It should be the news of the year for many Opel fans - Opel is returning to German motorsport as a manufacturer.
Two main areas were chosen in Rüsselsheim for this motorsport revival:
- Opel ADAM “Cup” for rally
- Opel Astra OPC “Cup” for the circuit
For fans of a brand, motorsport has always been what beer is at Oktoberfest. Motorsport is part of brand communication like four wheels on a car.
With the exit from the DTM at the end of the 2005 season, motorsport involvement at Opel was put on hold. The brand with the lightning in the emblem had always attracted an enormous number of fans to the race tracks.
However, the last major Opel motorsport successes were a long time ago. In 1996 Manuel Reuter won the last important championship title: ITC champion on the Opel Calibra.
Whether the starting signal for the new commitment also marks the beginning of a return for the Rüsselsheimers to the great arena of German motorsport - we cannot say today. The first thing is clear:
From 2013, an “ADAC Opel Rallye Cup” will be held as part of the ADAC Rallye Masters racing series. The sports equipment used is the new Opel ADAM, which is being built for this purpose in accordance with the FIA R2 regulations and, as a customer vehicle, is primarily used to promote young talent.
Also from 2013 - but on asphalt - there will be the Opel Astra OPC Cup. Based on the Opel Astra OPC, Cup vehicles are built for their own Opel Astra OPC Cup. The races take place as part of the VLN championship, on the Nürburgring and the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife.
In both cases, Opel explicitly addresses private drivers, who in turn should benefit from an attractive cost price, a large prize pool and fair spare parts prices!
My Opinion:
Great news and a damn good sign! No more disaster reports from South Hesse and full throttle! Performance instead of debate about suffering!