29.7.2005
Opel Speedster becomes a classic

In 2003, the Opel Speedster was named “Performance Car of the Year” by the British automotive magazine “Car” in a comparison test of 38 sports cars. And now the Speedster is on its way to becoming a classic. After almost five years of production, the last example of the mid-engine sports car came off the assembly line on July 29, 2005. The Speedster completed a mission for Opel by paving the way for a new, progressive design language and helping to establish the distinctive driving dynamics of the current models.

Since production started in September 2000, 7000 units have been built. Despite this being a relatively low figure compared to high-volume models, the purist roadster wrote history for Opel: developed in cooperation with Lotus, the Speedster is the only Opel with a mid-mounted engine, or aluminum and plastics for the chassis and body, and it was the first Opel convertible to win the title “Cabrio of the Year” at the Geneva Motor Show in 2000.

The Speedster displays the main features of the dynamic Opel design language, which helped establish the success of the Astra, Vectra, and Zafira. It also offers a driving experience that sets the example for the forthcoming OPC (Opel Performance Center) high-performance versions of the Astra and Zafira.

When the Speedster, which weighs approximately 850 kilograms, came onto the European market in early 2001, it was equipped with a newly-developed 2.2 ECOTEC four-cylinder aluminum engine (108 kW/147 hp). This gives the Speedster a maximum speed of approximately 220 km/h and acceleration from zero to 100 km/h in less than six seconds. In spring 2003, Opel introduced a new high-performance version – the Speedster Turbo with a 147 kW/200 hp 2.0-liter ECOTEC turbo engine. This elevates the mid-engine roadster’s driving performance to high-end sports car levels: zero to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 243 km/h.