Wednesday 27th November 2002
Corsa OPC
Offensive Performance Car from GM
Discussion
It's sad to think that Max Power constitutes our 'Hot Rod' culture in the UK. Every time I see a floor-scraping Nova I want to show them what a real 'rod or gasser looks like, with real time, effort and car knowledge taken in making it, not just covering it in Bostik and ram-raiding Halford's. Every time I talk to Max Power morons, they seem to know more about Hi-Fi systems than cars ("I got a big meaty sub' on the 'shelf"), and they claim that the reason they choose shiteboxes is for 'insurance purposes', yet none of them seem to have declared their 'improvements' to their insurers "'cos I haven't done anything to the engine". Sorry If I've gone off the point, but picking holes in bolt-on boys, as the article made clear, is better than talking about the tacky P.O.S. that is the Corsa OPC.
I'm not (don't have enough money, time, space or tech expertise) but I'll check out that site. As for hot hatches (ie 'factory' ones), they're OK, so long as the intention was to create a touring/rally car and not just a top-of-the-range with a red light-up rev counter and some garden chairs melted to the front bumper.
My first car was a 1.1 Fiesta , It had all the bits I could afford , Mistral 5.5 X 12 alloys, 175/70 Vredestiens , Janspeed Exhaust , K&N , rear spoiler , Cibie Oscars , Sharp PLL stereo With Alpine Graphic/booster (25 WPC). does that mean I was a boy racer?
You bet it does !
( I didn't spend my whole life hanging out in car parks , I'm not that sad ! )
Give the New Corsa A break, lets see what it drives like , the latest corsa is a whole lot better than the orriginal sh*t heap , its got some serious grunt for a tidler , good luck to em.
You bet it does !
( I didn't spend my whole life hanging out in car parks , I'm not that sad ! )
Give the New Corsa A break, lets see what it drives like , the latest corsa is a whole lot better than the orriginal sh*t heap , its got some serious grunt for a tidler , good luck to em.
boys boys boys, they; the Max Power brigade are several generations from us older guys. I'm only 37 (!) but these guys have limited budgets at that age. (I did).The new modern age rice-burners and tuned Nova's are no louch to what we used to drive about in. If you can still pull respectable times in a car that costs loads less, then surely the "buzz factor" is equal??
I wish I had the same potential cars as when I was seventeen (ie RS Mexico 1600 against Clio 172 etc).
So what would you swap, knowledge to date in this life or "buzz factor" at being young again?
I wish I had the same potential cars as when I was seventeen (ie RS Mexico 1600 against Clio 172 etc).
So what would you swap, knowledge to date in this life or "buzz factor" at being young again?
Don't know if the Brits have 'em but Holden have transplanted the Astra 1.8 into the Corsa, it's called the Barina SRi, pretty fun car to drive around town but obviously not as quick as the OPC. The OPC front/rear seems to share similar styling with the some of the new Holden Commodors(SV8), same designers???
I wanted to add a link to the Holden Barina site, but it seems to be dead at the moment.
I wanted to add a link to the Holden Barina site, but it seems to be dead at the moment.
I'm only a baby (21) but I quite like the look of it. The lines are cleaner than anything you'll find in the bolt-on section at Halfords, the wheels look ok and its probably a fun little charger.
Like Tim Harvey one said; "Its the sort of car you steal off your 18 year old daughter"
I'd take a 172 cup over it any day, but it's a valid attempt.
Nice try Vauxhall.
:donsflameproofjacket:
Like Tim Harvey one said; "Its the sort of car you steal off your 18 year old daughter"
I'd take a 172 cup over it any day, but it's a valid attempt.
Nice try Vauxhall.
:donsflameproofjacket:
To paraphrase an article I once read by the late great Russel Bulgin:
The Max Power boys may be a quantum leap away from what we see as good taste in cars, but in a world where those of us who really enjoy our vehicles see our freedom restricted on an increasing basis, should we really be so disparaging about the only other group of drivers who share the same enthusiasm and passion for their vehicles that we do?
They may be different, but at least they're all about enjoying their cars.
Now, I'm off to try some pork fat and jelly to improve the ride quality of my Chimaera.....
The Max Power boys may be a quantum leap away from what we see as good taste in cars, but in a world where those of us who really enjoy our vehicles see our freedom restricted on an increasing basis, should we really be so disparaging about the only other group of drivers who share the same enthusiasm and passion for their vehicles that we do?
They may be different, but at least they're all about enjoying their cars.
Now, I'm off to try some pork fat and jelly to improve the ride quality of my Chimaera.....
Should I live my childhood and buy a nova?
AHEM NO!! I admit I'm lucky, but I have tried throughout my adolesence to avoid the bolt-on-boy crowd for the simple reason of not wanting to associate with them because the ones i've met have been complete nobs.
My mum has a corsa and it's a nice car, I like it, it's a nice run about car. But i'd never dream of bolting tat onto it as it would look like what it is. People 'in the know' would say "Look at that corsa with tat bolted onto it!"
Has anyone seen the Zafira GSi or something that Vauxhall brought out? I saw it and just laughed, a GSi MPV
.
Personally I dont like the front end of that corsa and the wheel arch extensions look out of place.
Is this world done with the styling which consisted of flowing lines and sexy curves, as everywhere I look nowadays there are pointy bits sticking out of cars willy nilly, compare a TVR, Chim for instance, it's a gorgeous car and I dont see any 'pointy bits' either.
Why does 'modern' have to be translated as 'pointy', I don't understand.
If it was a standard corsa with the same engine and the suspension mods, I think it would be quicker too. I'm all for the understated looking cars, why do you have to show off what you have (or don't have in this case) because there are always people who you will meet who will embaress you, and the human race don't like to be embaressed it's only human nature, it's like showing off that you have a small penis really.
>> Edited by Graham.J on Friday 29th November 00:10
AHEM NO!! I admit I'm lucky, but I have tried throughout my adolesence to avoid the bolt-on-boy crowd for the simple reason of not wanting to associate with them because the ones i've met have been complete nobs.
My mum has a corsa and it's a nice car, I like it, it's a nice run about car. But i'd never dream of bolting tat onto it as it would look like what it is. People 'in the know' would say "Look at that corsa with tat bolted onto it!"
Has anyone seen the Zafira GSi or something that Vauxhall brought out? I saw it and just laughed, a GSi MPV
. Personally I dont like the front end of that corsa and the wheel arch extensions look out of place.
Is this world done with the styling which consisted of flowing lines and sexy curves, as everywhere I look nowadays there are pointy bits sticking out of cars willy nilly, compare a TVR, Chim for instance, it's a gorgeous car and I dont see any 'pointy bits' either.
Why does 'modern' have to be translated as 'pointy', I don't understand.
If it was a standard corsa with the same engine and the suspension mods, I think it would be quicker too. I'm all for the understated looking cars, why do you have to show off what you have (or don't have in this case) because there are always people who you will meet who will embaress you, and the human race don't like to be embaressed it's only human nature, it's like showing off that you have a small penis really.
>> Edited by Graham.J on Friday 29th November 00:10
aggressive styling) 
Well done boys. This car really is the cutting edge - bit like that well selling sports car they're (stopping) selling... 
CarZee said:
Well this'll be everything the Clio 172 isn't.. in a word: Shite.
Tell me, how do you manage to take such a small car, get 175bhp out of it and it still only manages to get to 60 is 7 secs?
Takes a special kind of genius..
with respect CarZee all sorts of reasons from gearing or traction to conservative estimation to avoid the anti car brigade, and anyway as we are always told , too much store is placed in the 0-60 stat. anyway . I would sugest that mid range acceleration will be balistic . GM have lacked in the chassis dept in the past , but thier engines are usualy good. Thank goodness cars like this are still being produced or the Kids of today will loose interest in cars before they can afford a more PH sort of motor , thats no good to any of us
CarZee said:
Well this'll be everything the Clio 172 isn't.. in a word: Shite.
Tell me, how do you manage to take such a small car, get 175bhp out of it and it still only manages to get to 60 is 7 secs?
Takes a special kind of genius..
Different OEMs have different procedures for obtaining 0-60 times. Maybe GM use two big blokes, a full tank of petrol and some sort of anchor.
Don't slag this off until you've driven it. It may be shite - but there really is no way of telling how good a car is from just a photograph, so wait for a road test.
It's no TVR to look at but then it's no TVR. Try to be rational.
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