A string of hot compact hatches have arrived – is Corsa still on track?

What makes special editions so special?  Some of them are just a few stickers, while some have upgraded equipment… and some have all of the above, plus technical enhancements – which of these is the OPC nürburgring edition?

What is the reason for their existence, some sceptics ask?  Does a vehicle where built numbers are more limited, ran over a short time, really worth it?  Well, if you’re a true car enthusiast, you probably appreciate the special edition car’s appeal.

Sometimes a special edition is to remind the new-car buyer of the existing car’s existence, i.e. a “nürburgring edition” of the Corsa OPC needs to re-infuse interest in the Corsa and OPC.  If it has been around for a while, and others have overtaken it in the market attention, then a special edition serves to bring it back into contention.

Just a recap of how quickly the small hot hatch products have reloaded in the past year:  Ford Fiesta ST, Peugeot 208 GTi, Renault Clio RS and new MINI Cooper S all arrived within a relatively short span… inbetween the Audi A1 1.4T S-line and Abarth 500 also happened.  Corsa OPC has been on the block since March 2008, and the big hot Astra OPC hatch has taken all the sporty Opel OPC attention onto itself.  Thus, the introduction of a special Corsa OPC was apt.

Opel made sure its Corsa OPC is a little pocket rocket, by fitting it with a lively 141kW turbo 1.6 engine, able to briefly raise its 230Nm to 266Nm during overboost – quickly overtaking slower cars.  But after the previous Cooper S with its hot performance and the Peugeot 207 GTi, other hot hatches also learnt the turbo trick.  Fiesta ST and Clio RS are both 1.6 turbos now… and has been getting all the publicity.

Much more than a stickered limited edition, the nürburgring edition of the Corsa OPC has an uprated engine, overtaking all the new guys in one quick blast when trump-carding its power and torque, upped (from 141 and 230/266) to 154kW and 250/280Nm.  Acceleration has reduced from 7.2 to 6.8 sec, and 280Nm on overboost is so much torque in such a little car that it makes an exciting drive… but not as frantically-busy at the front wheels as one might think, helped by the fitment of a front limited-slip diff for added traction.  80 to 120km/h in 5th gear was timed at a quick 6.2 seconds.

In addition to the extra oomph, the nürburgring edition had to have the Corsa OPC uprated to deserve the name.  An arsenal of performance-enhancing features include a lower ride height, newly-developed spring and damper units by Bilstein, new lightweight front braking system from specialists Brembo with bespoke high-performance brake linings, proudly on display through the model-specific grey-painted (as is the trend) forged alloy wheels, wearing the big for its size 225/35 R18 tyres.  Engineers at the Opel Performance Centre (OPC) recalibrated the algorithms for the electronic brake/chassis/stability support systems namely ABS, traction control and electronic stability control, to match the car’s new configuration.

The forest-surrounded Nürburgring track in Germany has the nickname “Green Hell” due to its array of challenging twists and sheer variety.  The Corsa nürburgring edition is fittingly available in an exclusive green-named colour named Grasshopper, as imaged here.

Other features which distinguish the nürburgring edition from the existing OPC are a front spoiler lip, dual round exhaust outlets in stainless steel (unfortunately losing the centre-mounted triangular OPC trademark exhaust), flipped-up rear tail spoiler, and confirmation stamped by the “nürburgring edition” graphic and an outline of the track that gave it its name.

Inside detailing also sets this special edition apart:  what’s behind the green door?  The sill plate greeting reads nürburgring (in red) and edition (in white) on a black background, and a nürburgring track outline is printed into the one-piece Recaro front bucket seats.  Decorative stitching is done on black leather seats, overlay mat borders, handbrake and gearshifter boot.  Criss-cross stitches beautify the gear grip and steering wheel, both still showing the bold blue OPC insignia, and steering wheel insert finished in piano black.  Extras added to OPC spec list include automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, heated front seats, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror and climate control.

The Corsa OPC nürburgring edition sold for R 343 200, making it R 54 900 more than the R 288 300 OPC.  Factoring in the boosted power/torque, brakes, chassis, appearance, equipment and exclusivity, it is a reasonable special once-off fee.  Pricing comparison time – the Abarth 500 with esseesse conversion kit requires +- R316k, Fiesta ST the sum of R 274 900, 208 GTi R 301 600, and Cooper S 3-door R363k.  Both Clio RS and Polo GTI play their own less-addictive game of 5 doors and automated gearing.  The OPC pleasures with its square grippy gearshift for its 6 manual gears.

Of the global limited production of OPC nürburgring edition, only 65 found its way to South Africa, and all sold out.  This is a very special special edition – it was designed to beat newer competition on the track.