[eBay Motors], thanks to many readers for the tip.

On the occasion of our company's 40th anniversary in 2008: The Irmscher GT i40. V8 Power to be enjoyed

Irmscher constructs the GT for GourmeTs

It's the ingredients that make the difference! And here is the menu:
A 6,0l V8-engine with 480PS in an Opel GT-body for excellent driving performance.
Perfectly prepared and served à la maison.
For 40 now Irmscher has been providing proof of its competence in matters of vehicle construction and individualisation.
On the occasion of the company's 35th anniversary the most powerful and strongest of the Opel Vectras had caused a stir by reaching a speed of more than 300km/h. However, that which is emerging from the factory floors in Remshalden for the company's 40th anniversary is a vehicle for the true connoisseur: the Irmscher Opel GT i40. The figures in the model's number stand for the data of the company: Günther Irmscher senior started up in1968 in Winnenden with the first vehicle modifications. In the person of Günther Irmscher junior, the second generation is at the fore of the company in 2008 and is proof that 40 years of company history should be celebrated properly at this anniversary.
The Remshalden company is starting its anniversary with a world premiere in Geneva. Here, the GT will be making its first appearance and is sure to cause a stir at the company's stand in Hall 2.
V8-engine and a driving performance that puts it in the company of thoroughbred sports cars male the experts sit up and take notice and connoisseurs tingle with anticipation. As it is known that appearances also matter, the GT is optically enhanced by means of a discreet modification to the car body, and, on the interior with an exclusive leather fitting.
For desert, Irmscher serves the news that the vehicle is to be produced in a small series. The appropriate attention is being paid to this already. The menu therefore also exists in takeaway form.
The GT i40 currently stands in a long tradition of elect vehicles.V8-engines have always had an important role to play at Irmscher. In this line of history stand the Senator V8 and not least the successful races in the Omega V8 with the F1-driver Johnny Cecotto at the wheel, who was able to win the championship twice.
The models with the "i"".
Special models with the "i" in their name have always had their place in the company history. The GT i40 here lines up with a whole row of other vehicles, from the i120, i130, i200...via the i500 to the i35 which appeared for the company's 35th anniversary. At that time, a compressor helped enhance the performance of a V6-Motor. The result was the fastest Opel limousine in series production in the world. 5 years later it is a V8 that will cause a sensation in a Roadster.
All that remains to be said in conclusion is:

Dinner is served!

Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.

Parts cars are great! It's like having your own private junkyard, right there in your driveway. Sure, the neighbors might grumble about your typical ugly parts car, but how could they possibly object to you lining up three beautiful Opel GT parts cars on your front yard? That's what you'd have if you bought these four Opel GTs! What you get for your $2500 is one running '70 GT plus two somewhat complete '70s and a '73. Oh yeah, just because the seller feels sorry for you appreciates a fellow Opel fancier, you'll get a bonus engine and transmission. Man, with all that stuff you could put together at least two runners... right? And they're like little Corvettes, mang! Imagine the fun of your instant Opel GT junkyard! You'll need some fierce dogs to guard it, of course- it wouldn't do to have marauding bands of Opel thieves stripping those priceless parts.

There's no need to be stuck with a bunch of Germanized GMs just because you dig the parts-car idea, however- not when you can pony up a deal-of-the-century $2450 for a pair of 1964 Fiat 600Ds! The seller is clearly running out of patience with flakazoid Craigslist buyers, judging by the listing's 6-point anti-flake introduction (hey, I've been there; every time I try to sell a car on Craigslist I swear it's the last time), so if you show up with a stack-o-cash a couple hundred bucks lower than his price you'll probably still get the cars. There are two engines (one seized) and sufficient bits and pieces between the two cars that you'd be able to postpone the start of your hopeless search for unobtainable Fiat parts by, oh, at least six months.

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We all know the Manta was the German counterpart to the Camaro, complete with all the F-body's associated sociocultural , er, attributes, but what about the German Corvette counterpart? We're talking about the original Opel GT, of course, and what better car for the upwardly-mobile bemulleted V8 Manta driver to add to his stable than a GT with a V8 swap? Here's a site put together by a guy who's been tracking V8 Opel GT prices for a while, and he's got some photos that will bring a tear to Günter's eye! – Murilee Martin

V-8 Powered Opel GT : Market survey [stevenmason.com]

Related:
Engine Swap of the Day: V8 Manta! [internal]

With Opel relaunching the GT as a roadster based on the Saturn Sky (which would make it not quite a GT car, am I right?), we thought it might be fun to look back at the original "mini Corvette" Opel GT. Then we reconsidered. What would be fun would be to see what some Opel GT buyers have done with their cars over the years — body kits, shooting brakes, tow trucks. Yeah, then again, maybe we should stick with preparing for a new Saab Sonnet. [Thanks to Brian for the tip.] – Mike Spinelli

[Opel GT Umbauten]

Related:
The Red Badge Engineering of Courage: The Opel GT [internal]

It could have been any of us hacks, behind the wheel of an unfamiliar car on a picturesque but potentially treacherous road, possibly poking at the limits of adhesion so we might return a colorful review that conveys the experience poignantly. But it was French automotive journalist Michel Barelli who was killed this past weekend when the 2007 Opel GT he was driving went out of control on a mountain road and plummeted down an embankment, the AP reports. Barelli, a writer for the French daily newspaper Nice-Matin, was reportedly on a press drive for the car, the European version of the Saturn Sky, when the accident occurred, approximately 40 miles east of San Diego. Condolences from all Jalopniks, everywhere. – Mike Spinelli

French auto writer killed in San Diego County car crash [Contra Costa Times]

Related:
Astras in America: Opel Club Meets GM's German Saturns, or Vice Versa [internal]

More cowbell! GM's Opel outfit released details and visuals on the Saturn Sky variant that will revive the Opel GT badge. Like the Sky Red Line, the GT will get GM's turbocharged 2.0-liter direct-injection four, producing 264 hp — good for a zero-to-60 time of 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 143 mph. It's been given the once-over by GM Europe's Design Studios in R sselsheim, which added a few Opelesque cues to highlight its association with the European brand's GTC sports line. – Mike Spinelli

Press Release:

Opel GT: Opel Goes Roadster

Classic proportions: sleek silhouette, long hood, short overhangs

Archetypal roadster architecture with front-mounted engine and rear-wheel drive

High-tech turbo direct injection and twin A-arms

Roadster fun and performance at affordable price: 264 hp for 30,675 euros

The modern definition of an athletic two-seater finds its form in the new Opel GT. As a classic roadster, it has a powerful front-mounted engine, rear-wheel drive, a cockpit with sporty instruments and a tailor-made fabric roof. With a wide stance, sleek silhouette, long, front-hinged hood and short overhangs, the proportions are typical of this class. The Opel GT also brings new charm to this genre with its own unmistakable personality thanks to its exciting shape, which contrasts sharp edges with curved surfaces to create a dynamic look, and its configuration, which enables a refined driving experience, even on long journeys. The GT's pricing is also attractive. For 30,675 euros (recommended retail price in Germany incl. VAT), customers get no less than 264 hp from the high-tech turbo engine with gasoline direct injection. Acceleration from zero to 100 km/h takes less than six seconds. The new two-seater carries its legendary name because it continues the tradition of the first Opel GT (1968 - 1973) and, like the original, competes in one of the most exciting vehicle classes.

The new Opel GT also showcases the brand's passion for dynamic cars, and the conviction that "Opel was never as young as today". This is underlined by niche models with a high fun factor, such as the Astra GTC with panorama windshield, the Tigra TwinTop and Astra TwinTop cabrio-coup s, as well as the high-performance OPC family. They enrich the model portfolio and emotionalize the brand.

The development of the Opel GT is a prime example of transcontinental collaboration within GM. It stems from the decision to expand the concern's portfolio with a compact, rear-wheel drive, sporty vehicle architecture that can be implemented globally. The first step towards realizing this idea was the Solstice concept car in 2002, followed a year later by the Vauxhall VX Lightning concept, which was conceived at the GM Advanced Design Studio in Coventry, England. Strongly inspired by the VX, the Opel GT has been adapted to the current Opel design language at the GM Design Studio in Detroit and the GM Europe Design Studios in R sselsheim under the direction of Bryan Nesbitt. The Opel roadster will be built at the Wilmington/Delaware plant in the USA, where its highly successful American GM sister models, the Pontiac Solstice and the Saturn Sky, are also produced.

The new GT's story is reminiscent of that of its classic predecessor. In 1968, the original Opel GT set an automotive manufacturing precedent in Europe when it became the first car to go into production after being debuted to the public as a concept study. The legendary American sports car, the Corvette, made the same start in 1953 in the USA. The new Opel GT shares some engineering characteristics with the current Corvette, such as part of the architecture.

Crisp, dynamic look with strong face

Sharp lines coupled with taut surfaces give the new Opel GT a crisp, dynamic look. Its strong face is dominated by the fender's accentuated sweep, the bold chrome crossbar with integrated Opel logo, the elongated hood with brand-typical center crease, chrome-bordered vents and bold 3-D headlamps in clear glass look drawn deep into the side panels. The GT's especially sporty characteristics include the long air vents in the hood, the grooving in the front fenders with their dynamic, Opel-typical horizontal contours like on the Antara , the double-pipe exhaust system and the twin air scoops behind the head restraints, which are reminiscent of designs from roadster and motor sport history. 18-inch aluminum wheels in new five-spoke design fill out the wheelarches, and emphasize the roadster character, as does the fabric roof, which completely disappears beneath a cover for open-top driving fun.

Chrome-ringed instruments in the cockpit clearly display all important information, while black piano lacquer and chrome finishes accentuate the high-tech nuance of the surface structures. These all combine with optional leather seats with visible stitching to highlight the sporty ambience. The short gear stick adds significantly to the driving fun: directly connected straight to the roadster's five-speed transmission, its short gear travel enables quick gear shifts from the roadster-typical seating position.

High-tech turbo engine with direct injection and variable camshaft phasing

The new Opel GT does not just look quick, it is quick! Its longitudinally front-installed 264 hp engine with turbocharging and gasoline direct injection accelerates the roadster to 100 km/h from a standing start in just 5.7 seconds, and up to a top speed of around 230 km/h. "When it comes to high-performance roadsters, there is no better balance between price, driving enjoyment and fun," says Alain Visser, Executive Director Sales and Marketing, Opel. There's no question about it: no other Opel has ever produced 132 hp output per liter. The new Opel GT's engine not only complements the car's dynamic look perfectly, it also far outperforms today's other roadsters and most two-seat sports cars.

High-tech features such as gasoline direct injection, twin-scroll turbocharger with intercooler, double camshaft phasing and twin counter-rotating balance shafts provide the basis for the 1998 cm3, four-cylinder engine's impressive performance data. Maximum output of 194 kW/264 hp at 5300 rpm and high torque plateau of 353 Nm between 2500 and 5000 rpm ensure plenty of power in all situations. The GT requires an average of 9.2 liters of super unleaded gasoline per 100 kilometers. Jointly developed by GM Powertrain engineers on both sides of the Atlantic, the all-aluminum ECOTEC unit is based on the 2.2-liter direct injection unit available in the Vectra model range since 2004, and on the 2.0-liter turbo induction unit, which debuted in the Vectra GTS in spring 2003.

Chassis with classic sporty configuration

For the Opel GT, engineers designed a classic, sporty configuration based on a rigid chassis, wide track (front/rear: 1543/1561 mm) and long wheelbase of 2415 mm: all four wheels are suspended from twin A-arms made from forged aluminum, the center of gravity is low, and the weight distribution of 51:49 percent (front/rear) is well balanced.
A manual five-speed transmission with sporty, short gear travel and limited slip differential provide propulsion power. A torque beam between the transmission and rear axle suppresses reactions to acceleration/deceleration effects.

While disk brakes on all wheels, ABS, Traction Control (TC) and the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) monitor safety, the driver can control the level of ESP and use of TC himself. Both systems are fully active after ignition, with the setup providing driving fun but also keeping the vehicle stable within the physical limitations. At the touch of the ESP button in the instrument panel, the Traction Control (TC) is switched off, but ESP remains active and intervenes as soon as the yaw angle exceeds certain thresholds. Two short presses change the ESP's calibration to a sportier mode and keep the Traction Control (TC) deactivated. Pushing and holding the ESP again for around ten seconds until the "ESP Off" symbol illuminates, completely deactivates ESP and TC. A short press of the button in any mode returns the two systems to their normal states, which also occurs automatically with each new engine start. A display and control light in the instrument panel keeps the driver informed about the current status of both systems.

Stiff vehicle structure with center tunnel and side members

The typical roadster vehicle architecture was designed from the beginning to meet the special demands of an open-top, two-seat sports car without compromise. The vehicle structure, which consists of hydroformed side members and a supporting center tunnel made from drawn sheet steel, provides a solid basis for the car's precise handling and passive safety. The hydroforming forging technique, in which components are manufactured from steel with the help of high water pressure, is already employed in automobile construction for chassis components in the Opel Vectra and Astra.

Only the legendary American Corvette sports car is also based on hydroformed side members. But the Opel GT also breaks new ground in another regard: the GT model family belongs to the first car line produced in significant numbers to have numerous exterior parts made using a procedure that is relatively time-consuming, but provides designers with greater creative freedom. The hood is one example: thanks to unconventional hydraulic technology known as super forming the long hood section with its front hinges was optimally integrated into the roadster's silhouette without a gap between the hood and fender.

Extensive standard equipment

Extensive standard equipment in the Opel GT includes:

18-inch alloy wheels with 245/45 R 18 tires
Anti-lock Braking System ABS
Electronic Stability Program ESP (can be adjusted and switched off)
Traction Control TC (can be switched off)
Two-stage airbags for driver and passenger
Occupant detection for passenger seat (with cockpit display)
Three-point safety belts with pretensioners and belt-force limiters
CD-Radio (six loudspeakers, steering wheel remote controls, MP3 player connection)
Power exterior mirrors
Power windows
Power height-adjustable driver's seat
Cruise control
Air conditioning
Leather steering wheel and gearshift knob
Manual soft top with heated rear glass window
Fog lamps
Remote control central locking, including remote trunk-lid release

The first Opel GTs will be on the road in March 2007 and dealerships have been accepting orders since summer 2006.

New Opel GT: Technical Data Overview

Engine / transmission

Emissions standard compliance

Euro 4

Fuel

super unleaded

Number of cylinders

4

Bore
mm
86.0

Stroke
mm
86.0

Displacement
cm3
1998

Max. output
kW (hp)
194 (264)

at rpm
5300

Max. torque
Nm
353

at rpm
2500 - 5000

Transmission

5-speed, manual

Driving performance
Fuel consumption in l/100 km

Maximum speed
in km/h
Acceleration from
0 - 100 km/h in seconds

Urban

Extra-urban

Combined
CO2 emissions
in g/km

229
5.7
13.0
6.9
9.2
218

Car dimensions in mm

Length
4100

Width
1813

Height (at curb weight)
1274

Wheelbase
2415

Track, front
1543

Track, rear
1561

Turning clearance in m

Curb-to-curb
10.45

Luggage compartment capacity (liter)

Roof closed
157

Roof open
66

Weight and axle load in kg

Curb weight excl. driver (according to 70/156/EU)
1331

Gross vehicle weight
1625

Maximum axle load, front
850

Maximum axle load, rear
775

All data refer to the European base model with standard equipment. The consumption data according to 1999/100/EU takes into consideration the vehicle's curb weight as stipulated by this regulation. The published performance figures are possible with the vehicle's curb weight excluding driver plus a 200 kilogram load allowance.

Related:
Profiles in Badge Engineering Courage: The Opel GT [internal]

Though the Saturn Sky shares an architecture with the Pontiac Solstice, at least the first has unique body-shape characteristics to distinguish it from the second. The Opel GT, on the other hand, is a straight-up Saturn Sky from basement to (cloth-topped) attic, which makes sense, since Saturn's getting a cornucopia of Opels to fill out its US line in the next few years. Maybe GM should consider a brand merger between the two divisions. (Saturopel? Opelurn? Lanspoutrel?) Considering its less-than-unique comportment, evoking the name of the quirky "Mini 'Vette" of the early '70s to give the SkyGT retro appeal feels awkward; a patronizing stab at distinctiveness by association. C-

Related:
Saturn Sky Mining: Opel GT Revealed Ahead of Geneva Launch [internal]