GM’s Mark Reuss: Cadillac Isn’t Prepared for a Sports Auto, Chevy Code Is Dead, Modest-Block V-eight Isn’t in Danger

Cadillac’s new CT6 will not be the brand’s flagship, the new Ford Mustang did not influence the soon-to-debut new Chevy Camaro, and the small-block V-8 is not going anyplace. So said GM executive vice president Mark Reuss in a discussion with reporters at the New York auto show.

Reuss described the firm priorities thusly: “to grow Cadillac, and get Chevrolet back in the vehicle game, truly feed Buick and GMC, get Opel straightened around, and get our international operations profitable.”

At New York, of course, a lot interest was focused on Cadillac, what with the unveiling of the CT6. Right after explaining that a extended-wheelbase version is not in the cards, Reuss said that the CT6 “is not the flagship,” adding that “there’s a car above this.” He would not, even so, take the bait in referring to that larger-level entry as a production version of the swoon-inducing Elmiraj concept.

What about a dedicated sports vehicle for Cadillac? “The brand’s got to be ready to do some thing like that. Right now it’s not. I don’t consider doing a auto like that is going to adjust the brand image right now, either.”

Asked where is Cadillac in the method of rebuilding its reputation, Reuss was blunt: “Year one. I feel we’re talking to ourselves if we feel that we’re on the consideration list of people, in volume, in the luxury segment. So let’s get real about it, and preserve hammering, and keep creating excellent vehicles and trucks, and individuals commence to notice and want to attempt anything diverse, and that’s our opportunity. There’s a entire generation out there whose moms and dads drove BMWs and Audis and Mercedes, and they didn’t drive Cadillacs. We need to get on that consideration list with fantastic automobiles and trucks. In that sense, from a item-improvement standpoint, we’re a lot more than year one particular. From a brand standpoint, we’re year one particular.”

A Cadillac model smaller than the ATS observed here is unlikely.

From a solution standpoint, however, “we’re halfway there, because we’ve filled out half the portfolio that our competitors have.” While Cadillac will be adding a lot more models, it sounds as if these might not extend to the very bottom of the luxury segment. “We’re not going to fill out some of the decrease-finish factors with the depth of some of our competitors just to match them,” Reuss stated. He makes the point that given that GM has tiny, higher-mpg models in its other divisions, Cadillac does not want to field low-volume compliance automobiles in the way that other luxury brands may have to.

On the topic of low-volume niche goods, do not look for Reuss to ram through pet projects. “I consider a big basic way to consider about how the company’s diverse these days is we had single advocates—no matter what the market place data said—who would push a program into production. And some would be okay, and some would fail.”

Sounds like we’re talking about, oh, say, Bob Lutz. “I look at the [Pontiac] Solstice and [Saturn] Sky, and some of these cars—and I owned a Solstice, so I’m not talking out of school—but the car was okay. It was very pretty, it was extremely nice. But these are not moneymaking automobiles for us. And by the way we didn’t sell that many. I think gone are the days of an individual in my position pushing solution on men and women and attempting to sell and rally help on them. We’ve got to be consumer-focused.”

To that end, the sweet, rear-drive Chevy Code 130R concept coupe [pictured above] is dead. This despite Reuss’s prior enthusiasm for the project. “We looked at that and we looked at our competitors who have been doing things like that and what the market told us was that was not a great concept. The volumes of these issues were terrible.”

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Asked regardless of whether the 2015 Ford Mustang set a bar for the new Camaro, Reuss was a lot more succinct: “No.” He then added, “We did the vehicle way just before the new Mustang came out.”

What about the little-block V-8? Are its days numbered? “No. Do not see it taking place.”

GM’s Mark Reuss: Cadillac Isn’t Prepared for a Sports Auto, Chevy Code Is Dead, Modest-Block V-eight Isn’t in Danger

15 years of OPC – Opel sports cars for the road

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• Start of an era: Astra OPC with 118 kW ready for the race track


• Turbo debut 2001: turbocharged Zafira OPC is fastest MPV in the world


• Lap records: OPC models are developed and set the pace at the Nürburgring


• OPC flagships today: Astra OPC with limited-slip differential and Insignia OPC with al-wheel drive

28 JANUARY 2015 – Rüsselsheim.  In the 15 years since the first Opel received an OPC badge, the abbreviation, which is short for Opel Performance Centre, has come to represent excitement and passion for fans of the German brand. For each OPC model the company has built, Opel has combined its motorsport knowledge to develop dynamic high performance cars for the road using technology transferred from the world of motorsports.

“The Opel Performance Centre provides our performance-hungry clients with vehicles that are irresistibly dynamic, have a sporty look and are very different from the regular production models, without making any comprises on everyday usability. Our OPC models stand for outstanding performance and pure passion,” explained Opel Group CEO, Dr Karl-Thomas Neumann.

Unmistakable OPC design conveys performance

“An OPC model must immediately be recognisable as such,” said Mark Adams, Opel’;s Vice President for Design. The Astra OPC, for example, is keen to display its perfectly-toned body with specially-sculpted front- and rear bumpers, side skirts, an aerodynamic roof spoiler and 2 fully-integrated exhaust tail pipes in a trapezoid shape ensuring it has the specific OPC appearance. Moreover, for the Insignia OPC the designers created an archaic sabretooth appearance for the voluminous air intakes.

All OPC models follow the requirements set out by Mark Adams: “Every detail and every line must convey the performance of the vehicle.”

A new foundation for motorsports: OPC instead of GSI

When the Astra G replaced the Astra F in 1998, the Opel bestseller increased quality, efficiency and spaciousness – but Opel motorsport legend and OPC co-founder Volker Strycek remembers a flaw. “The car was a long way away from being suitable for motorsports. As there were no plans for a GSI version, both a competitive powertrain and a corresponding chassis were missing. So we sat down – within only one year we developed and tested our debut model, the Opel Astra OPC 1,” explained Strycek.

Numerous OPC models followed and could hit normal roads, in some cases immediately after setting new lap records on the Nürburgring.

Currently, the sporting OPC flagship is the 239 kW Insignia OPC but the Astra OPC with 206 kW is hot on its heels: with its compact dimensions and a more radical overall set-up, the powerful Astra is almost as fast as its big brother.

1999: Opel Astra OPC with 118 kW leaves its mark

Based on the 100 kW 2.0-litre ECOTEC engine, the newly-created OPC team built a free-revving and responsive engine that was completely different to the frugal base model. The engine benefitted from forged pistons, sharper camshafts, larger intake and exhaust channels along with an exhaust manifold system and optimised engine management, thus resulting in 118 kW. An additional oil cooler and an adapted coolant thermostat ensured the correct operating temperature in every situation.

The chassis obviously also needed some refinement to match the increased performance of the engine, with Opel wanting the performance to be reflected in the drive characteristics and handling. The car’;s centre of gravity was lowered by 2 centimetres; Bilstein dampers, larger brake discs behind 17-inch BBS rims, newly designed wishbones and more direct steering were all incorporated. Furthermore, the original Opel Astra OPC stood out with an aerodynamics package and Recaro bucket seats. To this day, the Astra G OPC remains a very popular racing car which continues to win in the 2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine class.

Strycek was responsible for 2 500 ‘Sport-Astra’;, necessary for homologation and produced in series. However, the enthusiasm was much bigger. Even before hitting the market, motorsport fans went mad for the Astra OPC. As a result, the number was increased to 3 000 and these had sold out after only 4 months.

2001: Turbocharged performance plateau

The confidence of the OPC crew grew with the sporting and commercial success and the next project targeted something very special. The team set its sights on making the fastest compact MPV in the world. The debut of the Zafira OPC also saw the introduction of turbocharging. From this moment on, all further models created in the Opel Performance Centre would be equipped with efficient turbo technology.

The performance of the 2.0-litre engines gradually grew from 141 kW in the first-generation Zafira OPC to 147 kW in the second-generation Astra OPC, and then from 176 kW to the 206 kW available in the current Opel Astra OPC. Torque outputs also grew with the performance. The first generation 2.0-litre turbo engine had 250 Nm whereas the latest has a breath-taking 400 Nm.

Record hunting: At home on the Nürburgring

Through the years, OPC models have proven just how good they are on an annual basis and they regularly break the lap record on the 20.8 kilometre long Nürburgring-Nordschleife. The second-generation Astra OPC set a new class record of 8:35:94 in 2005.

The following year, the Zafira OPC set a new record for compact MPVs (8:54:38) which is still valid today. The Corsa OPC set new standards in the small car segment in 2007, when a pure serial-production car completed the course in just 8:47:99.

In addition to the record-breaking runs, all OPC vehicles undergo vigorous endurance tests through the “Green Hell”, which is classed as the most demanding racetrack in the world. The legendary Nordschleife is traditional Opel territory. The cars with the Blitz logo have been put through extreme tests there since the 1960s. Currently, Opel has a cooperation agreement with Nürburgring Ltd and furthermore established its own test centre in the direct vicinity of the course as early as 2006.

Nürburgring Edition: Nomen est Omen

To date the Rüsselsheim-based carmaker has produced 2 special “Nürburgring” editions – the Astra OPC in 2008 and the Corsa OPC in 2011. The Astra H in special racing trim had the same performance as the Astra OPC but a special, spectacular livery. In 2011, the Corsa OPC Nürburgring Edition boasted an additional 13 kW for a total of 154 kW delivered by its 1.6-litre turbo engine and a limited slip differential compared to the normal Corsa OPC which made it a more radical and efficient rocket.

Compact class athlete: Current Astra OPC with impressive performance

The Astra OPC has been the top-level model in the compact class since the summer of 2012. A 2-litre turbo with 206 kW and 400 Nm of torque give it outstanding propulsion. The athletic Astra accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 6 seconds flat and has a top speed of 250 km/h – faster than any previous Astra.

It was fine-tuned on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Its HiPerStrut (High Performance Strut) front suspension and mechanical limited-slip differential guarantee outstanding road holding and best possible traction when accelerating out of tight corners, even in the wet. Elsewhere, OPC drivers can rely on a Brembo high performance brake system when they need to reduce speed quickly.

Insignia OPC: All-wheel drive with Touring Car genes

The Opel Insignia OPC is the flagship. Its turbocharged 2.8-litre V6 engine produces 239 kW and sends 435 Nm of torque to all 4 wheels. In order to guarantee that the power reaches the road in the best possible way, the OPC team developed an all-wheel drive system based on German Touring Car Championship experiences gathered with the Calibra (International Touring Car Championship winner in 1996).

With this powerful engine at its disposal, the Insignia OPC accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 6 seconds (Sports Tourer 6.3 seconds) and achieves a maximum, electronically limited speed of 250 km/h. However, the Insignia can go even faster. The manual, unlimited version reaches speeds up to 270 km/h (Sports Tourer 265 km/h).

Highlights from the first 15 years of OPC

• 1999: Market launch of the Astra (G) OPC (2.0-litre naturally aspirated engine with 118 kW)


• 2001: Introduction of the Zafira (A) OPC (2.0-litre-turbo with 141 kW) 2002: Market launch of the second Astra (G) OPC (2.0-litre-turbo with 147 kW, 3-door and Caravan variants)


• 2005: 20 000 OPC vehicles sold throughout Europe in only 5 years


• 2005: Market launch of the Astra (H) OPC (2.0-litre-turbo with 177 kW)


• 2005: Second generation of the Zafira (B) OPC (2.0-litre-turbo, 177 kW)


• 2005: Market launch of the Vectra OPC and Vectra Caravan OPC (2.8-litre V6 turbo with 188 kW)


• 2005: Astra OPC sets compact class lap record of 8:35:94 on the Nürburgring Nordschleife


• 2006: Introduction of the Meriva OPC (1.6-litre-turbo with 132 kW)


• 2006: Zafira (B) OPC sets MPV lap record of 8:54:38 on the Nürburgring Nordschleife


• 2007: Market launch of the Corsa (D) OPC (1.6-litre-turbo with 141 kW)


• 2007: Corsa (D) OPC sets small car lap record of 8:47:99 on the Nürburgring Nordschleife


• 2008: Limited special edition Astra (H) OPC Nürburgring Edition


• 2008: IDS Plus 2 chassis as standard for Astra (H) OPC


• 2009: Market launch Astra (H) OPC Race Camp Edition


• 2009: Market launch Insignia OPC Limousine and Insignia OPC Sports Tourer (2.8-litre V6 turbo with 239 kW)


• 2011: Opel Corsa (D) Nürburgring Edition with 154 kW


• 2012: Astra (J) OPC with 206 kW 2.0-litre turbo


• 2013: Further development of the Insignia OPC with enhanced chassis

15 years of OPC – Opel sports cars for the road

To buy the sports car you better be able to afford those car insurance premiums as well!

We all dream of one day being able to drive a beautiful sports car – or better still – to own our own sports car. For most of us this is a bit beyond our financial means. Those who can afford it are usually clever enough with mathematics – and have a good grasp of other expenses such as costs of maintenance and car insurance!

The Arrive Alive website has received an email of the quote for repairs of one such vehicle after damage in a road crash.

This illustrates better than any motivation we might offer the need for comprehensive car insurance! Also view:

How to find affordable car insurance 

To buy the sports car you better be able to afford those car insurance premiums as well!

Viva La Targa! Scion Chops Portion of the Roof Off the FR-S Sports Automobile for SEMA

For years, rumors have swirled about Scion developing a convertible version of the FR-S. Alas, nicely into the FR-S’ life cycle, such a issue has never appeared, at least not in production kind. There was a notion, the FT-86 Open, which Scion parent business Toyota showed last year at the Geneva auto show. And along comes this: a beautiful targa-roofed FR-S show car.

Making its debut at the 2014 SEMA show, the “FR-S T1″ was created by Jeremy Lookofsky of Cartel Customs and wears “Azzuro California Blue” and black paint. The roof section over the front passengers is removable, and the (all metal) widened physique is dropped more than lacy 19-inch forged wheels. The details are just as savory: smoked lights, a perforated grille insert, 2 tiny round exterior mirrors, and, a totally integrated rear spoiler. The interior is specifically nice, resplendent as it is in creamy leather with black stitching.

Below the skin there is a KW coilover suspension, a GReddy turbocharger(!) kit for the boxer engine, a Wilwood Big Brake kit, a center-exit exhaust, and of course, audio upgrades. But our favorite piece has got to be the incredible black louvers over the rear window—a styling device whose time came and went 30 years ago, and we believe, has come again.

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Need to Scion contemplate a targa-bodied FR-S? We feel so. Porsche just brought back a suitable targa version of its vaunted 911, albeit with a heavy and complicated motorized roof, and the outcome is stunning. Even Nissan is reportedly taking into consideration a targa-roofed Z. A Scion targa wouldn’t need to be so complex or heavy—keep the lid manually removable and ditch the wide physique and we feel it is wholly doable.

The only stick in this plan’s mud? Toyota says an FR-S roadster would be also pricey to create and as well pricey to be sold as a Scion in the U.S. Let’s hope they can discover area for this ‘tweener targa answer, since it’s hot.

Viva La Targa! Scion Chops Portion of the Roof Off the FR-S Sports Automobile for SEMA

Johan de Nysschen: Cadillac to Use New Modular Engines, Possibly Expand Lineup with Additional Halo Models (Yes, Sports Vehicles)

Common Motors will create a new set of engines especially for Cadillac by the decade’s end and sell a halo automobile above the forthcoming CT6 sedan, so lengthy as prime executives hold giving Caddy chief Johan de Nysschen almost everything he desires.

In an interview with Automobile, de Nysschen stated future Cadillacs would use a new modular engine design and style for 4-, 6- and 8-cylinder configurations and that he would “work extremely challenging to keep the architecture unique for Cadillac.” The luxury brand hasn’t had an exclusive engine considering that the vaunted Northstar V-8 ended production in 2011 soon after practically 20 years on the industry.

The move to an exclusive ostensibly world-class powertrain lineup would solve one particular of our major gripes with otherwise fabulous current Cadillacs, namely that most of these vehicles’ engines—being shared with lesser GM products—aren’t appropriate for a brand with premium international aspirations. In testing, we’ve located the 2.-liter turbo 4 to be too coarse and unrefined and the 3.6-liter V-6 weak and inefficient compared to the related engines from the competition. The a single shining star is the twin-turbo V-6, which powers our delightful 2014 CTS Vsport long-termer.

De Nysschen mentioned that even though “smaller capacity engines” would come 1st, specifically for sale in China, the V-8s would “come toward the latter portion of this decade, which will give you a hint also for where we are taking the discussion on the expansion of our future solution line.” Sharing Cadillac engines or technologies with other GM brands, a complete 180 from present GM practice, could be in the pipeline, as well.

“There will be some models that will be definitely standalone, pure, thoroughbred Cadillac,” he mentioned. “And then there are some where we must make certain these automobiles capture the Cadillac values but where it might be OK to share componentry. I do not want to use a brand name. But if another brand in the stable decides they want to use a Cadillac asset and they are prepared to accept the larger expense that’s linked with the asset, that helps us amortize the price.” This could imply engines, yes, but also perhaps Omega-platform-primarily based vehicles from, say, Buick.

Spy photo of the forthcoming CT6 flagship the baggy tarps will be an further-cost selection.

As for model expansion, we’ve already touched on the 2 crossover SUVs Cadillac is organizing to add—a mid-size 3-row crossover to slot between the Escalade and SRX and a compact model beneath the SRX—but de Nysschen mentioned he believes there is at least area for 2 more cars above the CT6 in the brand’s portfolio, as properly as sports automobiles. His previously stated strategy of keeping a premium price tag structure dovetails nicely with the wish to generate “aspirational cars” such as these.

“We have room for a vehicle above [the CT6], and then these would be really prestigious, really higher-efficiency but luxury cars. I believe 1 also needs some spice in the meal. I’m a performance enthusiast myself. We need to also appear at one particular or 2 sports vehicles that you buy for emotional factors, not for practicality, but simply because they are so attractive and so entertaining to drive,” he stated.

Whilst Cadillac just announced alterations to its future model nomenclatures and is moving its headquarters as component of a quest to polish the brand’s as soon as-lustrous reputation, de Nysschen mentioned he didn’t want to copy almost everything from Europe, specifically with Cadillac’s edgy “Art and Science” style language.

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De Nysschen is at present discussing evolving the styling with the design and style group to “present modern, modern, progressive American luxury.” He’s also on record as saying that Cadillac’s revival could take an additional 10 years to complete and that he’s only 10 or 15 years away from retirement and wants to finish on a higher note.

Johan de Nysschen: Cadillac to Use New Modular Engines, Possibly Expand Lineup with Additional Halo Models (Yes, Sports Vehicles)

Hue and Cry: Toyota Paints FT-1 Sports Auto Notion a Diverse Color, Re-Trims Interior for Pebble Beach

Since debuting the voluptuous FT-1 sports-automobile idea at this year’s Detroit auto show, Toyota has fallen mum on the topic—that is, till the festivities at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance fired up. This week, Toyota is trotting out the FT-1 for the show attendees in Monterey but created a handful of crucial changes to the notion to greater suit its moneyed environs. Does this imply the FT-1 is now . . . the FT-2? 

Okay, so it is nevertheless referred to as the FT-1, but Toyota has flipped the car’s colour script, switching it from a sporty red exterior with a black-leather interior to a softer and much more grand-touring-friendly graphite-more than-saddle ensemble. The splashes of rich brown leather throughout the interior are almost jarring, offered the otherwise cold, technical style they’ve been plugged into, but we feel it looks wonderful. The new graphite paint of the updated FT-1 shows off much more detail of car’s insanely intricate surfacing than did the original concept’s dark red hue, and it appears great. We’re nevertheless waiting for Toyota to elaborate on what may possibly energy a achievable production version of the FT-1, a car that is anticipated to share underpinnings with BMW were it to take place.

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Alongside the new FT-1, so to speak, Toyota also debuted another, significantly less-true FT-1: The FT-1 Vision GT idea is a purely virtual automobile obtainable for download in the Gran Turismo video game. The wild digital FT-1 represents Toyota’s take on what the car may well appear like as a complete-blown race car, and it’s fairly an impressive factor. If your fantasies gravitate instead to far more streetable machines, worry not—the regular red and graphite FT-1s are also downloadable.

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Hue and Cry: Toyota Paints FT-1 Sports Auto Notion a Diverse Color, Re-Trims Interior for Pebble Beach

Next-Generation Nissan Z Sports Auto to Get Targa Roof, Hybrid Power?

A report citing unnamed sources has appeared on the Australian web site Motoring.com.au purporting to reveal new information on Nissan’s next-generation Z sports automobile, and the information is exciting, to say the least. First off, the coupe version of the new Z will get a T-prime or targa-roof arrangement, while the roadster will move from its existing soft-leading lid to a energy-folding hardtop. As we’ve reported, a Mercedes-sourced turbocharged 4-cylinder and a 6-cylinder are anticipated, but Motoring adds that both powertrains will be hybridized and turbocharged. That is exactly where the information gets a bit fuzzy. 

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You see, our intel suggests that Nissan will use an evolution of the current 370Z’s rear-drive platform for the new Z, as an alternative of designing a newer, smaller, lighter a single to take on the likes of the Subaru BRZ/Scion FR-S twins. This indicates that weight savings will be paramount to sustaining the Z’s performance (specifically when equipped with the turbo 4) although also squeezing far better fuel economy from the 6-cylinder auto. Adding a hybrid system to each engines will not only enhance the car’s price, but add pounds to its curb weight, neither of which jibes with Nissan’s Z agenda as we know it.

On the other hand, we could see Nissan moving toward a targa roof style, if for no other reason than to add a “wow” feature to assist the automobile stand out against the new Ford Mustang, Chevrolet’s Camaro, and the upcoming Hyundai Genesis coupe replacement. We’ll uncover out what’s what when the new Z arrives subsequent year—probably as a 2016 model—but contemplate us skeptical that it’ll be hybridized.

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Next-Generation Nissan Z Sports Auto to Get Targa Roof, Hybrid Power?