Classic pearls of the future - Opel Calibra
07/18/2014
In 1989, the Opel Calibra appeared at the IAA in Frankfurt. It followed on from the Opel Manta, which had already been discontinued in 1988, but differed significantly from it. With front-wheel drive and a transverse-mounted engine, it embodied modernity and the platform technology could be adopted from the Opel Vectra.
The shape was both elegant and very aerodynamic. With a Cd value of 0.26, the Opel catapulted itself to the top of its class. Thanks to the ellipsoid headlights that were now available, the front could be kept flat without having to fit folding headlights.
There was room for four people in the 4.5 meter long and 1.69 meter wide Calibra, but space in the rear was limited due to the coupé shape. The Opel coupé was available with front-wheel and four-wheel drive and with four and six-cylinder engines. With a turbo, the two-liter engine produced 204 hp, which was enough for almost 250 km/h.
The Opel Calibra also won sporting laurels. Manuel Reuter won the ITC championship title with it in 1996.
Environmental friendliness was an important design goal for the Calibra, so the plastic used was recycled and water-based paints were used.
With 238,647 Opel Calibra built up to the end of production in 1997, it is not a rarity, but the number is declining rapidly and they are becoming rare on the roads.
Further reports on classic pearls can be found in the dedicated topic channel.
You can find out more about Opel on the brand page.
