Rüsselsheim Mayor Udo Bausch drives the Opel Zafira-e Life

 Opel Germany boss Andreas Marx hands over new battery-electric company car

Rüsselsheim Mayor Udo Bausch and Opel Germany boss Andreas Marx

Yesterday, the mayor of Rüsselsheim, Udo Bausch, officially received his new company car - a battery-electric Opel Zafira-e Life . Opel Germany boss Andreas Marx handed over the “E-Lounge on wheels” to the mayor directly in front of the Adam Opel building. Opel Zafira-e Life is locally emission-free and offers plenty of space for up to eight members of the city council.

"My new company car is a contribution to local climate protection and shows that the city is setting a good example in the necessary traffic turnaround," says Mayor Udo Bausch, pleased about his new, fully electric company car. "But the new Opel Zafira-e Life also shows the innovative strength that emanates from our business and research location. Rüsselsheim is helping to shape the path to electromobility – with the right vehicles and technologies, but also with the expansion of the charging infrastructure,” says Bausch.

"Opel is fully committed to resource-saving, forward-looking mobility - just like the city of Rüsselsheim. By 2028 we will be a fully electric brand. We are pleased that Mayor Bausch can already attend all appointments locally emission-free with his new Zafira-e Life. Because our electric van combines maximum comfort and flexibility with a sense of responsibility,” said Andreas Marx when the keys were handed over at the Opel headquarters.

Electric drive of the Opel Zafira-e Life ensures unrestricted suitability for everyday use and operational readiness. With an output of 100 kW/136 hp and a maximum torque of 260 Newton meters from a standing start, the e-van gets away from the spot quickly. Company car is equipped with a 75 kWh battery, so that it can travel up to 322 kilometers locally without emissions (according to WLTP 1) can cover until the next charging stop. Charging the Zafira-e Life is just as easy as driving it. Its batteries can be charged using a wall box at home, a fast charger on the go, or any power socket. Practically installed in the vehicle floor between the axles, the batteries do not restrict the loading volume and at the same time lower the vehicle's center of gravity due to their position. A state-of-the-art regenerative braking system makes the electric van even more efficient.

Safety and comfort are top priorities in the Opel Zafira-e Life - with Opel-typical comfort seats for the driver and front passenger as well as variable individual seats in the rear. Standard sensor-controlled, electric sliding doors make it easier to get in and out of rows two and three. Numerous state-of-the-art driver assistance systems make short and long business trips more relaxed. Rich portfolio includes a front camera and a distance radar, the semi-adaptive cruise control and limiter as well as lane assistant, drowsiness warning and a 180-degree panoramic reversing camera. Speed, distance to the vehicle in front or navigation can also be displayed on the Opel Zafira-e Life via a colored head-up display. The "Multimedia Navi Pro" infotainment system, which is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, offers a seven-inch touchscreen.

[1] Range determined according to WLTP test procedure methodology (R (EC) No. 715/2007, R (EU) No. 2017/1151). Actual range can vary under everyday conditions and depends on various factors, in particular on personal driving style, route characteristics, outside temperature, use of heating and air conditioning and thermal preconditioning.

Opel Shark Cult spreads to All-New Astra Sports Tourer

• Shark shoal: All-New Opel Astra Sports Tourer is home to several marine predators
• Cult origins: Shark tradition began with little boy’s bright idea
• Shark as symbol: Opel designers show their passion for tiniest details

All-New Opel Astra Sports Tourer

Real Opel fans immediately begin the search whenever the brand launches a new model. Not for the numerous advanced technologies included in the standard equipment, but for the marine lifeform hiding in and around the car: the shark. Miniature avatars of the creature that sits atop the ocean food chain have amused Opel drivers and passengers for years – as now in the new Astra Sports Tourer.

While the interior of most Opel models, such as the award-winning Mokka-e and Corsa-e, somewhere conceals one shark, the newest generation of the compact estate hosts several – one near the front, another towards the rear and others in more unusual places (but even Opel sharks must get their energy from somewhere). Exploring the new Astra Sports Tourer in search of sharks – for example as plug-in hybrid (WLTP combined fuel consumption1: 1.2-1.1 l/100 km; CO2 emissions 27-25 g/km) – is almost as much fun as driving it.

“Little sharks hidden in the new Opel Astra and Sports Tourer show our designers’ love for the tiniest of details”, said Design Director Karim Giordimaina. “Our customers can feel this passion and in the meantime Opel’s sharks have become a cult. This also demonstrates how approachable the Opel brand is.”

Opel Design Director Karim Giordimaina

From idea to cult: Opel sharks story began in 2004

But how do miniature sharks come to be hiding in Opel cars? One Sunday afternoon in 2004, designer Dietmar Finger was at home working on a sketch for a new Corsa. He was designing the ordinary outer panel of the glove box, which is mostly invisible because it is hidden by the closed passenger door. However, when the glove box is opened, this panel must ensure stability – which it does with ribs integrated in the plastic surface. Finger was designing the ribs when his son looked at the sketch and said, “Why don’t you just draw a shark?” “Why not!” thought the designer and gave the ribs their characteristic shape!

Opel Corsa Chief Designer at the time, Niels Loeb, was immediately sold on the idea. Shark in the glove box went into series production and the “Opel Shark Story” began. Next came Opel Zafira, where Karim Giordimaina, then in charge of the interior design, hid three sharks in the compact van’s cockpit. More followed, first in the Opel ADAM, then the Astra and other cars such as the Crossland and the Grandland SUV flagship.

In the meantime, every interior chief designer has placed a shark or two inside a new Opel model.  Wxact location always remains secret, even from Design top management. Fish therefore stay hidden until the launch, which makes for an interesting search for shark lovers both inside and outside the company.

Shark cult is set to continue with future Opel models. Exactly where they will be hiding in the car remains a mystery, but customers can already look forward to having fun looking for them.

[1] Values were determined using the more realistic WLTP (Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedure) test method which replaces the NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) test procedure. A vehicle's consumption, CO2 emissions and range not only depend on the efficient use of energy by the vehicle but are also influenced by driving style and other non-technical factors. The information on consumption and emissions does not refer to an individual vehicle and is intended solely for purposes of comparison between the various vehicle types.

Opel Classics to participate in Germany’s biggest Oldtimer Rally

• Classic Opel competition cars among 197 starters of Olympia Rally ’72 Revival
• World rally champion Walter Röhrl pilots Opel Commodore GS/E and Ascona 400
• Opel Astra plug-in hybrid for organisers

Opel Classic will participate in the Olympia Rally '72 Revival, which will take place across Germany from August 8-13. One hundred and ninety-seven teams from nine nations will complete 6 daily stages between Kiel in the north and Munich in the south – a total of 2,252 kilometres. Among the starters is rally legend and double world champion Walter Röhrl, whose career took off exactly 50 years ago on the original Olympia Rally.

“We are delighted to be able to contribute real gems to this great revival with classic Opel models such as the 1971 Rallye Kadett and the Commodore GS/E Coupé. And of course, the Opel Olympia will also play a part to match the title of the rally. Just like our new Astra plug-in hybrid, which will attract attention with its bold, clear design and pioneering technologies as an advance and crew vehicle,” said Harald Hamprecht, Vice President Communications.

“1972 Olympia Rally was unique and the Revival will thrill the fans”, said Opel Classics Manager Leif Rohwedder. “Our legendary Opel cars are sure to bring back lots of memories for the participants and spectators.”

Walter Röhrl drives Opel Commodore GS/E and Ascona 400

Walter Röhrl describes the 1972 Olympia Rally as “the rally of the century. After this, nothing was the same as before.” His first works contract with Opel followed. “Under the guidance of Opel tuner Günter Irmscher, I prepared for my first Monte Carlo Rally and an exciting ‘73 season with my new co-driver Jochen Berger.” Bavarian went on to win the European Rally Championship in 1974 in a works Opel Ascona A and the drivers’ world championship title (for the second time) in 1982 with the Ascona 400.

On Thursday, August 11, Röhrl will start the rally in the Commodore GS/E from Opel Classic. It was precisely with a car like this that Röhrl and Berger made their Irmscher/Opel-debut at the Monte Carlo Rally in 1973. Röhrl will then cover the second leg from Pferdsfeld in an Opel Ascona 400 – a car with which he celebrated numerous successes, above all victory on the Monte Carlo Rally in 1982. The day's destination is the Speyer “Technik Museum”, home of Europe's largest space exhibition.

In addition to the Opel classics driven by Walter Röhrl, a special Opel Kadett B will be piloted on the Olympia Rally ’72 Revival by ADAC sport president Hermann Tomczyk and motorsport veteran Günther Holzer. They will share the Rallye Kadett driven by Swedes Anders Kulläng and Bruno Berglund in the 1970s.

Finally, an “Olympia Rally” would be incomplete without an Opel of the same name and the one taking part in this year's revival is an Olympia 1100 SR from 1967. This particular example features the 1100 SR engine with 44 kW/60 hp. More powerful Olympia 1900 could reach a top speed of up to 170 km/h – sports car territory at the time.

Opel Astra plug-in hybrid bold and pure course car

To ensure that the organisers of the Olympia Rally revival can travel in the same bold and pure style as the classic models from Rüsselsheim, Opel has put a new Astra plug-in hybrid at their disposal. Electrified Astra matches the rally’s climate-neutral concept and produces 133 kW/180 hp in system power and 360 Newton metres of maximum torque (WLTP combined fuel consumption1: 1.1 l/100 km, CO2 emissions 26-24 g/km). In pure electric mode, the five-door compact can cover up to 60 km locally emissions-free (WLTP1).

[1] Provisional range determined according to WLTP test procedure methodology (R (EC) No. 715/2007, R (EU) No. 2017/1151). Actual range can vary under everyday conditions and depends on various factors, in particular on personal driving style, route characteristics, outside temperature, use of heating and air conditioning and thermal preconditioning.