Opel Calibra (Notizie - Axed)

[Touareg 2.5]

Ever since Opel lifted the covers off the stylish GTC Concept back in 2007, there have been rumors flying throughout the internet and the media about a production version of the study that would essentially replace the Vectra-based Calibra of the 1990s.

And while many (yours truly included) may support that an Astra-based sports coupe sounds like a more reasonable and lucrative proposal for Opel, Car Magazine has returned with an update on the Calibra II / GTC Concept story.

The report claims that the four-seater coupe is still under consideration but if it gets the final okay, it could go on sale as early as 2013, which sounds plausible given that the car would be more or less a two-door version of the Opel Insignia (sold in the U.S. as the 2011 Buick Regal).

It is said that in order for GM to start making a profit off the Calibra's spiritual successor, Opel and its Vauxhall partner will need to build a minimum of 30,000 units a year, and yes, that's where Buick kicks in.

"We would feel a lot more confident about some of these projects if Buick, Chevrolet in North and South America and Saab were sharing volumes and risk," an unnamed GM Europe source told the magazine. Of course, since Saab is no longer a part of GM, we're assuming that this statement must have been made either in the beginning of 2010 or last year...

In any case, if (and that's a big 'if') GM does greenlight the Insignia coupe project, chances are that the two door model will be sold in the U.S. as a Buick alongside the Regal saloon.

carscoop

Ancora rumors..

[Touareg 2.5]

The Vauxhall Calibra is back! Hot on the heels of our news that Ford is resurrecting the Capri as a Focus-based coupé comes confirmation that Vauxhall will create a successor to its popular Nineties two-door.

“I believe we should have one, so we will have one,” GM Europe chief Nick Reilly told Auto Express. As overall boss of Vauxhall and Opel, Reilly has the last word on what goes into production.

He pointed to the GTC (Gran Turismo Concept) coupé unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 2007 as the inspiration, saying: “It will be exactly this type of car.” That concept went on to become the Insignia, which is likely to form the basis for the new sports machine.

The GTC was powered by a 2.8-litre V6 turbo, and the VXR version of the production car could build on the 320bhp of the hottest Insignia to create a cut-price version of Audi’s S5 coupé.

However, it’s expected that the smaller, mainly turbocharged units will offer a more appealing blend of economy and power, using Vauxhall’s forthcoming range of all-new, direct-injection petrol engines that, according to Reilly, will give economy savings of “at least 10 to 15 per cent”.

The Calibra had a big fanbase, with 250,000 sold around the world before it was axed in 1997. And once again, the top-spec version of the four-seater is likely to come with four-wheel drive.

autoexpress

A quanto pare... si farà!

[Abarth03]

Ma sarà una sorta di Insignia coupè o qualcosa di completamente inedito, come design? ....sarà interessante scoprirlo. La attendo ansioso, comunque

[Touareg 2.5]

Opel plans to cut hundreds of jobs in product engineering in Germany, Automotive News Europe has learned.

The cuts come as owner General Motors Co. presses its European unit to reduce costs further to ensure the money-losing unit returns to profitability even in a European market heading toward recession.

To reduce labor costs, Opel plans to slash up to 1,420 product engineering posts at its international technical development center in Ruesselsheim, near Frankfurt, according to an internal letter drawn up by the IG Metall union and obtained by Automotive News Europe.

An Opel spokesman told ANE the number mentioned by IG Metall is "factually wrong and excessively high" because it includes people who are not on Opel's payroll – like employees of service providers and supplier employees. He declined to provide a figure for the actually number of job cuts, but said the automaker will need fewer employees as a result of plans to improve efficiency in product development.

According to ANE sources, at least 200 employees will be offered severance payments when 550 positions are transferred to the manufacturing engineering department from product engineering. This would translate into at least 750 fewer posts in product engineering.

The technical center employs a little more than 6,000 people who develop vehicles for Opel and GM globally.

The spokesman said Opel's efficiency drive focuses on three areas:

• Stronger concentration on the carmaker's core development mission and a reduction in project coordination tasks

• Increased use of modules and construction kits. "For example, we still have too many steering and seating systems. We have to improve significantly here," the spokesman said.

• Deeper and earlier integration of suppliers. "There are no plans to put a stranglehold on our suppliers -- we need to increasingly rely on suppliers' innovative strengths," the spokesman said.

Other cost-cutting measures, according to IG Metall, include reducing levels of management and cutting the number of changes during the company's global vehicle development process.

Some new models will also be stopped, according to ANE sources. These include the Opel Coupe planned for 2013. The battery powered version of the Opel Junior minicar will also be scrapped and a decision on whether to build the RAK e two-seat electric vehicle unveiled at the Frankfurt auto show in September has been postponed to next year. In October, Opel told ANE that the decision would be made this year and the car "could be launched as early as 2013" at a price of 10,000 – 12,000 euros.

automotivenews.com

Niente più Calibra, niente più Junior EV, decisione per la RAK_e postposta.

Avrei preferito che eliminassero definitivamente quel passeggino a motore, piuttosto che uccidere sta povera Insignia Coupé.

[alfa75qv88]

queste sono le decisioni che non capisco di GM anche perchè la insignia piace parecchio e il nome calibra è ancora forte!

[Stefano73]

queste sono le decisioni che non capisco di GM anche perchè la insignia piace parecchio e il nome calibra è ancora forte!

Vista l'altro giorno la nuova astra GTC è in pratica la nuova calibra sia come dimensioni che presenza scenica

[superkappa125]

Laguna docet: le coupé generaliste 3 volumi non vendono.

Piuttosto non capisco per quale disgiunzione con la realtà possano anche solo pensare di produrre la RAK-E.

Modificato 20 Dicembre 2011 da superkappa125

[Touareg 2.5]

Piuttosto non capisco per quale disgiunzione con la realtà possono anche solo pensare di produrre la RAK-E.

Per lo stesso motivo per cui in Régie han prodotto quella specie di porta uova.