Test drive Opel Astra Extreme: extremist

Sworn fans of the Opel brand can be happy. At this year's Geneva Motor Show, the company unveiled the 330-horsepower Astra OPC Extreme. We had the opportunity to drive a car certified for driving on normal roads in border mode on the highway.

Many Opel fans will be left speechless when they see this live. Astra OPC Extreme, designed for driving on a regular road network, is as close as possible to the racing Astra OPC Cup from the corporate championship. Today, however, we are not in one of the traditional OPC Cup locations, but on the Opel test track in Dudenhofen, where we will face an extreme version of the Astra, still as a single studio. Many of the legendary Opel DTMs have been exhibited here. It's the same with the OPC Extreme, which, at least acoustically, has no reason to be ashamed of these athletes. The idling engine flies alone towards the trees in the forest near Dudenhofen and creates a sense of romance in the heart of every car enthusiast. With its 330 hp the four-cylinder 50-liter turbocharger does indeed have XNUMX hp. in a more powerful production version of the Astra.

“In appearance, the OPC Extreme looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger in a tight suit ready for the Oscars – muscular, but restrained and noble,” said designer Boris Yakob, from whose pen came not only the Extreme with its characteristic combat plumage. , but also the sports studio Monza, which attracted a lot of attention at the Frankfurt exhibition.

The six-point belts are tensioned, first gear is engaged, and I await the start signal on the narrow surfaces of the Recaro seat. The idle sound of the engine idling is replaced by the haunting whistle generated by the full load turbocharger that even some sinister Japanese turbo monster would envy. The gas flow is amplified by a low-drag stainless steel exhaust system that directs racing vocal tones through the four tailpipes.

Carbon Diet for the OPC Extreme Model

The new OPC model quickly and easily navigates the sixteen turns of the test track to test its dynamic qualities. Thanks to a strict carbon diet, the atelier is 100 kg lighter than the standard version and now weighs 1450 kg. “Each of the carbon frames is ten kilograms lighter than the standard seats,” said Wolfgang Stryhek, 1984 DTM champion and now director of the Opel Performance Cars and Motorsport division responsible for creation. extreme models. More weight is also reduced by eliminating the rear seat, where the Opel team has integrated a strong protective frame. Steering is via a carbon-fiber sports steering wheel with suede upholstery, which accurately houses the rally-style 12-hour marker. Track racing fans may already be imagining a driver's ticket for the Nürburgring Nord route.

Aside from the rear fender, diffuser, front splitter, hood and shells, anti-roll bars and 19-inch wheels, the entire roof is made from carbon fiber reinforced polymers. The latter is 6,7 kg lighter than the steel version, which weighs 9,7 kg. The new carbon wheels are 20 kilograms lighter than the aluminum ones. The aluminum fenders weigh just 800 grams each and save 1,6 kg per piece compared to standard fenders. “The carbon fiber hood, equipped with a quick release system, is taken from a race car and weighs five kilograms less than a standard steel hood,” adds Strichek.

The feeling of racing on normal roads

ESP is off, the OPC mode button is pressed and Extreme sharpens your senses to the limit. The moment the sports tires reach operating temperature, the extreme version of the Astra responds to commands from the steering wheel even more accurately than the production version, which in no way can be blamed for the lack of directness and responsiveness.

Thanks to the adjustable sports suspension with Bilstein dampers and Eibach springs, the suspension geometry can be adjusted individually. The Drexler mechanical self-locking differential, which is borrowed from the Cup racing version without any changes, provides an even more competitive feel. Precise cornering, early acceleration to the climax - while under load the tires of other front-wheel drive vehicles begin to show the first signs of slip and tangentially steer the front axle, Extreme follows the perfect turn without losing traction. . To contain all that energy with the same rigorous precision, Opel's designers changed the front brakes and installed six-piston calipers instead of four-piston ones, increasing the disc diameter from 355mm to 370mm.

Even with sudden load changes and with ESP turned off, Extreme is not significantly affected and exhibits exceptional performance in borderline mode with neutral behavior. Insufficient twisting or excessive twisting? These are unfamiliar phrases in the vocabulary of a sports model that clearly has the perfect recipe for achieving fast laps on the track.

Small series for an extremist

In terms of lap times, the OPC Extreme has already proven itself on the Nurburgring's northern route. “I am very glad that our work has not gone to waste,” said Wolfgang Stritzeck with satisfaction. With sparkling eyes, he adds, "The machine works great."

Now the ball is again for the fans of the brand. “With a positive response from the public, we will launch a small limited edition supersport model with road clearance,” explains Opel boss Karl-Thomas Neumann.

Text: Christian Gebhart

Photo: Rosen Gargolov