Opel

A state-of-the-art rocket-powered motorcycle that was recently advertised for sale on eBay has been sold to Gerd Habermann Racing. Engineered to hit speeds in excess of 400 mph (640 km/h) during the quarter-mile, the bike was designed and built by Glenn Brittian, one of the few drivers licensed by the National Hot Rod Association to drive a rocket dragster. The asking price was US$27,000, but the actual selling price has not been made public.  Read More

In a world where every automaker has or wants to have at least one crossover or SUV, sometimes they have to do something a little extra to set their model apart from the pack. Bentley's EXP 9 F does it with its signature interior; Lamborghini's Urus concept does it with its supercar styling and hot red paint; and Opel now does it with an innovative accessory - a bike carrier that's integrated into the bumper. Opel claims it's the only car maker to offer a fully integrated bicycle carrier that is always on board.  Read More

Pictures have finally emerged of the Vauxhall/Opel RAD e Concept pedelec (pedal-assist electric bicycle, in other words). "Pictures" is precisely the word, mind - these are computer renderings rather than product photos. Still, they give a good idea of what Vauxall/Opel has in mind (if nowhere else), and the accompanying press release gives one or two further points of insight.  Read More

General Motors is joining the sub-compact SUV B-segment with an all new car - the Mokka. While it's to be shown as the Opel/Vauxhall Mokka Concept at the Geneva Show in March, GM has announced that it will be available before the end of this year with a pick of three engines and a host of new technologies.  Read More

When the likes of Jaguar, Porsche, Ford, GM, BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Volkswagen, Renault and Chrysler introduce a new model series, it is equally or more reliable than the model it replaces. Right? Wrong! New information has been released this week which indicates all of the above companies have replaced major models with less reliable models in the last decade - the worst three examples were 60%, 54% and 40% more likely to break down than their predecessor.  Read More

Inductive charging devices are already making their way into the home as a cable-free option to keep the batteries of everything from mice and keyboards to mobile phones and toothbrushes juiced up. The increasing availability of practical electric vehicles has also seen the technology attract the attention of those looking for for a cable-free way to charge EV batteries. German automakers are taking the opportunity to put inductive charging of EVs to a real-world test as part of the "Effizienzhaus-Plus mit Elektromobilität" project.  Read More

Vauxhall/Opel will reveal an interesting new concept that blends elements of an electric car and a motorbike this week at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The vehicle is still unnamed, but the GM subsidiary describes it as a "production potential" concept that "could revolutionize" urban transport, though just how is left unexplained at the moment.  Read More

Opel has announced pricing and started taking reservations for the European sibling of the Chevy Volt – the Opel Ampera. Although prices between countries may differ due to different trim, Opel says the suggested retail price for the base model throughout Europe will start at 42,900 euro – that’s just over US$58,500 at the current exchange rate – which has raised eyebrows since the base price of the Volt in the U.S. is $41,000.  Read More

Over the years, there have been numerous attempts to create vehicles that operate on both land and water. It's fair to say that such designs have generally not caught on. Perhaps it's because of the fairly limited effectiveness of some of those offerings, or maybe it's because so many of them have been ugly monsters. Then again, it could be that society just hasn't found a niche for them yet. By the year 2050 though, we may need to give such craft some serious consideration. Juan Pablo Bernal P has come up with a concept design that certainly ticks all the right boxes for looks, and also takes the environment into consideration.  Read More