Opel Corsa OPC: Opel turns its sub-compact city car into an Autobahn-ready screamer.

Opel’s Corsa is a very popular compact tuning platform over in Europe. Open any European tuning rag and you’ll see its pages littered with tuned and tweaked versions of GM Germany’s feisty two door. The aftermarket business is just as popular in Europe as it is in the U.S. and Japan, and Euro tuners (the people) spend billions of Euros (the money) a year on tricking out their rides.

Opel sees this healthy aftermarket as billions of Euro in lost profits. Why should a Corsa owner send his/her cash and car over to Steinmetz when GM can build a hot Corsa right from the factory? To fill the public’s growing need for a fast hatch, Opel has built its fastest Corsa ever - the Corsa OPC. Opel fans (all two of you in the U.S.) may already be familiar with the “OPC” name, as GM Germany has slapped the badge on other tuned Opels such as the Astra and Vectra. With the introduction of the Corsa OPC, the total number of factory-tuned Opels gets bumped up to six.

So what makes the Corsa OPC so special? Well, it’s a hatch of the “hot” variety, meaning its engine and suspension have been built up considerably. This Corsa gets its motivation from a turbocharged 1.6 liter inline four that pushes out 192 bhp and 230 Nm (169 lb.-ft.) of torque. Those numbers aren’t bad - especially considering the engine’s diminutive size. Still Opel knows that Corsa OPC drivers will sometimes find themselves wanting an extra bit of power, so an overboost system was added to allow the engine to temporarily increase its torque by 15 percent.

All this power, plus the close-ratio six-speed manual transmission can get the Corsa OPC from null to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 7.2 seconds. Top speed in the Corsa is a respectable 225 km/h (139.8 mph) - not bad for a car with “just” a 1.6.

With the Corsa OPC being a real “Euro-tuned” ride, a lot of attention was given to the car’s suspension set up. Opel - being based in Germany and all - tuned the hot Corsa on the famed Nurburgring Nordschleife. Upgrades to the suspension made include a stronger rear axle profile, revised springs and dampers that drop the ride height by 15 mm and a revised stability control program (which can be turned completely off if so desired). 17-inch wheels come standard, but 18-inchers are optional. The car’s internally-ventilated brake discs measure a hefty 308 mm in the front and 264 mm in the rear.

Part of the appeal of a hot hatch is its appearance. Special attention was given to the Corsa OPC’s exterior so that it would appeal to the German boy-racer types that will likely be all over this thing. The OPC’s front end gets a more aggressive treatment, as does the rear - check out that triangle-shaped exhaust in the center. The car’s side mirrors and rear wing are also OPC-exclusive.

Special attention has been paid to the OPC’s cockpit as well. Depending on the vehicle color chosen, some of the OPC’s interior trim pieces (such as the rings around the vents) will be given a silver or blue color. The Opel OPC’s front racing buckets were developed in conjunction with super seat maker Recaro. These seats are said to offer all the support that a traditional racing bucket has with the added safety and security of integrated side airbags.

The Opel Corsa OPC is now available for order in Europe for a rather affordable (for Europe) 22,560 Euros ($30,204). With exchange rates being what they are (and given Americans’ dislike for small vehicles), there’s a near 100-percent chance that we’ll never see the Corsa OPC here in the States. Still, one never knows… If Saturn’s new Opel - the Astra - is a huge sales success for GM’s U.S. side, we just may see the Corsa offered here. Again, the chances of that happening are slim to none - so get your fill of the Corsa OPC by clicking on our Media Page.