Posts Tagged ‘Vauxhall’
2010 Vauxhall GTC Paris Concept
Written by admin on Tuesday, December 21, 2010 | No Comments
Categories: Vauxhall Tags: 2010, 2010 Vauxhall, 2010 Vauxhall GTC Paris Concept, GTC Paris Concept, Vauxhall, Vauxhall GTC Paris Concept
Vauxhall/Opel’s Vice President of Design, has described the GTC Paris as, ‘bold, pure and iconic’ in its appearance. Vauxhall has hinted that a production version will not stray far from the rakish lines of the concept, and if the GTC moniker were to be adopted, it would be the first time that a Vauxhall has been so named.
- Three door Astra-based concept stars on Vauxhall’s Paris Show Stand.
- Dynamic, sweeping lines make bold statement about Vauxhall’s design evolution.
- Innovative suspension and drivetrain features hint at performance remit.
These are the first official pictures of Vauxhall’s GTC Paris Concept, which gives the strongest hint yet to the Astra Sport Hatch’s successor and is set to cause a stir when it receives its debut on September 30 at the Paris Motor Show.
At 4.46 metres, the GTC Paris offers ample space for five people, yet still maintains a svelte and sporting appearance. Adams’ team has maximised ‘tension’ in the design by limiting the amount of lines in the car’s profile, and leaving the impression that the car’s highlights and surfacing are ‘pressed’ on to the concept’s 21-inch wheels. This combines with a second line running from the door handle to the rear of the car, emphasising both a fine undercut and broad shoulder. A third line following the silhouette of the roof is finished in fine brushed aluminium accentuating the window graphic and leads to a sharply accented integrated spoiler.
Slim, eagle-eye shaped headlamps, flanked by LED running lights with chrome surrounds dominate the front of the GTC Paris. A sharp centreline crease runs down the bonnet (a trademark styling cue from Vauxhalls of yore) and leads to a dramatically low trapezoidal grille incorporating a chrome emblem bar. The new Astra’s unique compound crank / Watt’s link rear suspension provides excellent packaging and secure, driver-focused dynamics.
A four-cylinder, 2.0-litre turbocharged engine, with direct petrol injection and Start/Stop technology is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, providing drivers with high levels of performance and fuel efficiency.
2009 Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer
Written by admin on Tuesday, December 21, 2010 | No Comments
Categories: Vauxhall Tags: 2009 Vauxhall, Insignia Sports Tourer, Vauxhall
The Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer, released with right hand drive under the Vauxhall brand in Great Britain but as the Opel Insignia Sports Tourer in other European markets, is one of the most beautiful cars to come from GM Europe in quite a while. The Insignia Sports Tourer estate wagon is available with a 2.8 liter V6 outputting 256.4 horsepower (260 PS) in British-market trim. This exciting new-for-2009 Opel/Vauxhall motor will propel the Insignia Sports Tourer from 0-60 mph in 6.7 seconds. A 2.0 Liter turbocharged Sports Tourer variant is also available, a motor which U.K. fans should hope will make its way into some of GM’s other models.
Design on the Insignia Sports Tourer is very well excecuted, with special attention paid to the flowing line beginning at the rear quarter, cresting below the A-pillar and tucking neatly away at the point of the rear wheel well. This feature turns what could be a fairly standard sports wagon into a thing of beauty, and even BMW could pay attention to the design language in which Insignia Sports Tourer is carried out. Vauxhall Insignia variant with even higher performance specs than the Sports Tourer, should the midsize sporty estate wagon do as well in 2009 as expected in the U.K. market.
Designers gave the rear of the Sports Tourer a unique, yet cohesive appearance by pulling the wraparound tailgate deep in to its flanks and accentuating it with large, fully integrated tail lights. Despite this, Vauxhall has retained the hatch and saloon’s wheelbase (2,737mm) and added around 80mm to its length.
The new petrol and diesel engines available in the Sports Tourer will complement the Insignia’s existing line up of three petrol and two diesel units, including the 130 and 160PS 2.0 CDTi which achieve 58.9mpg on the extra urban cycle, the 220PS 2.0i Turbo, and the 260PS 2.8i V6 range-topper, capable of powering the Insignia from 0-60mph in 6.7 seconds. The Sport Tourer will also be available with front- and all-wheel drive, as well as Vauxhall’s FlexRide system with its Adaptive Stability Technology.
The new estate model will also benefit from the high levels of technology showcased at Insignia’s launch, such as Vauxhall’s latest generation Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL), with its nine light beam settings, and the Front Camera System, which can read and memorise road signs and alert drivers if they unintentionally veer off the road.