‘Green Hell’ lets loose fierce Corsa

With only 65 of the limited Corsa OPC Nürburgring Edition models produced by Opel globally allocated to South Africa, the latest addition to the Opel range is likely to become a sought after collector’s item.

The Corsa OPC Nürburgring Edition arrives in South Africa boasting an arsenal of performance enhancing features including lower ride height, newly developed spring and damper units by Bilstein and – as a further high tech detail – a new lightweight front braking system from specialists Brembo with bespoke, high-performance brake linings.

The control algorithms for the chassis support systems – ABS, Traction Control (TC) and the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) – have all been recalibrated by the engineers at the Opel Performance Centre to match the car’s new configuration.

Largely regarded as the mecca of performance car engineering, the Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany shares a rich, 50 year history with the Opel brand, where several of the marque’s performance derivatives have set and still hold lap records.

The Corsa OPC has been no exception with Opel’s OPC engineering team using the track to create an exceptionally quick and exhilarating hot hatch.

Based on the already impressive Corsa OPC, the Nürburgring edition has received numerous upgrades and enhancements to improve acceleration, handling and braking – along with a long list of standard features for a more enjoyable day-to-day ownership experience.

The Nürburgring edition’s additional power is delivered by modified engine management and turbocharger systems, and a sports exhaust with reduced back pressure.

As a result, the maximum output of the 1.6-litre OPC turbo engine increases from the standard vehicle’s 141 kW to 154 kW, giving a specific power rating of 96.2 kW per litre which is exceptional in this engine class. The maximum torque of the base engine (230-266 Nm) also increases to 250 Nm, and 280 Nm when the turbocharger’s ‘overboost’ function is activated.

The increase in output combined with the overboost function on the turbocharger result in an improved 0-100 km/h sprint time of just 6.8 seconds, with a top speed of 230 km/h.

The Euro 5-compliant engine is still able to deliver outstanding fuel efficiency of just 7.6-litres per 100 km on the combined average cycle and carbon emissions of 178 g/km.