The ghost of Saturn just can’t cut a break. GM is considering what to do with Opel, its German division that won’t be turning a profit anytime soon. GM last tried to sell Opel in 2009 before giving the ailing brand another chance. But despite increasing its lineup with new vehicles, and even increased sales,…

A “leaked document” (read: dubious rumor) claims that a coupe variant of the Opel Insignia sedan, may wear the famed Calibra badge. The previous Calibra was known for its slippery styling and turbocharged engines, and the Insignia would make a worthy successor. Opel previewed an Insignia Coupe with their GTC Concept, which was powered by…

General Motors European division Opel seems to be playing on the autobahn recently, because they have just unveiled a new version of the Insignia family car (sold as the Buick Regal here in America) called the OPC Unlimited. While it retains the regular OPC model’s 325-hp engine, the “unlimited” package removes the speed limiter. So…

General Motors has recently lost one of its star engineers who had been largely responsible for the Chevrolet Volt, Opel and Vauxhall derivatives. According to Automotive News Europe, Opel executive Frank Weber was accepted into BMW, and will answer directly to Klaus Draeger, BMW’s head of research and development. The external hiring from a competitor…

General Motors will look to expand its lineup of extended range electric cars to three models by the time the current Chevrolet Volt’s production cycle has run its course. At least that is GM’s plan for the European market under the Opel/Vauxhall brands where GM has just launched the sister car to the Volt, the…

General Motors is harnessing the small car expertise of their Daewoo division to develop two new small cars, an upscale hatchback to be branded as a Vauxhall or Opel products, and a smaller, less expensive version likely to be sold as a Chevrolet. The new cars are expected to slot in below the diminutive Corsa,…

Vauxhall has turned to Lotus for help with their chassis engineering on their upcoming Astra VXR hot hatch. The input from Lotus will supplement the work done by GM division Opel, which is testing the car on German roads. Lotus has a long tradition of helping third-party manufacturers with their handling and chassis development. Prototypes…

The Vivaro e-Concept is a plug-in, extended range vehicle that uses technology similar to the Chevy Volt.

General Motors’ Opel division is set to expand outside of Europe with its establishment in Chile and Israel. Reports say that GM has inked a deal with an independent distributor to sell Opel vehicles in Israel, independent of GM’s vehicle distribution channel in the country. Despite selling Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac and Isuzu, through one channel,…

General Motors is hoping to expand their Opel nameplate beyond its traditional European markets to places like China, Australia, South America and other unspecified Asian countries. GM is hoping to leverage Opel’s premium brand image to expand its lineups in places where the General lacks a foothold in that market segment. Chevrolet (and Holden) are…

At a recent meeting regarding their proposed IPO, General Motors outlined their new product plans through the year 2014. According to GM’s plans,70 updates vehicles will be launched by 2012, but most of the vehicles will be for global export markets rather than North America. While Opel and Vauxhall were confirmed to get 14 new…

3D Technology is the latest gimmick designed to keep us entertained and we have to admit, it can be pretty damn cool, and leaves us wondering how glorious it would be to watch an auto race in three-dimensions, with all of the benefit of being trackside but without the excessive noise, hot weather and overpriced…

However with the German government seeking to enter new negotiations, GM has pulled the plug on external fundling.

Thanks to a patent filing process in China, it has been revealed that the Chevy Volt will be badged as a Buick model in what is now the world’s largest auto market. To be more specific, the Opel Ampera (the European version of the Volt) will actually be badged as a Buick. You see, in…

The Vauxhall/Opel Ampera, sister car to the Chevrolet Volt, is set to launch in Europe in 2012, but GM is already preparing a more powerful version in time for the car’s launch, according to AutoExpress. Nothing concrete has been announced, but sources indicate that a larger gasoline engine and a bigger battery will help make…

You really don’t want to crash at the Nürburgring. Seems like a pretty obvious statement, right? Well it is, but not necessarily for the reasons you may be thinking. The ‘Ring may be one of the most feared racetracks in the world, with its 13+ miles of twists, turns and elevation changes, but the most…

General Motors has decided to keep it’s European operations after all. GM has announced that due to the improved economy and improvements in the company’s bottom line, it will not sell off Opel and British automaker Vauxhall. General Motors had been negotiating to sell the group to a Russian-backed group fronted by Canadian autoparts maker…

Frank Weber, the engineer that is currently running Chevy’s Volt project is parting ways with General Motors. Weber, will be returning to his homeland of Germany, where he will take up a senior management roll at Opel. GM is currently in the process of selling Opel to Canada’s Magna International and Opel is set to…

The sale of GM’s European Opel division to Russian-backed Canadian autoparts maker Magna has been put on hold. The on-again, off-again saga is off-again as GM board is set to meet on November 3rd to review changes to the agreement. The changes, include a request by the German Economy Minister to GM, asking the company…

General Motors has just announced a deal that will see it’s European Opel brand sold off to Canadian autoparts supplier Magna International. The deal has yet to be finalized, but this morning GM announced Magna was the preferred bidder. The sale will see Magna and Russian backer Sberbank take a 55 percent stake in both…

After announcing earlier this week that it has not reached a deal to sell Opel, General Motors is now apparently exploring options to keep the European unit. This news comes as a surprise considering selling off Opel is a part of the company’s viability plan as submitted to the U.S. government in order to receive…

Today the sun rose on a New General Motors, a move which will also see the sun set on a lot of people’s careers. GM emerged from bankruptcy protection at 6:30 a.m. Eastern Time with news of a serious corporate restructuring plan that will take effect over the next few months. Due to leadership (and…

Late Sunday a judge approved the sale of GM’s assets to a group comprised of the U.S. government, the UAW and the Canadian and Ontario governments under the name NGMCO, Inc. The decision will see GM exit bankruptcy court quickly with the ‘New GM’ assets going to NGMCO, while the ‘Old GM’ assets will be…

After continued rumors that General Motors was still shopping-around its European Opel operations, it appears as though a new buyer has been found. RHJ International, a Belgian company has been cited as the latest bidder and apparently a tentative deal could be signed by the end of the week. Initially Opel was slated to be…