Test drive Opel GT: Change of image

Aggressive styling, a soft top and 264 turbocharged horsepower: the Opel roadster The GT is sure to raise the heart rate of a lot of car enthusiasts, but it also has the daunting task of helping to create a sportier image for the Rüsselsheim brand.

Under the long hood is a new four-cylinder engine that is equipped with almost every possible technology that can be found in engines of this class - direct fuel injection into the cylinders, variable valve timing (Cam Phase), as well as a twin scroll turbocharger that has two separate channels - one for two cylinders.

GT is surprisingly cultivated

The engine becomes peppy enough from 1500 rpm, and from 2000 it starts to pull smoothly and evenly, but powerfully. And yet - albeit well-specified, the engine running under the hood is not an example of the monstrous drive of a racial athlete, but rather a source of plentiful, but calm power.

In favor of the latter statement, we can say that the drive unit works extremely culturally, largely due to both balance shafts. Another truth is that the engine makes such a “docile” impression that the 5,7 seconds the manufacturer gives to accelerate from standstill to 100 km / h seems slightly optimistic.

Above 6000 rpm the speed decreases

The maximum torque of 353 Nm remains constant over an extremely wide operating range, which makes the vehicle more than impressive for the sports car league with a price tag of up to around 30 euros.

Given the specificity of the powertrain, maximum driving pleasure can be obtained by upshifting relatively early to take full advantage of the high torque at medium revs. The sound of the engine is pleasant, but not intrusive, only the hiss of the turbocharger makes a stronger impression. The GT is a dynamic, but not uncompromising vehicle that does not burden passengers with excessive suspension stiffness. However, the roadster has a much tighter chassis adjustment than the American version of the model, and the braking system with larger discs is different. The first GT orders have already become a fact, and their number suggests that Opel's first step towards a sportier image could be successful.