Unions claim that General Motors Co. plans to cut 2,000 additional jobs at its Opel/Vauxhall unit; however, Opel CEO Nick Reilly has come out and has denied this report. Reuters had based its report on documents from GM’s Viability Plan VI, saying that Opel staff will be cut by about 9,960 to a total of 37,700.Germany will be affected the most, with 5,660 jobs to go. Last Monday, Reilly had a meeting with Opel’s European works council, after which, they issued a statement that said: “According to the plans, headcount will be cut by 2,000 additional persons in comparison to management statements in public.” Reilly emphasized that they don’t plan to go beyond the 8,300 job reductions communicated earlier in conjunction with the restructuring. Reportedly, the additional 2,000 jobs refer to employees who had already signed up to a pre-retirement part-time program in 2006 in Germany. Opel has said it needs to cut jobs as part of its plan to reduce capacity by a fifth to counter slow demand for new cars that could stay weak for years.
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The increase in power was obtained by a special engine development and by reworking the exhaust, significantly reducing the counter pressure. And because sound is so important in the appreciation of an engine, the acoustic specialists worked on the exhaust of the V6 by adopting specific center and rear mufflers.The Insignia OPC is available with a six-speed manual gearbox. The strong torque of 400 Nm ensures abundant pulling power even at lower engine speeds. With this engine performance, the Insignia OPC reaches a top speed of 250 km/h (restricted) and sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in six seconds.
The already very well performing Insignia chassis was further fine tuned for the OPC variant which ride height has been reduced by 10 mm compared to the Insignia (AWD Sport version). The newly developed mechatronic chassis also receives a new front axle. The front suspension architecture of the Insignia OPC retains a so called McPherson strut, however the engineers at the Opel Performance Center came up with an evolution called HiPerStrut (for high performance strut). Benefits are an improved steering feel, reduced steering disturbances due to the high torque and an enhanced feeling in the handling for the driver.The Insignia OPC also comes with the adaptive FlexRide suspension which not only adapts to driving situation and driving style but also to the driver’s preferences. While on the Insignia the system offers the choice between a standard adaptive setting, a more comfortable mode and a sport mode, the OPC is definitely addressing those enjoying a sportier ride. OPC drivers can choose between three different sport modes: the standard mode as the high comfort setting, a special Sport mode and the OPC mode, for optimal performance.
Opel Insignia OPCAdded Apr 15, 2009, Filed Under Category: Opel
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The high performance version of the Car of the Year 2009 will be unveiled on May 7, when the Opel Insignia OPC premieres at the Barcelona Motor Show, ten years after the launch of the first OPC model (Opel Performance Center). The heart of the Insignia OPC is its 2.8 V6 Turbo engine. Derived from the powerful gasoline engine already available on the top-of-the-line Insignia, this version reaches an output of 239 kW/325 hp.
The increase in power was obtained by a special engine development and by reworking the exhaust, significantly reducing the counter pressure. And because sound is so important in the appreciation of an engine, the acoustic specialists worked on the exhaust of the V6 by adopting specific center and rear mufflers.
The Insignia OPC is available with a six-speed manual gearbox. The strong torque of 400 Nm ensures abundant pulling power even at lower engine speeds. With this engine performance, the Insignia OPC reaches a top speed of 250 km/h (restricted) and sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in six seconds.
“I was personally involved in the development of the Insignia OPC and I very much enjoyed extensive testing on the most demanding race track of the world, the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Our target was to rival the “best of the best”,” said Hans Demant, Managing Director Adam Opel GmbH.
Vauxhall, a car tuning subsidiary of General Motors reveals their British version of the Opel Insignia OPC, the Vauxhall Insignia VXR. A 2.8-liter V6 turbocharged engine and a four wheel drive chassis make it a sophisticated vehicle. This is Vauxhall’s first Insignia that will be using their 4×4 technology through a custom chassis design that reduces torque-steer, while maintaining negative camber at the wheels during cornering, to improve the traction in wet or dry conditions. The turbo ECOTEC engine produces 325hp and can reach 60mph in 5.8 seconds while the design of this particular model has been inspired by the Vauxhall Opel GTC. A larger bumper supporting twin mesh grilles stands out in the front, and in the rear some models receive a spoiler to compliment the unique bumper molding, fitted with the dual chrome exhausts.
The Vauxhall Insignia VXR rides on 19″ alloy wheels with Brembo brakes and vented/cross-drilled rotors all around. Inside, the car tuning company added Recaro seats, a VXR steering wheel and shift knob, as well as VXR graphics throughout. All of these options give the customers the ability to customize their Opel which are available in a variety of colors including; Arden Blue, Power Red, Carbon Flash Black, Silver Lake, Olympic White, and Technical Grey.
The heart of the Insignia OPC is its 2.8 V6 Turbo engine. Derived from the powerful gasoline engine already available on the top-of-the-line Insignia, this version reaches an output of 239 kW/325 hp. The increase in power was obtained by a special engine development and by reworking the exhaust, significantly reducing the counter pressure. And because sound is so important in the appreciation of an engine, the acoustic specialists worked on the exhaust of the V6 by adopting specific center and rear mufflers.The Insignia OPC is available with a six-speed manual gearbox. The strong torque of 400 Nm ensures abundant pulling power even at lower engine speeds. With this engine performance, the Insignia OPC reaches a top speed of 250 km/h (restricted) and sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in six seconds.
The already very well performing Insignia chassis was further fine tuned for the OPC variant which ride height has been reduced by 10 mm compared to the Insignia (AWD Sport version). The newly developed mechatronic chassis also receives a new front axle. The front suspension architecture of the Insignia OPC retains a so called McPherson strut, however the engineers at the Opel Performance Center came up with an evolution called HiPerStrut (for high performance strut). Benefits are an improved steering feel, reduced steering disturbances due to the high torque and an enhanced feeling in the handling for the driver.The Insignia OPC also comes with the adaptive FlexRide suspension which not only adapts to driving situation and driving style but also to the driver’s preferences. While on the Insignia the system offers the choice between a standard adaptive setting, a more comfortable mode and a sport mode, the OPC is definitely addressing those enjoying a sportier ride. OPC drivers can choose between three different sport modes: the standard mode as the high comfort setting, a special Sport mode and the OPC mode, for optimal performance.
For the first time also in the OPC portfolio, the Adaptive 4×4 system and its electronic rear limited slip differential (eLSD) are standard. The four-wheel drive management unit has been recalibrated to adapt torque distribution to the sporty philosophy of the OPC. Taking the higher performances of the OPC into consideration, significant development efforts were put into further improving the brake system. Connoisseurs will immediately spot the Brembo calipers and the perforated 355 mm disc on the front axle.