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Opel Flextreme GT/E Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery
The highlight of the
Opel stand at the
Geneva Motor Show this week is clearly the new Flextreme GT/E concept. This second Flextreme-badged concept is the first midsize car to be powered by
General Motors' Voltec powertrain as used in the
Chevrolet Volt. The GT/E is just a couple of inches shorter than the Insignia/
Regal, but Opel claims it matches the 40 mile electric driving range of the Volt/Ampera.
The same 1.4-liter inline-four gasoline fueled range extender is used along with the 16 kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery pack. However, the designers have taken the lessons learned from the Volt program about how aerodynamics can extend the electric driving range and applied them even more aggressively to the new concept.
The mirror-less GT/E has a drag coefficient of just 0.22 - aided in no small part by a reduced frontal area and vertical fins that can extend out of the body work at speeds over 30 mph to effectively extend the tail and control turbulence behind the car. The Volt has been carefully shaped at rear corners to manage this air-flow, but the new Flextreme adds active aerodynamics to take it to the next level.
The concept also aggressively goes after weight savings with extensive use of carbon fiber, although Opel isn't specifying a mass for this one-off concept. What they are specifying is fuel consumption of 147 miles per gallon (U.S.). How they came to this number remains as mysterious as the magical 230 mpg touted last year for the Volt.
Gallery: Geneva 2010: Opel Flextreme GT/E Concept
Photos by Drew Phillips / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.Continue reading Geneva 2010: Opel Flextreme GT/E Concept glides on stage
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03-03-2010, 09:50 PM
