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Corsa OPC Nurburgring edition
April 21, 2011
MORE IMAGES OF THE OPC NURBURGRING EDITION HERE
These are the first official pictures of Opel’s most powerful Corsa ever, the new OPC Nürburgring Edition, which goes on sale in late May in Europe and aims to raise the bar in the hot-hatch class for performance and dynamics.
At the heart of the Nürburgring is a re-worked version of the Corsa OPC’s existing 1.6-litre turbocharged engine which now produces 151kW at 5,750rpm and 250-280Nm of torque (up from 230-266Nm). A modified engine management and turbocharger system, sports exhaust with reduced back pressure – and the ability to run on 98-octane fuel – have all contributed to the rise in power.
To harness the Nürburgring’s new-found power potential, Opel has fitted it with a mechanical, multi-plate limited-slip differential, ensuring that its 151kW doesn’t go up in a cloud of tyre smoke, and providing the car with optimum traction at all times. The LSD also reins in understeer caused by excessive throttle loads during cornering, or changes in the texture of the road surface.
But perhaps the icing on the Nürburgring’s cake is its chassis, which received its final sign-off at the Nürburgring’s notorious Nordschleife, or North Loop. Opel commissioned Bilstein to develop bespoke spring and damper units for the new model, allowing drivers an even higher degree of control and involvement. A visual clue of this work is a ride height, which is reduced by 20mm at the front and 15mm at the rear.
Complementing this are newly developed Brembo brakes, which are 30 per cent lighter than before, and have high-performance brake linings covering a 10 per cent larger area. In addition, the Corsa OPC’s ABS, Traction Control and Electronic Stability Control systems have all been recalibrated to take into account the Nürburging’s new set-up.
With performance of 0-100kph in just 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 229kph, the new model gets a raft of visual identifiers: a stainless steel dual exhaust, newly designed forged aluminium wheels in high-gloss grey, and ‘Nürburgring’ logos on the B-Pillars and front spoiler lip. There are also two new colours available – apple green ‘Grasshopper’ and red ‘Henna’.
Inside, black and red ‘Nürburgring’ lettering adorns the sill plates and front Recaro seat backs, with bespoke white stitching on all seats, as well as the handbrake and gearshift console.
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