A new Vauxhall Calibra?

Two weeks ago, General Motors issued a solitary teaser image of the concept car it would be unveiling on Geneva motor show press day; now, just as the covers come off the car in the Palexpo centre, Autocar can publish exclusive details and pictures of the car (see gallery) – and bring you our own video.It's called the Opel Gran Turismo Coupe Concept, and this is it. Autocar got an advance preview of the car recently at Opel's European design centre in Russelsheim, where we learned that this could be the most important Opel concept for four years. The Gran Turismo Coupe, say its designers, previews the look of every new Vauxhall until the end of the decade. It also heralds the return of one of the UK's most missed affordable performance coupes, the all-wheel drive Vauxhall Calibra Turbo.'This concept's primary purpose is to signal the next chapter of Opel's aesthetic,' explains GM Europe's Design Director Bryan Nesbit. 'It's got signature styling cues you're going to see throughout the next generation model portfolio.' Elements of its styling will therefore appear on various Opel models, and among them, you may have guessed, will be the next Vauxhall Vectra.The GTC also represents a change in direction for GM's biggest European brand. In line with the trend established by many other volume car-makers recently, both Opel and Vauxhall are heading upmarket. They're aim is to make their cars much more stylish, more 'fashion-relative' and therefore more desirable in pretty short order, and more than anything else, this contoured two-door shows us how they'll go about it.

Moving Vauxhall onward and upward

At 4830mm long, 1867mm wide, and on a wheelbase than runs to 2737mm, the GTC is longer, wider and more accommodating than the current Vectra, suggesting that a small growth spurt is planned for the next iteration of the brand's D-segment entrant.However, bigger should definitely not necessarily mean slower. Powered by a tweaked, 300bhp version of the current Vectra VXR's turbocharged 2.8-litre V6, the GTC hits 62mph in six seconds, is limited to 155mph, and has four-driven wheels propelled by an electronically-controlled four-wheel drive system and a rear-axle limited slip differential.The GTC's design does not totally disregard that which has gone before; note the Antara-inspired front grille and Astra Twintop-style rear lights. With those exceptions though, it is a real departure for Russelsheim.What really sets its apart are fang-like vertical air intakes than run downwards from the inside edge of its headlights, creating a new and distinctive family face for Vauxhall that will be recognisable on the next Astra, Vectra, Meriva and Zafira. They're echoed by similar cut-outs in the GTC's rear bumper, and create, as Nesbit puts it, 'a unique down-the-road graphic' that you'll recognise whether the car's tearing down the road towards you or accelerating away into the distance.Elsewhere you'll notice proportions that aren't very far removed from those of the current Vectra, however, the way the GTC's panels seem to flow one-into-another is new. Whereas the current Vectra's sharp edges and expansive surfaces combine for an impression of strength and solidity, the GTC exhibits a much more complex surface language to communicate sophistication and dynamism.