliver top-down driving excitement. Moreover, the GT is a perfect example of how GM uses and applies its worldwide resources for the good of the individual brands.”

The new Opel GT is fun to drive thanks to its front engine and rear-wheel drive, which together ensure a balanced weight distribution, and its 260-hp 2.0-liter ECOTEC turbo engine with gasoline direct injection. This accelerates the new GT from zero to 100 km/h in less than six seconds, and enables a maximum speed of over 230 km/h.

Another fun factor is the fabric roof, which folds down to provide open-air enjoyment denied to the owners of the first GT. The roof disappears completely beneath a cover, further underlining the GT’s sporty silhouette with short overhangs and widely spaced 18-inch wheels.
The development of the new Opel GT is an excellent example of transcontinental collaboration within GM. The design was inspired by the VX Lightning concept car, which was conceived by the GM Advanced Design Studio in Birmingham, England in May 2003 for the 100th anniversary of the Vauxhall brand. The new GT will be built in Wilmington/Delaware, in the USA, where its sister models, the Pontiac Solstice and the Saturn Sky, are also produced. The Opel GT is scheduled to hit the markets in spring 2007.

The original Opel GT owed much to the USA – in several respects. Its breathtaking lines were inspired by a new American design style, the so-called “coke bottle shape”, which also defined the Corvette Stingray. Furthermore, two thirds of all Opel GT cars built have been exported to the United States.




http://www.allcarnews.com/article/ge...-2006/opel-gt/

 

Taht car is beautiful in every way shape and form.

 

I wish I could get to that show but I will be in Iraq then. I wonder how hard it would be to buy one over here and convert it to American specs before I come back to the states in a few years? Hmm.

 

looks better than the pontiac...

 

Cool! So they don't get a 177 HP NA version?

 

You could just buy the Sky redline an swap the badge. Cheaper and easier.

 

That is so awesome looking...That's what the Solstice should look like That is definitely one of the best looking GM vehicles right now

 

Uh... I don't feel like pulling up pics for comparison but that sure looks almost identical to the Saturn Sky to me, with a badge swap...

I love the way the Sky looks, but I'm confused by the people in here who kinda act like it's a car they've never seen before.

When I was in germany I noticed that most of the Opels were saturn rebadges, so I guess this is no surprise.

 

Um, yeah...Now that you mention it Threxx...It is basically a rebadged Sky, (w/ some minor changes). I didn't look long enough to realize that. I just took a quick look and assumed it was a copy of the Vauxhall Lightning. Either way, it still looks good....So, now that that's cleared up, here's what the Solstice should have looked like:

 

The only Saturn that shared anything with an Opel was the L series. It was based on a model they used in Europe. Also it recieved an entirely new exterior and interior. The rest of the Saturns until the Sky are ALL US only and share nothing with Opels or Vauxhalls.

 

This was about 10 years ago that I was in Germany... you sure back then there weren't shared platforms/drivetrains/etc going between the two companies?

I mean I never did a side by side or anything but almost every time I saw an Opel it looked exactly like a saturn, and they were almost all 4-cylinders including the one we drove around.

 

Yes I am 100% sure they didn't share a thing. Almost all European cars use 4 cylinder engines so that means nothing.

95 astra coupe


95 Saturn S-series


01 Chevy Vectra (Opel rebadged for Brazil)


01 Saturn L series

 

Well, like I said, this was 10 years ago... I was young, I don't remember that much other than the Opels on the road looked to me like rebadged saturns

Not sure about past models but looks like they've got a lot of future models planned for sharing:
Opel Saturn
GT (2007) Sky (2006)
Vectra (2008) Aura (2006)
Flagship (2009) Outlook (2006)
Antara (2006) Vue (2008)
Astra (2010) Ion (2009)

edit: just saw an article mention the Opel Vectra was used as the platform for the Saturn L series.

 

While it may have looked like the Opels were rebadged Saturns they were not.
Yes that is the plan. To make Saturn all Opel rebadges.
Yes but that wasn't out till like 98 or so.

 

Not when you're living in Germany for a while...