Rallying and racing – these are two different pairs of shoes or sets of tires. When the decathlete Niklas Kaul competes in the 100, 400 and 1,500 meter runs, a starting gun is fired – and then it starts. The 10th “Bodensee Klassik”, on the other hand, will start with a time delay: every … 60 … seconds … a … vehicle.
It just takes a while until the start number 27 is there. As much as the driver and car want to get going, as much as the gas foot is already tingling. But when the time had come, the world and European champion felt that the Opel rally car in which he was sitting lived up to the motivation he had set himself to “always deliver top performance”: “I could feel what was going on back then everything was possible for the Kadett – and still is today.”
“I could feel what was possible with the Kadett back then – and still is today.”
– Niklas Kaul –
Family affair: The Kadett 1.6 S Aero (from left), the Kadett GT/E from the 1000 series and the Kadett C GT/E form a guard of honor for the latest generation – the Astra GSe, the sporty spearhead of the Opel compact class.
This is how you can enjoy breaks: European and world champion in the decathlon Niklas Kaul on the GT/E and in front of a wonderful Alpine panorama.
Step on the gas, I want fun: The track and field champion didn’t just come to Lake Constance to pose.
Nobody has to explain to the 25-year-old what is possible at Opel today. The top athlete from Mainz made his way to Friedrichshafen in his new Opel Astra GSe. And the organizers of the Bodensee-Klassik were also able to see for themselves how highly dynamic driving fun can be combined with responsible, locally emission-free driving. Opel also provided them with an Astra GSe as an escort vehicle.
GT/E – more desirable than ever
In a Kadett, a predecessor of his current Astra, Niklas Kaul wanted to experience how the brand defined driving pleasure four decades ago. The numerous bends in the legendary endurance run in the border triangle gave him the best opportunity to do so. The model he drove together with Benjamin Schweppe (GF B&M Marketing) was then and still is a very special cornering star: the Kadett GT/E, one of the most coveted Opels on the classic scene. Year of construction 1977, 115 hp. Uninstalled and unchanged, it is hardly available today. If you have one, you won’t give it away.
The car in front of me is a Kadett Aero: The “Bodensee Klassik” is one of the most beautiful vintage car rallies.
Driving fun is the focus: Niklas Kaul and Benjamin Schweppe enjoy the landscape.
No reason to see black: The Kadett E Gsi leads the field.
Roadbook instead of sat nav: Jockel Winkelhock trusts in his co-driver Boris Schmidt.
Caution, special stage: the cadet is ready, the Astra GSe is the organizers’ escort vehicle.
Joachim “Jockel” Winkelhock also belonged to the #TeamOpel at the 10th edition of the endurance test. He also drove a Kadett GT/E together with FAZ editor Boris Schmidt, but one from the legendary “1000 series” – which makes it an even greater rarity. The former Formula 1 driver, Le Mans and DTM champion and long-time Opel brand ambassador was no less excited about the yellow and white Opel classic than his teammate from athletics: “As soon as I was in a classic like the Kadett GT/E sitting, my adrenaline rises.”
Cadet of the former chancellor says hello
Another rarity is the Kadett Aero 1.6, with which Opel communications manager Patrick Munsch and Verena Fernis (“General Manager”, picture on Sunday) traveled on the “Three Country Tour”. The 1991 Kadett GTi, which Opel Classic boss Leif Rohwedder drove together with car journalist Malte Büttner, has a personal story to add to its rarity: it once belonged to former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. Why did Opel present these Kadett treasures for the 10th anniversary of the Bodensee-Klassik? The Kadett C is celebrating its 50th birthday this year.
“As soon as I sit in a classic like the Kadett GT/E, my adrenaline rises.”
– Jockel Winkelhock –
When the weather is nice, you can really enjoy the landscape in the Aero.
Always straight ahead? Decathlete Niklas Kaul can be shown where to go.
As soon as he sits in a GT/E, his adrenaline rises, he says: Looks relaxed as Jockel Winkelhock glides over the slope.
Arrived! The destination of all stages was always Friedrichhafen, where a classic fair had also opened its doors.
Taking a break in front of the Alpine panorama: Patrick Munsch and Verena Fernis drove the Kadett Aero, Niklas Kaul and Benjamin Schweppe the Kadett GT/E.
Driving a classic rally or completing a competition – this comparison still has one or the other unusual experience in store for Niklas Kaul. The decathlete is used to having to be the fastest, best and furthest. The “Bodensee Klassik”, on the other hand, is a contemplative showdown. Driving is not too fast, not too slow, but in time. “Travel instead of racing” is the motto. Pass time controls and drive-through controls. A steady foot and a cool head are required when the 65 meter long section has to be covered in a target time of exactly eight seconds. Each deviation results in penalty points. In the end, the team with the fewest points wins.
What the GT/E can do – “Jockel” knows it
The oldest vehicle in the 120-strong field was given starting number 1. The Lagonda Le Mans, built in 1934, led the field – overtaking is strictly forbidden! Niklas Kaul was only able to enjoy these new experiences on Friday. On Sunday he had his next competition, in which he had to deliver top performances. So it was time to say goodbye after the Lake Constance tour on Friday evening. His realization after being able to compare the Kadett and Astra: “It’s not for nothing that they both became bestsellers.” The rest of the Opel team was allowed to complete the 600-kilometer route the following day. “I wanted to see what else the car could do,” summarizes “Jockel” Winkelhock on behalf of all Opel drivers and co-drivers. “And where could I enjoy that better than on a varied route in such a scenic environment.”
May 2023
Text: Eric Scherer, photos: XY