Tuesday 8th November 2011

Opel Considers Return Of The Manta

Re-imagined coupe is high on Opel boss's list of priorities

---

A Manta. Not yesterday

A spiritual successor to the Opel Manta could be on the cards, after Opel boss Karl-Friedrich Stracke told German newspaper, Der Tagesspiegel, that the brand exists "because of such models".

"Similar cars to the Manta, but with new technology and new design, I can well imagine." Which is a pretty nebulous comment, really, but might just mean that the 'German Capri' could be set for a comeback.

Stracke also revealed that Opel is working on a car 'above the Insignia', but before motorway police, cabbies and caravanners up and down the UK get over-excited be warned - this is not likely to mean the return of the Omega, but a luxury SUV 'crossover'...

Still at least the idea of a 21st-century Manta could be something to get excited about (though we hope it would have less body roll than the original example pictured...).

[richb77]

Lets just hope its RWD

[Nicholas Blair]

Takes me back to my 2.0 GTE of old

[cookie1600]

Nicholas Blair said:

Takes me back to my 2.0 GTE of old

Me too, black hatch and great fun at the time.

[Loose_Cannon]

Paddy_N_Murphy said:

Because the Calibre was such a roaring success.......

Err it was?

[s m]

Paddy_N_Murphy said:

Because the Calibre was such a roaring success.......

The Calibra on the other hand did sell well

[Justayellowbadge]

Paddy_N_Murphy said:

Because the Calibre was such a roaring success.......

Wasn't anywhere close to the Calibra, saleswise. But then it was just a bodykitted Cav.

[falkster]

Paddy_N_Murphy said:

Because the Calibre was such a roaring success.......

That was a cavalier special edition?

The Calibra was a big success but as anything too cutting edge they age really quickly such as the Calibra and the Probe.

[s m]

falkster said:

Paddy_N_Murphy said:

Because the Calibre was such a roaring success.......

That was a cavalier special edition?

Yes

[Krikkit]

Toyobaru FT-86 rival perhaps? Cheap(ish) RWD coupé with an LSD and a focus on fun?

[wildcat45]

Lets hope this ressurects interest in GM cars and gets rid of some of the snobbery.

You only have to look at SOTW when an old GM product comes up to see a lot of us used to think these were great cars. Back when I was a nipper, my cousin's Manta SR was the best thing ever.

Again as a kid I remember going to see the MKII Cavalier at the local garage. It was a car I wanted my old man to get, and I was not alone.

Vauxhalls and Opels were desireable cars once. Lets hope they can be again.

[falkster]

s m said:

Yes

My dad had one 89F but his had a 2.2 irmscher engine conversion - still had rubbish 14" wheels though.

[Johnboy Mac]

richb77 said:

Lets just hope its RWD

Sadly, I reckon there's not a hope of RWD. We're talking about GM after all.

[anonymous-user]

falkster said:

The Calibra was a big success but as anything too cutting edge they age really quickly such as the Calibra and the Probe.

It wasn't that much of a success in the UK, the Rover 200 outsold it, although both were better than the Probe which was dire in every respect.

[LuS1fer]

Book open now - FWD Scirocco rival evens. Ain't no way a Vauxhall/Opel RWD coupe would generate sufficient sales for a new platform.

[angry jock]

Always wanted one of these growing up. Took a Sporthatch back as a swapper once and was very very tempted!

[SirRalph]

richb77 said:

Lets just hope its RWD

[LayZ]

Paddy_N_Murphy said:

(and tbh, I did not think the likes of the Calibra, nor the Probe were a success. Moreover only bought as company cars by the types that were forced to buy from a list of Ford or Vauxhalls and wanted something 'cool' or 'sexy')

They sold boatloads of Calibras. Most people didn't care that it was based on a Cavalier. You have to put yourself in a 1989 frame of mind; Calibras looked the absolute dogs when compared to the compeition.

They built 240,000 Calibras in Germany, that's a lot of cars by anyone's measure.

[leon9191]

LuS1fer said:

Ain't no way a Vauxhall/Opel RWD coupe would generate sufficient sales for a new platform.

The Insignia VXR or a Holden platform would support a RWD configuration tho so it wouldn’t have to be all new.

[Triumph Man]

leon9191 said:

The Insignia VXR or a Holden platform would support a RWD configuration tho so it wouldn’t have to be all new.

The Insignia wouldn't support a RWD configuration, for a start it's got a transverse engine.

Edited by Triumph Man on Tuesday 8th November 13:46

[LuS1fer]

The Holden platform is too big for a Manta - it would end up the size of a Camaro which is missing the point entirely.

Whatever they do, it has to have some USP, I recall the relative failure of the Isuzu Piazza Turbo in which I think GM had an interest and Lotus developed.