Information AboutOpel Calibra |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT OPEL CALIBRA | |
| opel vehicles | |
| calibra | |
| front wheel drive vehicles | |
| front wheel drive sports cars | |
| all wheel drive vehicles | |
| mid-size cars | |
| coupes | |
| 1980s automobiles | |
| 1990s automobiles | |
]] The Opel Calibra (badged as a Vauxhall in the UK, Holden in Australia and New Zealand and Chevrolet in most South American countries, except Chile) is a Sports Car produced by German automaker Opel between 1989 and 1997. Introduced to counter the Japanese sports coupes of the late '80s/early '90s, it was based around the running gear of the first-generation Opel Vectra , which had been launched in 1988. DESIGN The Calibra, styled by the American head of GM design Europe, Wayne Cherry (retired), is a front-wheel drive Coupé considered by some the most stylish Vauxhall/Opel ever, but being based on the Vectra chassis its ride and handling were not significantly better than that of the large family car from which it grew. It was, however, the most aerodynamically efficient Opel ever, with a was launched in 1999 with a Cd of 0.25. PRODUCTION Calibra production was based in two Opel factories, Rüsselsheim in Germany and Uusikaupunki in Finland. Determining which plant any specific Calibra was produced at is possible by checking the VIN . On the Calibra the VIN is as follows: Max Boost, "Invaluable Resources", ''Max Boost''. Accessed 9 Dec 2006 {Link without Title} ENGINES Power was initially from 2.0 L 8-valve (85kw/115 bhp C20NE ) and 16-valve fuel-injected (110kw/150 bhp C20XE ) four-cylinder petrol engines. In 1992 a turbocharged 2.0 L engine (150kw/204 bhp)(a C20LET , the turbocharged version of the C20XE ) was added to the range. With four-wheel drive, a six-speed Getrag manual transmission ( F28/6 ) and a claimed top speed of 240 km/h (149 mph), this flagship model finally gave the Calibra the dynamics to match its looks. In 1994 a 125kw/167 hp 2.5 L V6 ( C25XE ) was introduced, thus creating what many considered to be the finest Calibra to date. Available with both manual and automatic transmissions, the V6 wasn't as fast as the Turbo, but was rather more civilised, and proved to be more reliable than the complex four-wheel drive model with its notorious transfer box issues. 1995 saw the introduction of the X20XEV Ecotec engine, a cheaper less reliable derivative of the classic C20XE 16-valve or "red top" engine. This marked a reduction in power from 150 bhp to 136 bhp for the 16-valve version, although the Turbo continued with the C20LET . The Calibra had several engines.
COMMERCIAL LIFE During its lifetime, the Calibra was much more popular than its nearest rival, the Ford Probe , which was considered to be underpowered and too American for most European drivers. However, it failed to outsell the Rover 200 Coupe which offered comparable performance at a lower cost and at the time Rover had a better image. In 1995, the Vectra A was replaced, but Calibra production proceeded until it was discontinued at the end of 1997. Although a smaller coupe (the Tigra ) was available, the marque was left without a mid-sized coupé until the Astra Coupé was launched in 2000, and with the introduction of the Opel Speedster in 2001, four years after the Calibra was discontinued, Opel finally offered a sports car again. TRANSMISSIONS In addition to a four-speed automatic transmissions that was available on all models except the C20LET (although some countries such as Australia did not sell the C20XE with the four-speed auto), there were five-speed manual gearboxes for the Calibra.
RACING The Opel Calibra has featured in many racing series/events around the world, the highest level however would most probably be the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft . The Calibra was fitted with an all wheel drive Naturally-aspirated V6 engine. Manuel Reuter won the 1996 DTM championship in the Joest Racing Calibra. Klaus Ludwig finished 3rd in the 1994 DTM season in the Team Rosberg Calibra. THE CALIBRA IN POPULAR CULTURE
TRIVIA As Of 2006 , the world's fastest accelerating street-legal car has been determined to be a 1993 Vauxhall Calibra, owned by Steve Pateman, boasting a 1.25 second 0 to 60 mile per hour time, and an 8.14 second quarter-mile time. The car has been heavily modified, including a big-block Chevrolet V8 and a steel tube chassis. {Link without Title} REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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