Before the sale of Opel and Vauxhall to PSA Groupe, neither brand provided information for a new OPC or VXR performance model. Both designations have long been reserved for the brand’s top performers, including the Insignia OPC, Corsa OPC, and Astra OPC.
Instead, Opel has opted to revive the GSi badge, which has traditionally sat a rung beneath the OPC badge. But, OPC isn’t dead, according to a report from Car Buyer on Thursday.
A Vauxhall spokesperson told the publication that both OPC and VXR will survive in the future as both the British and German brands transition to PSA technology and platforms. Right now, new performance models are on hiatus while the GSi badges serve that purpose.
The spokesperson alluded that one of the reasons for the lack of new OPC and VXR cars are efficient powertrains. Future OPC and VXR models will need “more efficient power sources,” according to the spokesperson.
OPC models were forbidden fruit in the United States while GM owned Opel. Specifically, the last Insignia OPC charged onto the scene with a 2.8-liter turbocharged V6 engine from Saab’s glory days. Meanwhile, the previous Regal GS made do with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine.
In an ironic twist, the new Insignia GSi uses the same engine found in the previous-generation Regal GS. North America receives a 3.6-liter LGX V6 engine with the 2018 Buick Regal GS.
No Comments yet