Vauxhall auto news

VIDEO: Vauxhall trying to bring back roller skating? Groovy.

Vauxhall is rolling out the retro cool by holding an invitation-only roller skating event in North London on July 29. As part of the festivities, the General Motors division has reportedly commissioned bespoke sets of Vauxhall Corsa roller boots (seriously), and the event will even feature a "pit-stop themed hair salone with free styling from a 'huge name' in celebrity hairdressing." The secret party doesn't look to have a name, but it's got the kind of vibe that doesn't need one: "'70s disco meets Knight Rider on roller skates." If only the Knight Rider show had thought of that, perhaps it would still be on the air.

You can check out the details at www.tiny.cc/vauxhallskate, and you can get into the groove with video of a young lady doing her thing wearing Vauxhall Corsa skates after the jump. Hat tip to Clarence.

Continue reading VIDEO: Vauxhall trying to bring back roller skating? Groovy.

Rendered Speculation: Vauxhall Astra droptop to get more rakish

According to AE, the new convertible Roadster variant will forgo the rear seats of the current TwinTop and instead adopt a more rakish two-seat design. The folding metal roof will reportedly integrate a pair of rollover fairings in its tonneau cover, and tighter overhangs with more aggressive ground effects.

Interestingly, AE claims that the Astra Roadster will not get a VXR performance variant, but it will receive the hot hatch's 2.0-liter turbo engine, reportedly good for 270 bhp and a 0-60 mph time in six seconds. Lesser engines will apparently include a 1.4-liter turbo giving 150 bhp and a 170 bhp 2.0-liter CDTI diesel.

Due to General Motors selling off Vauxhall and its twin brand Opel to Magna, the likelihood of seeing such a model Stateside would appear to be even slimmer than normal. Either way, the U.K. publication says the world will have to wait a while for the topless Astra, as the automaker will first roll out the five-door, followed by the three-door and wagon models and later an MPV. Only after the rest of the lineup is revealed will Vauxhall break out the suntan lotion.

REPORT: Opel to cut prices 40% in order to save jobs?

Sometimes deals get made, and then the dealmakers have to employ some pretty creative tactics to get the terms to work. Magna's deal for Opel included taking €1.5 in short term loans from the German government, the string attached being that Magna had to guarantee German jobs.

Saving jobs means selling more cars to maintain production levels, and outside observers are suggesting that Opel would need to cut prices by 40% to move enough metal to keep people on the lines. Of course, a 40% drop in prices makes profit almost impossible, and some are saying Magna doesn't care about profits right now. One analyst said Magna and GM might want to increase costs, since Magna would sell more parts and GM would get more royalties. That, however, seem like the wilder side of speculation.

Magna has said the 40% discount hypothesis is absurd. Magna's mandate was to save German jobs -- that doesn't mean other Opel or Vauxhall factories in other countries can't be shuttered. Such a discount would also bring competing automakers into the debate; they would need to fight battles both on the dealer lot and with their government lobbyists, who would question Opel's right to sell cheap cars with government assistance.

VIDEO: Next-Gen Opel Astra takes on Ford Focus and new VW Golf

The 2010 Opel Astra has an impressive exterior and an overhauled interior, but it's also important that the upcoming C-segment hatchback can hang with the competition. The guys and gals at Vauxhall wanted to show just how competent a handler the Astra is, so they brought a pre-production tester to the Millbrook Proving Ground test track in Bedfordshire, England.

Hit the jump to watch the next Astra take on the twists and turns at Millbrook, and while you're at it, make sure to keep an eye on the MKVI Golf and the Euro Focus. You'll have to really pay attention here, though, because the Astra passes them without much of a fight. Sure, that may have something to do with the fact that the Astra is piloted by Vauxhall's own BTCC pilot, Fabrizio Giovanardi. For all we know, the Golf and Focus could be driven by students from the local driver's ed academy.

Gallery: 2010 Opel Astra

Continue reading VIDEO: Next-Gen Opel Astra takes on Ford Focus and new VW Golf

Opel pulls the wraps off the 2010 Astra's interior

Although we're still a few months away from seeing the 2010 Opel Astra in the flesh at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the automaker has released a bevy of interior images of its new compact hatch following the reveal of the fully redesigned exterior.

The new interior takes a huge stride beyond the current model's drab yet functional environment, with upgraded materials and a completely reworked center stack housing controls for the sat-nav, HVAC and infotainment systems. It's mildly mobile phone-like and you wouldn't be alone seeing shades of the new Ford Fiesta in the Astra's center console.

Additionally, there's a redesigned glovebox with removable compartments for pens and coins, an optional compartment under the passenger seat and ambient lighting piped into the door handle surrounds, gear lever recess and center stack.

Based on the new Delta platform that underpins the Chevrolet Cruze, the new Astra will be available abroad later this year, packing a host of gasoline and diesel powerplants with outputs ranging from 100 to 180 hp. Make the jump for the release, along with a groovetastic video of the Astra's new insides.

Gallery: 2010 Opel Astra

Continue reading Opel pulls the wraps off the 2010 Astra's interior

Tongue-Waggin' Wagon: Vauxhall Insignia VXR Sports Tourer unveiled

No more spy shots. GM has formally unveiled the Vauxhall Insignia VXR Sports Tourer (a.k.a. the Opel Insignia OPC Sports Tourer on the other side of the Chunnel). By now, you're probably seen the specs, but we'll go over them again for the sake of being complete. 325 horses are corralled in the 2.8-liter turbo V6 underhood. Yep, that's a six-speed stick you see in the attached photo gallery, and both all-wheel drive and eLSD are standard. Stopping power is supplied by Brembo, the seats are by Recaro, and the overall appearance is liberally sprinkled with awesome. All told, the whole package is good for a zero-to-60 run in six seconds flat, which has us dreaming of this car, in this color, wearing the Buick Tri-Shield up front. Maybe Grand National badges on the fenders, too. Okay, it's more like a pipe dream, but let us have our fun. The PR joins an official video after the jump.

Gallery: Vauxhall Insignia VXR Sports Tourer

Continue reading Tongue-Waggin' Wagon: Vauxhall Insignia VXR Sports Tourer unveiled

Opel does a fan-dance with 2010 Astra teasers

2010 Opel Astra teasers - Click above for a high-res image gallery

With the Frankfurt Auto Show looming on the horizon, German automakers in particular have been preparing their latest offerings for their debuts. And even with its future still hanging in the balance, General Motors' Opel division has just released a series of teasers of its upcoming new Astra to be unveiled at the Frankfurt show in September.

Although based on the platform that will underpin the Chevrolet Volt, the Opel Astra (and the Vauxhall-badged version to follow) will be powered by conventional engines...at least at first. A downsized 1.4-liter turbo is expected to form the standard engine, with a 2.0-liter turbo version wearing Opel's OPC badge (and Vauxhall's VXR) to follow.

The new Astra will reportedly be available in several bodystyles, starting with this five-door hatch. A four-door sedan is expected to follow, along with a five-door wagon and two-door hardtop convertible, while the three-door hatch version carrying the GTC label promises to follow the lead of the Renault Megane with a more coupe-like profile previewed by the Opel GTC concept from Geneva 2007.

Of course, with the GM global empire on the verge of disintegration, it's hard to say at this point where the Astra might end up. We'll have to wait for more over the course of the summer, but in the meantime, feast your eyes on the teasers in the gallery below.

Gallery: 2010 Opel Astra teasers

Vauxhall going after city car market with Trixx EV?

According to Auto Express, Vauxhall is now planning a small urban vehicle to do battle with the smart fortwo, Toyota iQ and the upcoming Volkswagen Up!. If these rumors are to be believed, the Trixx will be based on GM's Voltec drivetrain but will completely eschew the range-extended 1.4-liter engine in favor of going fully electric with a goal of hitting a 90-mile range between charges.

You might think that dropping the internal combustion engine would make the car considerably cheaper, but that may not actually be the case. AE indicates that the lithium ion battery pack powering the Trixx could cost as much as £8,000 ($12,100 in U.S. dollars) per unit to make. To counteract the high cost of entry, Vauxhall may sell the actual car while offering a separate lease for the battery.

Vauxhall sans Opel could reallign with GM Daewoo, Holden

Chevrolet Aveo, a.k.a Chevrolet Kalos/Daewoo Gentra/Holden Barina/Pontiac Wave - Click above for a high-res image gallery

Eyebrows raised at reports that General Motors could hold on to its British subsidiary Vauxhall even if - or, more likely, when - its German counterpart Opel would leave the family. With the model ranges of the two European GM divisions intertwined, a Vauxhall without Opel would seem like an empty shell. New reports suggest, however, that instead of re-plastering Opels with the griffin badge, the British marque could instead continue operations under GM ownership by importing products made by GM Daewoo Auto & Technology.

The restructuring of Vauxhall would also likely call for greater cooperation with GM Daewoo's neighbor to the south, Holden, which otherwise stands to lose significant revenues from the disintegration of GM's global operations, with Vauxhall and Pontiac having accounted for nearly half the production of its VE Commodore, sold in the UK as the Vauxhall VXR8 and in the United States as the Pontiac G8. Holden, for its part, also recently replaced many of its Opel-based products with rebadged GM Daewoo models. In the likely absence of Opel, the General's assets in England, Australia and Korea would likely end up cooperating more closely. However with Daewoos already on the European market as Chevrolets, the realignment could effectively be the end of the bowtie in Europe.

Gallery: 2008 Chevy Aveo 5-door (EU)

Auto threesome? Fiat CEO confirms pursuing partnership with Opel

As if Fiat doesn't have enough on its plate while working on an alliance with Chrysler during its bankruptcy proceedings, the Italian automaker's CEO has finally confirmed that it's pursuing an alliance with General Motors' German arm Opel.

In the Fiat-owned newspaper La Stampa, CEO Sergio Marchionne said, "Now we have to concentrate on Opel. They are our perfect partner."

Coupled with the Chrysler alliance, if the deal with Opel would go through, that would make Fiat the world's number-two automaker behind Toyota. However, both Italian and German labor leaders are opposed to the venture, fearing sizable cutbacks to both Opel and Fiat's workforce.

In GM's recently revised restructuring plan, the General's generals laid out a plan to spin-off the Opel and Vauxhall divisions into a separate unit, which would require another investor for GM to secure financial aid from the German government. Currently, GM claims to have six investors interested in Opel, and along with Fiat, Canada's Magna is also in the offing.