1968 Opel Kadett on 2040-cars

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Astra OPC Extreme to be fastest Opel ever

A racecar for the road. Usually that statement is nothing more than marketing, but Opel may have actually done it with its Astra OPC Extreme. It promises that the hot hatch is the fastest production Astra it has ever sold.
The Extreme starts as a standard Astra OPC with 280 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque from a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder, then gets upgrades from the Astra OPC Cup racecar from the VLN Nürburgring Endurance Championship. The upgrades include carbon fiber components to cut weight, an integrated roll cage, racing seats, six-point seatbelts and racing-inspired livery. Opel says that its hottest hatch has done 10,000 kilometers (6,214 miles) of testing on the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
The Extreme will launch at the Geneva Motor Show in March and will have a limited production run later this year. Obviously, it will be limited only to Europe, so don't get your hopes up. You can scroll down to read all of the details about Opel's race-ready road car.

Google Street View car versus The Stig in Mercedes SLS is not a fair fight

Everyone loves the Stig, and it's hard to blame them. Whether it is the British, American, Australian or even Russian versions of Top Gear, there is something undeniably cool about a mystery man who can lap a track as quick as the top racing drivers in the world.
When Google Street View showed up at the Top Gear test track to add it to the mapping service, the Stig was also there in a white Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. He drifts around the little Opel like it's standing still and puts on quite a show for the cameras.
You can check out the video below, along with the Google Street View map of the whole lap. Enjoy!

Opel getting 5.2 billion dollar investment from GM

Never fear, Opel fans. General Motors isn't sending the brand out to pasture. The European automaker is set to receive a massive $5.2 billion investment from GM between now and 2016 as part of a larger effort to solidify Opel as GM's design and manufacturing backbone in Europe. Opel plans to return to profitability by the middle of this decade under its DRIVE!2022 business plan, and the cash infusion from GM should help make that projection a reality. Even so, it may be some time before Opel is able to turn its fortunes around.
The automaker lost $1.8 billion last year, up from $700 million the year prior. Opel faces numerous challenges compounded by the fact that the European Union continues to be mired in economic slump. Even so, the new investment helps put rumors that GM had plans to sell Opel to bed. You can read the full press release on the funds below.