Opel Corsa OPC a.k.a. Vauxhall Corsa VXR for Geneva

It’s going to quite a happening hot hatch party at the upcoming 2015 Geneva Motor Show. Joining the production Honda Civic Type R and Ford Focus RS is a smaller pocket rocket, the Opel Corsa OPC, also known as the Vauxhall Corsa VXR in the UK. The hot Corsa is a Euro rival to the Renault Clio RS, Peugeot 208 GTi and Ford Fiesta ST – cars we recently gathered for a three-way shootout.

The OPC- and VXR-badged Corsa is powered by a 1.6 litre turbocharged engine with 207 hp and 245 Nm of torque available between 1,900 and 5,800 rpm. An additional 35 Nm is available on overboost. GM Europe says that attention has been paid to fast torque build-up and extending the torque plateau compared to the previous car – for instance, max torque was reached at 2,250 rpm in the old Nurburgring Edition.

With power transferred to the front wheels via a six-speed manual transmission, the Corsa OPC races from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.8 seconds before reaching a maximum speed of 230 km/h. Fuel consumption is 7.5 liters per 100 km (13.3 km/l) in the European combined cycle.

Opel teamed up with Koni to develop the new Frequency Selective Damping (FSD) suspension which promises a “balancing act between uncompromising athleticism and an adequate level of comfort.” The Corsa OPC sits 10 mm lower than the regular fourth-gen supermini and wears 17-inch wheels with 215/45 Michelins as standard.

This hot hatch’s ESP and traction control has variable modes. In ‘Competition Mode’ for example, traction control is inactive while the ESP gives it a slightly longer leash. Stability control can be completely switched off, too. The steering has been revised to be more direct and precise, while big 308 mm front discs are used. Twin pipes by Remus.

Not enough? The OPC Performance Package throws in a mechanical multi-disc differential lock made by Drexler, 18-inch wheels, 330 mm front Brembos and an “even more athletic chassis set-up.”

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