If Opel’s really planning to take market share away from Volkswagen, then they’d better pack a lunch because it’ll be a LONG day.  Volkswagen has plans on the board to introduce TWO new models, the former chief executive of Volkswagen said while at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

This is already significant enough news in the face of a badly contracted economy–introducing new models is a cash-intensive process that requires loads of money and plenty of time and advertising, as well as focus groups, design and redesign and all like that.

But the new designs themselves may be the newest part, as they’re going to come out of the upcoming acquisition of Porsche.

Now that’s got my motor running–what if we get a car that looks like a Porsche with the gas mileage of a Volkswagen?  That’d be a dream car right there, and one everybody else would be scrambling to imitate.

Tags: Frankfurt Auto Show, Opel, Porsche, volkswagen

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Is it just me, or does the upcoming word out of the Frankfurt Auto Show look like a bad soap opera?  Seriously–this is nuts.  One of the biggest such tidbits is how Opel is revamping the Astra line to pit it against Volkswagen.

No, seriously–considering that Opel is in the tank anyway because of its GM connections, and the further fact that it’s surviving on a massive loan from the German government, it’s probably not a good idea for it to go after the iconic German automobile that is Volkswagen.

It’s especially worse given the rest of the hurdles that Opel will be operating under.  They can only sell their cars in certain countries, their connection to GM is hampering their local operations, there’s that whole “surviving on a giant loan” thing, the boost from the European version of cash for clunkers is SHOT…frankly, this is just bad for Opel all the way around.

Tags: Cash for Clunkers, Frankfort Auto Show, GM, government loan, Opel, volkswagen

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Okay, we’re all looking for some really big news to bust out of the Frankfurt Auto Show, so let’s sail right into the news we’re expecting to hear:

Mercedes-Benz plans to show a hydrogen-powered fuel cell version of the B-class.  It’s the first such production car to offer this, and the first two hundred will be available for purchase in early 2010.

Toyota is presenting an electric plug-in version of the Prius, as we’ve already mentioned here.

Honda, Nissan, and Mitsubishi are all out of the show, citing cost containment measures.

General Motors / Opel  is showing the new Astra compact..

Renault, a name you don’t hear often, will be showing the Megane and some new electric concept vehicles.

And of course, there’s lots more news afoot, but from the sounds of things, the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show is going to be a doozy of a show, with plenty to see and do and talk about.

Tags: Frankfort Auto Show, GM, Mercedes-Benz, Opel, Prius, Renault, Toyota

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The board of General Motors will start convening on the fate of the embattled German unit Opel, an issue that has been unsettled to this day. Though many critics speculated that GM would retain Opel despite that various bidders for the company, nothing clear has been seen on what the actual route Opel will really take.

The board meeting is slated for two days as the board meeting aims to tackle this German unit which employs over 25,000 people in Germany alone. Among the bidders who showed interest in acquiring Opel included Magna International Inc. and Russian state-backed bank Sberbank. A third bidder in RHJ International of Brussels is also in the mix although it has shared that it will not be keeping as many employees if it does acquire Opel.

(Source) Metro News

Tags: bidders, board meeting, brussels, General Motors, german unit, Germany, GM, magna international, magna international inc, metro news, Opel, rhj international, russian state

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General Motors is busy looking for buyers for their German subsidiary Opel and it looks like it will take some more time before they find a worthy buyer. GM is reportedly against the inclusion of Russians to take over the Opel brand which has so far raised some eyebrows which include that of technology takeover.

For the record, Berlin favors Magna and GAZ, the Russian state-owned car builder, and Sberbank to succeed the Opel brand. And this was said to be one reason why the Magna bid was turned down although GM had openly denied it had a hand on this. The plot for the future of the Opel brand continues to be befuddling but from the looks of it, there may be a chance that GM is playing possum and probably hold on to the Opel brand. That is if rumors hold true!

(Source) AFP

Tags: berlin, car builder, eyebrows, gaz, General Motors, german subsidiary, GM, inclusion, magna, Opel, playing possum, russian state, russians, sberbank, takeover, true source

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Back in June we were met with reports of GM eyeing potential buyers for their Opel brand. Now, reports have begun circulating that GM is considering keeping the brand, but not without proper funding.

In fact, GM says they will need to raise $4.3 billion if they plan to keep Opel, something that seems unlikely to happen considering they only just came out of bankruptcy.

Of course, this doesn’t completely rule out the possibility of the automaker selling off Opel however what will actually happen remains a mystery. We’ll have to wait and find out.

via wcf

Tags: economy, funding, GM, Opel, recession

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It seems that Opel is reportedly gearing up to launch a three-door sport hatch version of an Astra that will look similar if not the same as the above sketch.

WorldCarFan reports that this sport hatch Astra will feature upgrade air-intakes along with LED headlights and upgraded wheels. Other than that, there were many details. However, Malcolm Ward, the car’s designer, was quoted to have said:

“It will be a very dramatic execution and very, very close to the sketch. Think about the current three-door then think about where the new car will go.”

Let’s hope that Opel releases an actual render of the car soon rather than a design sket

Tags: Astra, design, Opel, sketch, sport hatch, three-door

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The latest reports indicate that a stylish Opel Cabrio model will also resurface for the sixth-generation Astra. The new Cabrio would replace the current Astra TwinTop but will be a sportier model. The new Astra Cabrio will have just two seats and go up against premium roadsters expected from VW and Mini, according to AutoExpress. The cabrio will also sport a folding metal hard-top, in addition to a full bodykit, xenon headlights, and chrome exhaust tips.

Its interior will come from the standard Hatchback but include supportive bucket seats and leather trim. Powertrain choices will reportedly include a 270hp (201kW) 2.0L turbocharged gasline unit, as well as a new 150hp (112kW) 1.4L turbo and a 170hp (127kW) 2.0L CDTI for diesel fans. No word yet on when we may see this model on the roads.

Tags: Astra, cabrio, Opel, two-seater

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After the guessing on who would succeed the Opel brand, Magna of Canada is the likely successor of the General Motors line. General Motors is on the brink of filing bankruptcy but as far as their brands are concerned, successors are being wooed to take over.

But while that may sound like a big sigh of relief, it is no easy picking. The partnership is expected to encounter rough sailing similar to that of a new company being brought up and make its way into the automotive industry niche.

While Opel is a popular brand, one cannot deny that that tarnish of a bankrupt GM company looms over its head. It may take some time for the new ownership to sink in and hopefully Magna comes up with great strategies to overcome these boundaries.

A more conciliatory Merkel on Saturday said a telephone call to President Barack Obama had helped seal the deal. But she lashed out at what she called the “huge mismanagement” by GM executives.

(Source) AFP

Tags: automotive industry, Barack Obama, boundaries, filing bankruptcy, General Motors, GM, gm executives, magna, merkel, Opel, partnership, seal the deal, telephone call

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The list has been trimmed down to three companies and one of them will be the winning bidder for the investor of Opel which is tagged alongside the debacle that General Motors is in. Many are expecting General Motors to file for bankruptcy soon, something that is beyond the obvious due to the financial situation that seems to have worsened.

The three bidders, Fiat, Magna and RHJ have laid their offers on the table. Magna was the favorite to win the bidding but Fiat sweetened its offer thus making the selection a toss-up between the two.

“A decision must come by early Thursday at the very latest,” one official, who requested anonymity.

(Source) Reuters

Tags: Bankruptcy, Fiat, General Motors, investor, magna, Opel

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Opel is on the block and while there are a lot of potential companies vying for ownership of the German-based can manufacturer, it seems likely that the winner will be one of its allies in GAZ of Russia. Considered to be one of the cheapest yet reliable brands in the car industry, Opel is a car brand name known globally.

However, Opel is also having its share of problems and apparently, the need for new management and owners seems to be feasible option if Opel is to stay in the market.

The Opel dealership in Moscow sells family cars as well as sport and luxury autos – from the newest top-of-the-range Insignia, to the small and sporty Corsa hatchback.

(Source) Russia Today

Tags: allies, brand name, car brand, car industry, corsa, family cars, gaz, Insignia, luxury autos, moscow, Opel

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Fiat studies its options and one of them now includes bidding for German carmaker Opel. The Italian carmaker Fiat is seeking to merge its car division with General Motors Europe and ailing US car firm Chrysler to create an automotive giant second only to Japan’s Toyota in terms of production.

Fiat’s chief executive, Sergio Marchionne, will meet German government ministers today to discuss a bid for the German car maker Opel, part of GM Europe. If the talks go to plan, Fiat would list shares in the combined company this summer. Marchionne described the plan as “an incredibly simple solution to a very thorny problem”.

He told the Financial Times: “From an engineering and industrial point of view, this is a marriage made in heaven.”

Opel, hit by a slump in demand due to the global downturn, has four plants in Germany and employs about 25,000 workers. Thousands more jobs at suppliers are at stake.

(Source) Guardian

Tags: car division, car firm, car maker, combined company, Fiat, financial times, General Motors, german car, german carmaker, german government, global downturn, gm europe, government ministers, italian carmaker, marriage made in heaven, motors europe, Opel, simple solution, slump, thorny problem

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The German government is reportedly ready to bailout General Motor Euprope’s Opel with a whopping five billion euros to shore up the company and as a last resort take a temporary stake of no more than 20 percent.

The rescue plan was required by German authorities before any public aid could be granted to Opel, which has been hit by a global auto slump and massive financial problems at its troubled US parent General Motors.

GM employs around 55,000 workers in Europe, including almost 26,000 at Opel.

Opel would repay any state aid by 2014-2015, he said.

(Source) Asia One Motoring

Tags: bailout, Europe, five billion, General Motors, german government, Germany, global auto, GM, Opel

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General Motors is laying the groundwork for its European subsidiary as it has reportedly set to introduce the Opel Ampera at the Geneva Auto Show this coming March. With this development, GM is set to extend its line of electric cars across the Atlantic and is aiming to be the first European automobile manufacturer to provide customers several hundred kilometers of non-stop electric driving.

The five-door, four-seat Ampera will run for up to 60 km on electric power and then switch to an internal combustion engine for as long as the gas tank or your bladder holds out. The lithium ion batteries will charge on 230-volt electric power; in the U.S. there are options for 120 volt charging or 230 volts.

Tags: ampera, chevrolet volt, electric cars, General Motors, geneva auto, lithium ion batteries, Opel

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We have an Opel ready to show you. It’s the Insignia ecoFLEX which was reveled at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. And it’s said to be an ecofriendly car.

The ecoFLEX will probably have a 2.0 CDTI ECOTEC engine which will get you some 118kW and 350Nm of torque. The overboost will get you 30 extra Nm for 15 seconds.

The Insignia ecoFLEX is still in development so we’ll have to wait for more official news from Opel. Here’s what Adam Opel’s managing director, Hans Demant said about the new car for now:

We designed the Insignia as a particularly efficient car from the beginning, By making a multitude of detailed improvements to the powertrain and to the road and wind resistance factors of the ecoFLEX model, our engineers are able to minimize consumption without affecting driving fun. Though we are still developing the new Insignia ecoFLEX with the 2.0 CDTI ECOTEC engine, we are confident it will emit CO2 gases well below 140 g/km.

(more…)

Tags: concept car, Insignia, Motor Show, Opel, Paris

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