Opel ROCKS Geneva

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0TtAwxitJc
Opel ROCKS Geneva video

 

“Opel is back.” These were the words that marked Karl-Thomas Neumann’s first public presentation as Opel Chairman of the Board back at the start of March 2013. Now, exactly one year later, Neumann is back where his journey began: in Hall 2 of the Palexpo convention center. It is 11 a.m. on 4 March. The setting is Geneva, Switzerland. The 84th edition of the International Motor Show is already underway, and Neumann is proving that he is someone who turns his words into action.

He points out that Opel’s brand and product offensive is putting the company back on the road to success while at the same time presenting a number of hot new engines and models. First up is the ADAM ROCKS compact crossover, together its sporty sibling, the ADAM S. Second up is the 1.6 CDTI quiet diesel and the three-cylinder turbo direct petrol injector. And last but not least, Neumann also announces that, beginning next year, almost all European models will be available with the OnStar network service as standard. Dan Ammann, the new Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Opel and GM President, introduces a special world premiere: the Astra OPC EXTREME.

Over the course of the Geneva Motor Show, Opel Post got to know some of the people who were behind the products – or who were able to skillfully present them in all their glory. We will now introduce you to four of them.

 

THE TINKERER
As a young boy, Matthias Alt built cars out of Lego bricks. Today, the 43-year-old is senior engineer for small gas engines at Opel. Alt completed his latest project, the three-cylinder turbocharged direct injection engine, with the help of a team of 200-plus employees. From the cylinder head and spherical wave to the flywheel, there were a total of 40 components and assemblies that had to be developed. The engineers were working on the project for three-and-a-half years. “We divided our work into three main phases: design, testing, and calibration in the car,” explains Alt, who also personally attended the show in Geneva. The engineer, who has been with Opel for 17 years, is truly proud of the results, and equally as pleased with the amount of positive feedback and number of interview requests he has received at the car show.

“We were not only able to reduce overall consumption and emissions,” he tells us, when speaking about the engine. “We also demonstrated that a three-cylinder engine can perform just as well as one with four cylinders or more.” What does Alt like most about his job? That fact that his team is constantly exchanging ideas with other colleagues throughout the group, whether that be in the U.S. or in Korea. He also considers it “a real pleasure to start projects such as this one with a blank sheet of paper, before finally getting to see the end result live and in person after many years of hard work.”

 

THE SPORTING ACE
Niels Loeb bears a striking resemblance to American big-wave surfer legend Laird Hamilton. Both men get their kicks from riding the waves. “As I see it,” Loeb, born in Sydney, Australia, chimes in with a smile, “Mr. Hamilton has mastered the art of the sport slightly better than me.” The comparison also applies on other levels: Hamilton and Loeb are both working in their dream job. One is a professional surfer, while the other is responsible for the exterior design of Opel vehicles. “You can only squeeze out that extra bit of performance if you are absolutely passionate about your work,” says Loeb, whose first job in charge of design came in 1999, with the launch of the Speedster.

The 48-year-old also managed to squeeze every last bit out of the ADAM family. “The casual look of our compact car is influenced by three lines,” explains Loeb, “The roof line, the line of the rocker panel, and the line around the door handle.” Judging by the reactions in Geneva, the ADAM S version also scores high for refined details such as the front spoiler and spoiler lip, the side skirts, and the rear bumper with enlarged tailpipe. Looking back on the development of the ADAM, Loeb recalls: “The most exciting aspect had to be converting the sketch into a full-scale plasticine model, while obtaining approval for the detailed specs of the vehicle design proving most difficult.” Once it was all over, Loeb treated himself to a few days of surfing in Sardinia.

 

THE BEAUTY
The first thing that anyone will see if they go and talk to Doris Rousene in the ADAM ROCKS is a mouth full of gleaming white teeth, followed by a raised index finger. Then comes a demonstration of the Swing Top soft roof, which, at the push of a button, slides back almost as far as the C-pillars in just five seconds. To find out more about the 3.74-meter long car, all you have to do is read the Opel press release or ask one of the product managers. However, most visitors to the booth prefer to talk to Doris Rousene. “I can’t tell you why that it is,” says the 31-year-old car show hostess with a smile. Maybe the appeal has something to do with my nickname. She has been dubbed ‘La plus belle,’ or the most beautiful woman.

The trained nurse explains that she got into modeling in much the same way that the virgin gave birth to a child. “My measurements may have played a role at the casting session: 88-61-93,” speculates Rousene, who is originally from Martinique. “They are a good match for this cool pocket rocket next to me,” she adds, winking as she points to the ADAM ROCKS. She is right: The body has been raised by 15 millimeters for increased ground clearance and to provide that off-road feel. The ADAM’s muscular chassis design opens up a new market segment: the three-door compact urban crossover. Even the smallest model that could be compared with the ROCKS is around 40 centimeters longer. For Doris Rousene, it is “a really bold and flashy car, and I like that a lot. That’s why I couldn’t say no when I received Opel’s offer to work in Geneva.”

 

THE MOST WANTED
Over the course of the car show, Jörg Schrott is among the most sought-after people at the Opel booth. It is his job to provide the public with information about the fastest Astra of all time: the OPC EXTREME. The concept car is a huge draw, with many people lining up to see it. The man from the Opel Performance Center has to admit that he finds it hard to remain objective “when talking about this pocket rocket.” Schrott himself drives an Astra OPC. The commercial manager experienced the EXTREME version as it was being developed first-hand and believes the name says it all. “There are more than 300 horses galloping under this car’s carbon fiber hood; that really is extreme, something that translates into unbridled driving pleasure.”

The Astra OPC Extreme was developed and fine-tuned on the most challenging race track in the world: the Nürburgring-Nordschleife. This is something Schrott repeats to visitors to the booth time and again. Also along for the ride were around 20 OPC engineers, headed up by Volker Strycek. They completed the project in collaboration with specialists from the Kissling Motorsport racing team. Schrott is most at home when tuning and tinkering with Opel vehicles. He joined Opel in 1997, following a stint as a journalist covering Formula 1 during the mid-nineties. He felt like a member of the specialist team at OPC from day one. “Projects like the EXTREME boost the image of our brand,” says Schrott. “And you can really feel just how interested they are. You can expect big things from us in the near future. It’s true what they say: Opel is back!”

 

Buy Plan B
Buy Clomid Online
Buy Flovent without Prescription
http://allergyremediesonline.org/medrol/