STUDY NUMBER 1 It’s not often that concept studies leave the hallowed halls of Opel Classic. The decision as to which four unique pieces should be on display at Burgk Castle near Dresden had to be carefully considered. The XS tuning crew reached out to their community on Instagram for help. And she was unanimous: 97 percent voted for the CORSA MOON to be there with its moon tires. The show car was seen for the first time at a press event in Tenerife. That was in 1997. To celebrate the new facelift of the Corsa B, the study was converted into an extraterrestrial vehicle. The woven mesh wheels promise a lot of grip, the built-in solar cells and various satellites live up to the term “show car”.
STUDY NUMBER 2 The Opel GT has always fascinated people. And this electric version even more so. The ELEKTRO GT anticipated Opel’s battery-electric presence more than 50 years ago. On May 17th and 18th, 1971, Georg von Opel attempted to set new best performances for electrically powered vehicles in the prototype. With success: he set a total of six electric vehicle world records on the Formula 1 circuit in Hockenheim. The world record holder is equipped with two DC motors that develop up to 160 hp. You will look in vain for the typical carburetor hump on the hood. It is completely flat for better aerodynamics. Bumpers, rear-view mirrors and door handles? Also here: none. Instead, there is a large rear spoiler. Visitors to Burgk Castle peer curiously into the interior. Because the four nickel-cadmium batteries from aircraft construction are housed on the back seat and passenger side.
STUDY NUMBER 3 The XS community loves the Corsa and voted to get a second one-of-a-kind after Saxony: the CORSA SPRINT. The prototype was created in cooperation with Irmscher and showed what the Corsa could do at the 1993 IAA. Namely a lot of motorsport, built for the Group B regulations – with aluminum roll cage and lightweight dashboard. The instruments, developed by the Opel Design Center, can be mounted on the dashboard with quick-release fasteners so that they can be changed in no time at all. Of course, the 1.3 liter engine was also extensively modified. 126 hp accelerate the Corsa from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.2 seconds. In addition, there is a racing camshaft, forged pistons, fan exhaust manifold, a light crank engine, enlarged valves, polished channels and a racing exhaust system on the “XS CARNIGHT Classic 8.0” according to the taste of the tuning fans.
STUDY NUMBER 4 The Opel Kadett C has many faces: it was the first GM global car to be produced on all continents by no fewer than 14 brands with over 40 different model designations and in even more body and equipment versions. It is no coincidence that one of the advertising slogans was “To each his own”. The XS community didn’t need to be asked twice and opted for this particularly beautiful design study: the KADETT CITY, presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 1978. Driven by a two-liter engine with 115 hp, the fenders are 200 millimeters wider. The highlight of the hatchback model: a removable Targa roof. However, it was closed due to the rainy weather.
AND A FUCK IN LUCK Whether it was the Manta with a cat staircase, the Manta GSi with a 400 series racing engine or the Calibra – in addition to the concept studies from Opel Classic, many other vehicles with lightning bolts were represented. “The cooperation with Opel is a real stroke of luck for us,” says “XS” team boss Andreas Füllborn. The self-confessed Opel fan observes that the Blitz scene has become more active again: “I’m pleased that more and more Opel owners come to our meetings – and the trend is rising.” which the tuners from Freital have refined according to their own ideas at the invitation of Opel.
Aug 2022
Photos: Peter Herforth and Andreas Werner