**Performance Corsa**

[alex_gt]

Well :vauxhall: / pel: are out to battle with in the Hot Hatch arena with their latest weapon, a 1.6 corsa?

The author of this report has some good humour too so have a read

CORSA OPC

Offensive Performance Car from GM

No! Please Vauxhall. Don't do it. Don't encourage people to bolt on bits to the least sporty car in your range. Give them courses on gardening, cookery or making Airfix kits but don't encourage slapping huge amounts of useless plastic onto their mum's old shopping car.

We're too late of course. The new turbo powered Coarser OPC concept, has its world premiere this week. Unveiled at the Essen Motor Show it gives clues as to how the Corsa might look if a GSi version went on sale in the UK.

An all new 1.6 litre ECOTEC turbo engine, developing 175 bhp will propel the oversized Easter Egg to 140mph and hurl it to 60mph in 7 seconds.

No performance Corsa would be complete without some tack-on-tat so Vauxhall ram-raided a plastics factory and bolted on new front and rear spoilers, colour-keyed wheel arches and side sills. It does improve the lines of the standard car, but so would leaving it in a shed.

By removing pork fat and jelly from the standard suspension the car sits 25mm lower than the 'comfort' models.

No doubt testing the waters for release in the UK next year, Vauxhall could do with beefing up their image with some Ozzie V8s rather than wind up toys like the Corsa.

What are peoples thoughts, is it a real performance Hot :fire: hatch :thumbsup: or just a torque steering/understeering peice of trash? :thumbsdow

 

[vat_man]

Well, the old one was good fun - wasn't the best built or most solid thing on the road but it was a bit of a hoot to drive and it went well.

 

[Race Idiot]

1.6 Litre 175bhp

Sounds like fun to me, most of these little hatches are quite chuckable and because its an opel/vauxhall im betting that the suspension is Lotus tuned.

Although it does look like theyve nicked bits of a focus rs.

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by Race Idiot

Although it does look like theyve nicked bits of a focus rs.

It's a little car on big wheels and lots of grunt! Who cares what it looks like?!?

 

[Race Idiot]

Although id rather have it looking like a normal corsa. So then I could smoke everyone in a cool sleeper car.

Id just take the kit off and put back the two tone bumpers get rid of the sideskirts and, then put a 1.2 litre badge on it.

 

[12sec. Civic]

I live in Canada, so this car is unkown to me. It doesn't look that bad and I like unique cars i.e. We dont see many Turbo hot hatches or FWD's in North America. I kind of like it, but what kind of name is Vauxhall, that really rolls off the tongue nicely! Yah, right, what a crappy convoluted mixture of letters and syllables that is for the name of a car company.

PS, what would the price of this thing be?

 

[Race Idiot]

Its Pronounced Vox-hall.
Duh!

It would be badged under Vauxhall only in the UK though. Everywhere else it will be opel.

 

[vat_man]

Originally posted by 12sec. Civic
I live in Canada, so this car is unkown to me. It doesn't look that bad and I like unique cars i.e. We dont see many Turbo hot hatches or FWD's in North America. I kind of like it, but what kind of name is Vauxhall, that really rolls off the tongue nicely! Yah, right, what a crappy convoluted mixture of letters and syllables that is for the name of a car company.

PS, what would the price of this thing be?

How about Opel or Holden?

The SRi- probably a level below this thing - of the Corsa (or the Barina as it's known here) goes for $23-4k Australian, which for comparison would get you a lower spec Civic.

 

[1X83Z]

This crap looks just like the Zafria GSi turbo, does it not?

I hate all these companies trying to replicate designs throughout the range. It was nice when Volkswagen began it, but now just about every major manufacturer does it. Can't they differentiate just slightly and be original?

 

[The Porko]

Sik. That would be cool if they went into production and bring here to Aus as the Barina (ofcourse)

 

[alex_gt]

It would definatley maintain the fun aspect if there isn't TCS or they had an off button? :burnout:

Didn't know it was called the Barina in :au:..

 

[TsLeng]

Looks quite nice.

Sadly I won't get it here.

In Malaysia, cause Vauxhall or Opel won't bring it in and it will be expensive cause of the tax

 

[GilesGuthrie]

HELLO!!! IT'S STILL A VAUXHALL!!!

The only Vauxhall I've ever driven that wasn't complete s*** was the VX220.

 

[TVRKing]

Which basically is a lotus elise with a Poxhall body on.

 

[MildMatt]

I had a test drive of the 1.8 16v Corsa, which has around 127bhp. I was tempted, but what with the Astra and Safria turbo, it was only time till this came along.

Thing is, there are previous phase Corsas with 350bhp running about at the moment, and they are a lot cheaper to create too.

The new Corsa shape does look good though.

 

[MildMatt]

Oh, and my Saxo *ahem 0wNz *ahem* it anyway

 

[alex_gt]

Originally posted by GilesGuthrie
HELLO!!! IT'S STILL A VAUXHALL!!!

The only Vauxhall I've ever driven that wasn't complete s*** was the VX220.

Clarkson would agree, I used to think like this but must admit I think they are very useable/affordable cars :car: for your average guy on the street?

Course you'd think :ford: will bring out a can of whoopass on them when they're hot fiesta is released, even if the looks are controversal you can bet it'll be a fine little drive, but then I hear from race idiot that :lotus: have possibly tweaked about with the corsa?

 

[GilesGuthrie]

Originally posted by alex_gt


Clarkson would agree, I used to think like this but must admit I think they are very useable/affordable cars :car: for your average guy on the street?

Course you'd think :ford: will bring out a can of whoopass on them when they're hot fiesta is released, even if the looks are controversal you can bet it'll be a fine little drive, but then I hear from race idiot that :lotus: have possibly tweaked about with the corsa?

Clarkson WOULD agree, yes. Unfortunately, I've now driven enough Vauxhalls that I can make up my own mind, and it's not good for the Luton manufacturer.

I also think that Ford don't always produce great cars, it's just that they're in something of a purple patch at the moment.

 

[Ryan2]

That front end looks kind of like a Holden..

 

[Hooligan]

I don't know if it looks like this from all angles, but from the one posted, the rear looks way too much like the Smart: as in, chopped off at the a$$ end. But 175HP in such a small car sounds nice to me. To top it off, it's still a small 1.6L engine, so it should still be economical. If it drives well, it'd be a great city car. Enough power to feel fast, small enough to park anywhere, and roomy enough to store whatever.

 

[1X83Z]

Originally posted by GilesGuthrie

I can make up my own mind, and it's not good for the Luton manufacturer.

They still make Vauxhall in Luton?

 

[alex_gt]

Originally posted by GilesGuthrie


Clarkson WOULD agree, yes. Unfortunately, I've now driven enough Vauxhalls that I can make up my own mind, and it's not good for the Luton manufacturer.

As long as there's learner drivers, Sales Reps, Old couples, Taxi Companies, The Police and Delivery Companies >> Luton could stay in business for a long time to come :clock: ?