Opel gets back in form with Astra OPC
But I’m sure she gets well recompensed for her endeavours. I certainly hope so.
The pair came to mind recently when I went to Dublin to collect my own dear mother who, at 93, might not quite be as sprightly as the boul’ Nancy, but is still fairly spirited when it comes to getting out of her comfort zone.
The body might not quite be as sturdy as it once was and the eyesight a bit dodgy, but any mention of a trip away from home is always warmly welcomed.
That said, any occasion I get to drive her is always preceded by a stern lecture about not speeding and obeying the rules of the road. Gimlet eyes will focus on you and a formidable finger will be pointed to emphasise we are not, after all, in any particular hurry.
Having travelled with me often enough down the years to know that faffing about on the road is not exactly my style, I am still certain there is a fair amount of dread that accompanies the thought of a swift thrash down the Cork road.
But my mother is a tough old bird and still holds enough sway to know that an occasional - metaphorical - clip around the ear is enough to see us complete the journey without undue drama or histrionics.
I rarely tell her what sort of car I’m going to be driving because of the fear it might induce, but she knows - by and large - that the transport will be comfortable and fleet.
Like any reasonable person she does prefer the upper end of the market on the basis that bigger is safer, but she also enjoys stuff like MPVs because of the easy access and the high seating position.
It was with some mild anxiety, therefore, that I set off to collect her recently, armed with a jammer which didn’t really fit my mother’s idea of the sort of car she should be transported in: an Opel Astra OPC.
Yes, an Astra OPC. I had mild concerns about getting a call from the people at Age Action about cruelty to elders. An OAP in an OPC? It could be tricky.
The OPC is, of course, the performance Astra which lines out against such as the Golf GTi and the Focus ST and is expected to perform to ridiculous standards and previous versions of the Astra have certainly done just that, although most of them were very decidedly on the wild side and most certainly not everyone’s cup of tea.
Refined is not really a word you’d associate with any previous OPC model. They were loud, brash and bloody quick. But they never really got anywhere near their main rivals in the handling department and, to be honest, were pretty frightening when you got them anywhere near the outer edge of performance capability.
In many respects, actually, they reflected the slough of mediocrity Opel had been suspended in since before the turn of the century.
Things are very different now at Opel and the Russelsheim outfit - thanks finally to having gotten some decent financial backing from parent GM - is a very different beast indeed.
A raft of new models and a completely refreshed vision has allowed Opel shed much of the stodgy crap it was pedalling for years. We’ve already seen the Adam and Karl town cars and the new Corsa supermini, while the new Astra promises much. Indeed Opel is promising over 20 new models in the not too distant.
So things are looking up for Russelsheim and there is never anything better than a seriously good hot hatch to underline the seriousness of your intent and the validity of your engineering, so a worthy Astra OPC can do nothing but good for Opel.
Although slightly concerned that this car has arrived with us at the very end of the current Astra’s effective life, I nevertheless anticipated its’ arrival in the driveway with some enthusiasm.
In terms of looks and intent, the car does not disappoint. Sleek and sharp of line and imbued with hunched intensity, it looks like it will rip the socks off you and, fitted with a two litre turbo petrol four cylinder unit outputting some 280 bhp.
I can confirm that your socks are most certainly in peril. The six second 0-100 kph time and the 250 kph top speed confirm the fact.
And for those of you who like an aural soundtrack to match the otherworldly performance, the OPC delivers in snorting spades.
When you get serious with the throttle and the boost chimes in, aside from the eyeball-peeling velocity, there is a muffled roar of intent which will most definitely frighten small children and, well, elderly people. Which is where my mom comes in.
Upon seeing the mode of transport from Dublin to Cork, a querulous look came over her face. “You’re not going to frighten the shite out of me in that thing,” she queried ominously.
Suitably assured that I would not, she lowered herself gingerly into the massively bolstered sports seat and strapped herself in for the ride.
Aside from some expected understeer - largely countered by Opel’s excellent Hi-Per Strut front suspension layout - and some unexpectedly loud tyre roar, there was nothing here to convince you the Astra was anything other than a hugely capable hot hatch.
Sure you could maintain it was not quite as sophisticated as either the GTi or the ST, but it was not bad either. Handling is pin sharp and the grip levels impressive.
I’m not sure was it because of abject terror or because she was engaged in endless rosaries, but the journey south was a quiet one and it was only when we arrived at the Jack Lynch Tunnel, less than two hours after setting out, mother exclaimed: “Are we here already?” I think a combination of relief and sheer gratitude to God may have been in evidence.
The OPC is a pretty awesome thing to behold and to drive and while you might have quibbles about such as the fiddly switchgear and maybe a question mark or two about the build quality (a lot of rattles and shakes), there is no doubting its’ ability. Just ask Eithne - she’ll tell you all about it.
COLLEY’S VERDICT
From €39,995, €43,995 as tested.
A mighty two litre turbocharged petrol unit.
Opel has thrown the kitchen sink at this one.
Further signs of renewal from Russelsheim. Not quite as sophisticated as its main rivals, but not bad at all.
