Following on from some brief details and a single image last month, Opel has released more information on the Astra OPC Extreme, although there are still some fuzzy areas - presumably so its proper debut at Geneva will hit home with maximum impact.
Exterior
The Extreme nameplate is matched by the be-winged looks of the ultimate Astra OPC. Like some road-legal BTCC refugee, the Extreme has been shorn of 100kg of weight thanks to the use of carbon fibre and aluminium. The former is used in the aero rear wing perched on top of the boot, the rear diffuser, the jutting front lip spoiler, the bonnet, the suspension cross-braces, the engine cover, the wheels, the ventilation of the rear wheelarches and for the roof. Of the last of these, the roof now weighs just 2.6kg, when a steel version would be 9.3kg. Aluminium in the wings also shaves weight, at 800g each rather than 2.2kg in steel.
All this weight loss will of course be great for the dynamics, giving a better power-to-weight ratio, lower centre of gravity and improved agility.
Interior
There's a proper racer vibe inside too, as the rear bench has been junked in favour of a roll cage, while up front are a pair of stunning Recaro buckets with six-point Schroth harnesses to hold you in place. There's a carbon fibre-reinforced, suede-covered steering wheel, contrast yellow stitching in all the right places and some Extreme logos scattered here and there too.
Mechanicals
It's a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine up front, with direct injection, variable camshaft phasing and an all-aluminium construction. While an exact figure has not yet been revealed, Opel does say 'more than 300hp' is generated, making this the most powerful four-cylinder engine the company has ever made. Not only that, but it's also Opel's most powerful front-driver too, as all that thump is channelled via a six-speed manual gearbox to the leading axle alone. Luckily, there's a mechanical limited-slip differential included to help keep things as much on the straight and narrow as possible.
Stopping power is necessarily uprated to help deal with the extra pace of the OPC Extreme, with Brembo six-piston callipers gripping mammoth 370mm discs at the front. The Astra's ultra-high performance, 245/35 R19 tyres are said to offer nearly as much grip as on the racing Cup version that inspired this model, while the dampers are also adjustable.
Anything else?
The OPC Extreme is a street-legal race sibling to the Astra OPC, in the words of Opel itself. The company will judge public response to the car during and after Geneva, before deciding whether to build a low-volume production run. However, we reckon this decision has already been made and we can look forward to driving it in the months to come.