Once a part of General Motors’ portfolio for nearly a century, Opel carved its path after being acquired by Groupe PSA in 2017. A shining star from GM’s era was the Opel GT, a sleek coupe produced from the late 1960s to the early 1970s. While a spiritual successor arrived in the form of the Manta, a true successor emerged in the form of the 2007 Opel GT.
However, this second-generation GT, based on existing American models, failed to capture significant sales. This Delaware-built GT, based on the Kappa platform, ended its run with modest production numbers.
It marked the farewell to rear-wheel-drive Opels, although the enticing GT Concept teased at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show offered a look at what could have been. Market forces, however, conspired against this concept’s production.
A similar decline in sports car sales can be observed across the Atlantic, with American muscle cars like the Mustang, Camaro, and Challenger facing a shrinking market over the past half-decade. Ascariss Design enters the scene with a new vision for the Opel GT. Their rendering depicts a rear-wheel-drive coupe and convertible based on the now-discontinued Chevrolet Camaro.
While expanding production of a specific engine platform might be too costly for GM, their competitor Stellantis isn’t exactly setting the world on fire with their latest offering. The new Dodge Charger, built on the STLA Large platform, faces criticism for both its weight and limited engine options.
Even a hypothetical high-performance Opel GT, built on the same platform, would be restricted to a maximum output of 550 horsepower, a far cry from the 650-horsepower Camaro ZL1. Rumors swirled about a final, high-performance edition of the Camaro featuring a special Corvette engine.
However, modifications required to fit a mid-engine Corvette powerplant into a front-engine Camaro proved challenging. This explains the Corvette’s exclusive use of the LT2 and LT6 engines, despite their impressive capabilities.
The Camaro isn’t gone for good, though. GM is currently debating whether the next generation will be a car or a crossover, but one thing’s for sure: it’ll be electric. Opel’s ambitious all-electric target of 2028 might need adjustments due to the shifting market, and their membership in Stellantis makes a future rear-wheel-drive Opel sports car seem unlikely.
