Following its concept debut at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, General Motors’ Opel division has released two teaser images of its upcoming production Astra GTC model. The road-going version of the Astra GTC will make its first public appearance at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Opel says that “And the speed was pure beauty,” a line from the novel Jonathan Livingston Seagull, inspired the Astra GTC . Opel’s Vice President of Design Mark Adams also helped the project move along, asking the design team to show him “the most emotional side of Opel’s new design language, ‘sculptural artistry meets German precision’.â€
The GTC features a more aggressive “bulldog stance”, putting Volkswagen’s Scirocco — rather than its GTI hot hatch — directly in its cross-hairs. The Astra will bridge the gap between the two by offering more usable proportions than the Scirocco — including seating for five — but a lower and sportier roofline than the GTI. The production version of the Astra GTC looks almost identical to the show car, but the road-going version sports a more production-ready front bumper.
The Paris concept version of the Astra GTC used a 290 horsepower version of GM’s 2.0L turbocharged and direct-injected four-cylinder, but Opel has yet to announced what motor will power the production version of the hot hatch. The Astra GTC concept rode on 21-inch wheels, but look for something small for production.
The Astra GTC could eventually come to North America as a Buick model, but nothing has been confirmed as of yet. The Buick Verano rides on the same platform as the Astra, so the possibility is certainly there for an Americanized premium hatch.
The Opel Astra GTC will hit the European market this fall.
Live images by Mark Elias
