Years ago, I asked some Chevy car salesmen why GM never made a Super Sport version of the Sonic RS - something with 258 horsepower instead of 158 - and they looked at me like I just set a basket of puppies on fire. “Why would anyone want that?!?” they gasped. IDK, because it would be both fun and practical?
GM and people who are deeeeep into the “buy american” mindset (the same people who were buying Malibus and Cruzes when basically every alternative was better) really don’t comprehend the idea of any car that isn’t either a truck or truck based SUV, or a muscle car, being an aspirational fun vehicle. In their mind, any car that isn’t a muscle car is a disposable appliance for poor people, so making a sporty version is like polishing a turd.
@@baronvonjo1929 For some people, a Sonic would be practical. Not everyone needs a huge SUV of pickup truck. If someone is single without a family, a Sonic is a perfectly practical car.
I feel the later generation Cruze (hatchback) would’ve been exactly what you are asking for. Right size, something that can, on paper, undercut Mazda 3 prices and offer similar performance.
And in typical GM fashion, they still got it wrong somehow. As they could not be bothered to offer the proper 2.0 Turbo engines in the Saturn line up... (The Saturn Astra only came as 1.8 with 140bhp iirc?)
This thing is so gorgeous, also precisely because it has no fake vents and such, it's hard to believe it's over a decade old. Still gonna look good in another decade.
The thing I think you missed about Opel is that there is traditionally a big rivalry between VW and Opel in Germany. The Astra OPC was made to rival one car first and foremost and that is the Golf GTI. It ended up being in a niche between the GTI and the Golf R though.
Your also forgeting opel being obsessed with nurbirgring lap times with all of their opc lineup, so basicly they also made it to compete agains megane rs on the nurburgring.
Here in the UK Opel's, or as it is natively known as Vauxhall, main rival is definitely Ford. I can totally see the Astra having a rival in the Focus, just like how the Corsa is a rival for the Fiesta
Here in Germany you not only see a lot of Opel Astra Cars (OPC Versions too yes) but also the Opel Insignia OPC which seems to be a lot of fun as well I had no idea they even sold any Opel OPC Versions outside of Europe, so i'm happy you got to try one out, even if not on the Autobahn Prost & Cheers from the Snow-Covered Berchtesgaden in the Bavarian Alps
@@okmusic6646 Interesting! The Buick was the Buick Regal i assume? But what was the Sporty Version called in the US? And did they share the same Tuning with the Opel Insignia OPC?
@@davidcullen1718 In fact i can see the "Eagle's Nest" from my Backyard and having grown up here The biggest Fans of the Kehlsteinhaus (Eagle's Nest) and the Teehaus am Mooslahnerkopf (Tea House that that Austrian Painter frequented) are all Americans Americans and the English are our most common Tourists here, hence why i learned fluent English and now speak better English than probably a large Amount of Americans and English People
@@chartreux1532 I'm sure that your English is better then my German! I've only been to Berchtesgaden twice - in '06 and '08 - and thoroughly enjoyed myself both times. My brother had been a student there in '91 and highly recommended the Kuckuck's Nest. I hope to return again, someday.
11:22 Under Stellantis, the OPC brand was replaced by "Grand Sport electric" (GSe). It's hard to find info online, but it appears that the OPC division itself no longer exists or may have been cut down by Tavares' lay-offs of engineers.
Can we talk about how beautiful the lines are on this car?! AND THE WHEELS!! They're like a budget version of the Mercedes turbine wheels from the 2000's SL and the SLR.
In Australia if it has sliced bread like sandwich bread then it's a sandwich if it has burger buns then it's a burger it doesn't really matter what meats in it
@@chitatagreed. Chicken sandwich is shredded up roast or poached chicken on sliced bread. Chicken burger is usually grilled on deep fried chicken on burger buns. That is not a sandwich
This runs on the same platform as the Cruze that we did get in America. We didn't get the 2.0L in this OPC version, though. As for the why, maybe it was because the Cobalt SS didnt sell as well as GM hoped up against the likes of the Civic Si and Subaru WRX. So they didnt bother bringing us a Chevy badged version of this even with Ford bringing over Euro hot hatches around the same time
Commenting again on this version that you guys kinda sorta did get this gen of Astra but in 4-door sedan guise as the Buick Verano, albeit with 30hp less than the OPC/VXR. The OPC/VXR engine is also found stateside in the Buick Regal GS (rebadged Insignia with no twin turbo V6 option for some reason).
This thing looks so much prettier than any modern Chevy, it's a shame they never tried to sell it state-side. I love the body line into the door handle, that's sweet.
Indicators on the left is an EU regulation. All cars made in the EU will do it, even Asian branded cars made in Europe, whether RHD or LHD. If the same car is made outside of the EU (such as a Thai-built Focus), they switch them around to the right for a RHD car. Aussies who drive both Euro and non-Euro cars just get used to it. Interesting perspective on the Astra OPC. From a non-American perspective, this car’s biggest rival was the Renault Megane RS, which had the reputation of being fast around the Nurburgring and being associated with Renault’s F1 team. I recall road tests at the time always favouring the Renault, or other Euro hot hatches like the Focus ST, the Seat Leon Cupra, the Golf GTi etc. The one thing the Astra OPC was good at was straight line speed. They were way faster than the Golf GTi. The Focus, Golf and Leon had IRS, the Megane and the Astra had torsion beam axles. The Astra OPC was definitely the overlooked hot hatch of the early 2010s
Can confirm the timing chain failure mode was an issue with the 2.0L Ecotec engine - I had a 2008 Chevy Cobalt SS with that suffered that exact failure mode.
I had the 2012 GTC 2 litre diesel, it had 170 horses and quite massive torque. The suspension was pretty good, it was comfortable, stabile yet fast in curves. BUT the car was fucking heavy, 1,7 tons. Thats not exactly a "small hatchback" category. Im european, so for me it was quite a big car, it seated 4 comfortably and the trunk was spacious. And it had great mileage. Only 2 doors, it had to go when kids came.
Worn bearings in gearbox usually are not causing it to fall out of gear. Practically always manual gearbox falls out of gear because syncronisation rings, teeth on them are worn. Oil changes are completely irrevelant, classic manual gearboxes can go a million km's without changing oil. Syncronisation rings get worn because of hard shifting and 2nd gear is the one which gets the most violence when accelerating rapidly. This effect can be radically minimised if shifting is done with doubleclutching.
I drove a 2008 Saturn Astra for a while, and I loved it. I really wish that car would have been continued and that we had gotten whatever the equivalent OPC version would have been.
Deer jerky and deer sausage, both superior to their typical source protein variants. Growing up in western SD where deer are basically vermin and everyone hunts, they were/are plentiful.
4:51 As a Thai person with a mother who drives a Mercedes GLC 300e, the turn signal is on the left side, and I’ve done this since when I was 12 where I sat in the passenger seat and it just so happened that the turn signal stalk is just reachable so when my mom goes for a turn, I reach my hand toward the turn signal stalk and just swipe it down or up
we know them as the vxr in the UK, and this is from just after the peak of vxr/opc when they had that same engine and gearbox in a zafira mini van, they are really weird cars, a hot minivan, if you can get the keys to a zafira or a meriva gsi/opc/vxr i suggest trying it because they may be awful cars, but the idea of a hopped up mpv from the factory is so ridiculous it's kind of charming
you are wrong on all levels, this Astra doesnt use the Z20LEH motor and the Zafira VXR is based on the chassis of the Astra H which set the nurburgring record at the time. The VXR models are excellent cars
@@asifnoaman8978 so it's based on an astra opc/vxr, just the previous version, but you got to admit the zafira and meriva are abit ridiculous (in a good way)
The closest version we got was the Verano turbo. A very rare option and even more rare is the one with a 6 speed manual. Only thing is the verano turbo only made 250 hp
Cara like this continue to remind me how great my Honda fit would be if it came with like, 60 more horsepower from the factory. Still fantastically practical, but now with just enough fun to get that “don’t tell your mother” kind of hooliganism that my morning and evening commute so desperately need.
If you’ve driven a US Chev Cruze, or any other car GM flogged in Australia and the US, you should try both because most if not all Aus market Holdens had a lot of specific changes. Good example the 1.8 petrol in my Holden Cruze has a little more power from a Aus/NZ specific tune, and then the suspension tuning that would’ve been done at Lang Lang proving grounds to make the imported models work for our roads here
The Buick Regal GS from 2012-2013 is probably the closest thing to this Astra that we have here in the States. However, both automatics and manuals in that time period are made by Aisin.
GM: "Hmm... Europe has a great small car available for us to use. Small cars might be declining in popularity, they're still quite popular and we can get some mileage out of the Astra, but... HEY, DAEWOO! CAN YOU MAKE US SOMETHING? YOU GOT A WEEK! YEAH, MAKE IT CHEAP! SPORTS VERSION? UHHH, MAKE AN APPEARANCE PACKAGE!"
The comments make me think this car has a bit of a Reputation overseas but as an American all I can think is “wow, that’s gorgeous. I didn’t know GM was ever going to make anything I’d like other than the Corvette.”
I drive a 2016 Astra Turbo Diesel. It is literally the greatest car I have ever owned and I'm going to drive it until she breaks in half. It's nimble, it corners, it accelerates, got great torque on the low end and so long as you keep it under 55, she's not bad on gas either. It's got the interior space and the tech it comes with is actually useful. The only downside is she is German so she likes a lot of maintenance and she is bossy about it.
I wish I had known you would be visiting Australia. I have the first Astra OPC, sold here as a Holden Astra SRi Turbo even in the same colour. It would have been great to let you take it for a spin and compare.
I have a base spec 5door hatch version of this. The OPC versions easily go for 3-4x as much as I bought mine for. I do like the practicality of a 5 door hatch, but god damn, do I have a wet dream about this every now and again.
Ah, nice. This car seems to check a lot of the boxes I look for these days. I wish we had the option in the US. The turn signal trickery is fun to see as a JDM enthusiast. I usually go by the rule that the turn signal is usually by the driver's door, but with European cars, that seems to not always be the case.
Not sure if I missed it in the video, but the Saturn ASTRA was 99% exactly the same as the Opel Astra. Then the Saturn AURA was the same as the Opel Signum, and even the Chevy Equinox was just an Opel Antara for a generation! The Saturn AURA and Astra were pretty close to the Opel versions, except the larger engine options here. I was going to put Opel badges on my Saturn AURA, but I wasn't THAT nerdy!
I like it. It looks like a 2 door version of the 2nd gen Cruze hatch and then they shoved the engine from Buick Regal GS into it. I always thought it was odd that GM didn't make a version of the Cruze hatch with the 2.0 turbo to compete with the Focus ST.
Some corrections: 1. Timing chain streching isn't comon and the guides can brake, engine is a A20NFT and isn't related to the 1.4. it's third generation ecotec. Other issues are injectors but that's about it. It's a super reliable engine 2. The transmission is the F40 and is also super reliable, very few problems. Problems arise if you use the wrong kind of oil. You don't need to chain the oil often. He could get the parts from the US and Australia
Yeah I mentioned it was the guide chains that shatter when lubrication stops but ah well. And the F40 came from factory under filled, hence most owners groups recommend keeping an eye on the oil level of the car. This car needed bearings, an entire new 2nd cog and the synchros. I couldn't source the parts from the US and Holden cost an absolute fortune, I got them from WG motorsports in the UK
4:32 I kinda felt bad about enjoying deer jerky but dear Lord its so damn good man. The Cornwell tool truck dealer sells it and it's made by this company. I forget the name of them but it so good. Side note he actually made some wild boar jerky and man it tasted amazing.
If you can find one, please do a review on a Buick Verano with the turbo. I believe there was a manual option in that car. Probably very similar to this Opel except in sedan form.
Also, Opel (with or without the PC, I don't know) known as Vauxhall in the UK, which viewers of a certain TV programme may remember the odd reference to.
Mr Regular you should review the Saturn Astra XR 5 or 3 door with the 5MT it's the previous gen Astra just with the 1.8L 140bhp . It's not as fast as the OPC/VXR models but still fun.
Love the look of this car, looks like a Hot Wheels car with the big wheels. Shame Opel doesnt make an actual coupe anymore. The Manta and Calibra are legends. I still drive their final coupe the Bertone Astra (2.2 liters)
@@TrashedRedPandaShould be a perfect candidate then. He usually posts a link in his video, or description, or in the comments… …but for some reason, I can’t seem to find the old submission site. I don’t know if it was taken down or what. I know it existed at some point because I submitted a car a few years ago in the off chance he’d make a trip to Dallas for some reason, and needed a list of cars in the area.
Watched the original and commented. Opel like most GM experiments, was tried half heartedly for a year with no advertising. Then they could say they tried even though it was a 0 effort thing for GM. Caddilac in Australia with evs will be similar.
They sold Astra OPCs as Opels in Australia despite Holden being around? And here I was thinking this car was imported to Australia from Japan because it's a RHD Opel that doesn't have a Holden nor a Vauxhall badge slapped on it. Guess we learn new things everyday. Granted, I was still aware of the existence of RHD Opel models given that the brand operates in some right-hand drive countries but also given the fact that the Vectra V6 that appears in Gran Turismo 4-6 is also RHD.
GM Built this on the successor platform to the Saturn Ion and Chevy Cobalt, they could have brought this over here as a successor to the Redline and SS versions of those respectively. I mean I know Saturn was gone by 2012 and they were the ones with the Astra nameplate in North America, but they built the Chevy Cruze and the Buick Verano on this platform too. Maybe whats even more head-scratching is that the Buick was the flavor they gave the 250HP turbocharged engine and the manual transmission to. I haven't driven the Verano, but I am guessing it got none of the suspension tuning its European cousin got.
Years ago, I asked some Chevy car salesmen why GM never made a Super Sport version of the Sonic RS - something with 258 horsepower instead of 158 - and they looked at me like I just set a basket of puppies on fire. “Why would anyone want that?!?” they gasped. IDK, because it would be both fun and practical?
A Chevy Sonic practical? Thats cute.
GM and people who are deeeeep into the “buy american” mindset (the same people who were buying Malibus and Cruzes when basically every alternative was better) really don’t comprehend the idea of any car that isn’t either a truck or truck based SUV, or a muscle car, being an aspirational fun vehicle. In their mind, any car that isn’t a muscle car is a disposable appliance for poor people, so making a sporty version is like polishing a turd.
The sonic is the size down.
@@baronvonjo1929 For some people, a Sonic would be practical. Not everyone needs a huge SUV of pickup truck.
If someone is single without a family, a Sonic is a perfectly practical car.
I feel the later generation Cruze (hatchback) would’ve been exactly what you are asking for. Right size, something that can, on paper, undercut Mazda 3 prices and offer similar performance.
The Vauxhall Astra VXR. The official car of loud bass at 1AM.
The official car of revving out first gear then slowing it down to get the bangs
also the official car of torque steer
@@xx-----------xx873 not this model, they have a Drexler LSD
do people listen to rap in Australia
@@bradyg499 people listen to rap everywhere lmao
ultimate chav mobile
Re-Upload now with the full ending!
Wow, I just got to see a private RCR video! Thanks for the full ending.
Is it a ... happy ending?
That’s what he said
LOL - I thought that was a purposeful rambling chop
Thank you!!
Don't forget how Saturn was in its death rattle years and so GM rebadged a whole bunch of Opels for their product line...the Astra included
And in typical GM fashion, they still got it wrong somehow.
As they could not be bothered to offer the proper 2.0 Turbo engines in the Saturn line up...
(The Saturn Astra only came as 1.8 with 140bhp iirc?)
This thing is so gorgeous, also precisely because it has no fake vents and such, it's hard to believe it's over a decade old. Still gonna look good in another decade.
The thing I think you missed about Opel is that there is traditionally a big rivalry between VW and Opel in Germany.
The Astra OPC was made to rival one car first and foremost and that is the Golf GTI.
It ended up being in a niche between the GTI and the Golf R though.
Yeah, saying it was made to rival Focus ST and Veloster was weird as this model has been around for decades and was competing with the Golf GTI
@@NanoBl OPC wasn't around for decades. You're confusing it with Opel's GSi offerings in Kadetts and Astras.
There was no 4x4 vwrsion of this rocket. A typical Opel mistake.
Remember the Vectra and Calibra 4x4 turbos.
Your also forgeting opel being obsessed with nurbirgring lap times with all of their opc lineup, so basicly they also made it to compete agains megane rs on the nurburgring.
Here in the UK Opel's, or as it is natively known as Vauxhall, main rival is definitely Ford. I can totally see the Astra having a rival in the Focus, just like how the Corsa is a rival for the Fiesta
Jeremy Clarkson, life long Vauxhall/Opel hater, preferred this car over the contemporary Focus ST
Was that the one he called the Opel Asbo?
@@jochenstacker7448 nah that was the focus st 225
@YegoYTP ah, thanks.
These Astras were just some of the best looking hatchbacks ever made in my book.
Here in Germany you not only see a lot of Opel Astra Cars (OPC Versions too yes) but also the Opel Insignia OPC which seems to be a lot of fun as well
I had no idea they even sold any Opel OPC Versions outside of Europe, so i'm happy you got to try one out, even if not on the Autobahn
Prost & Cheers from the Snow-Covered Berchtesgaden in the Bavarian Alps
Berchtesgaden! Long live Kehlsteinhaus! Long live the Kuckucksnest!
For a little bit in the USA, they sold Opel’s as Buicks. I technically had a turbo charged Opel Insignia for a bit and it was tons of fun.
@@okmusic6646
Interesting! The Buick was the Buick Regal i assume? But what was the Sporty Version called in the US? And did they share the same Tuning with the Opel Insignia OPC?
@@davidcullen1718
In fact i can see the "Eagle's Nest" from my Backyard and having grown up here
The biggest Fans of the Kehlsteinhaus (Eagle's Nest) and the Teehaus am Mooslahnerkopf (Tea House that that Austrian Painter frequented) are all Americans
Americans and the English are our most common Tourists here, hence why i learned fluent English and now speak better English than probably a large Amount of Americans and English People
@@chartreux1532 I'm sure that your English is better then my German! I've only been to Berchtesgaden twice - in '06 and '08 - and thoroughly enjoyed myself both times. My brother had been a student there in '91 and highly recommended the Kuckuck's Nest. I hope to return again, someday.
11:22 Under Stellantis, the OPC brand was replaced by "Grand Sport electric" (GSe). It's hard to find info online, but it appears that the OPC division itself no longer exists or may have been cut down by Tavares' lay-offs of engineers.
It's called 'GCSe' for Vauxhall models 🤣
@AuroraBeyond888 the only GCSe a Vauxhall owner will ever have
@YegoYTP Can confirm.
Yea its long gone, the last OPC was a Insignia i think, after that only opc line/GS Cars came out.
Can we talk about how beautiful the lines are on this car?! AND THE WHEELS!! They're like a budget version of the Mercedes turbine wheels from the 2000's SL and the SLR.
In Australia if it has sliced bread like sandwich bread then it's a sandwich if it has burger buns then it's a burger it doesn't really matter what meats in it
Exactly!
In America the "burger" part implies the meat is ground up... unless it's tuna.
To us Australians, calling a Chicken Burger a "Chicken sandwich" sounds wrong
@@chitatagreed. Chicken sandwich is shredded up roast or poached chicken on sliced bread. Chicken burger is usually grilled on deep fried chicken on burger buns. That is not a sandwich
Us Germans are with the Aussies on this one.
Saturn sold the Astra and a bunch of Opel/Vauxhall products and Americans hated them - Such is life
This runs on the same platform as the Cruze that we did get in America. We didn't get the 2.0L in this OPC version, though. As for the why, maybe it was because the Cobalt SS didnt sell as well as GM hoped up against the likes of the Civic Si and Subaru WRX. So they didnt bother bringing us a Chevy badged version of this even with Ford bringing over Euro hot hatches around the same time
The Verano turbo had the 2.0L, very rare and even more rare is the manual version
You released this THE SECOND I "finished" part 1
Resisting the urge not to say that's what she said
@@enderland5914 ... I didn't... Ugh .... Nevermind...
Commenting again on this version that you guys kinda sorta did get this gen of Astra but in 4-door sedan guise as the Buick Verano, albeit with 30hp less than the OPC/VXR. The OPC/VXR engine is also found stateside in the Buick Regal GS (rebadged Insignia with no twin turbo V6 option for some reason).
I love that the astra vxr drivers are the same worldwide
Never change, Mr. Regular
This thing looks so much prettier than any modern Chevy, it's a shame they never tried to sell it state-side. I love the body line into the door handle, that's sweet.
Indicators on the left is an EU regulation. All cars made in the EU will do it, even Asian branded cars made in Europe, whether RHD or LHD. If the same car is made outside of the EU (such as a Thai-built Focus), they switch them around to the right for a RHD car. Aussies who drive both Euro and non-Euro cars just get used to it.
Interesting perspective on the Astra OPC. From a non-American perspective, this car’s biggest rival was the Renault Megane RS, which had the reputation of being fast around the Nurburgring and being associated with Renault’s F1 team. I recall road tests at the time always favouring the Renault, or other Euro hot hatches like the Focus ST, the Seat Leon Cupra, the Golf GTi etc. The one thing the Astra OPC was good at was straight line speed. They were way faster than the Golf GTi. The Focus, Golf and Leon had IRS, the Megane and the Astra had torsion beam axles. The Astra OPC was definitely the overlooked hot hatch of the early 2010s
Can confirm the timing chain failure mode was an issue with the 2.0L Ecotec engine - I had a 2008 Chevy Cobalt SS with that suffered that exact failure mode.
I had the 2012 GTC 2 litre diesel, it had 170 horses and quite massive torque. The suspension was pretty good, it was comfortable, stabile yet fast in curves. BUT the car was fucking heavy, 1,7 tons. Thats not exactly a "small hatchback" category. Im european, so for me it was quite a big car, it seated 4 comfortably and the trunk was spacious. And it had great mileage. Only 2 doors, it had to go when kids came.
These were sold as Vauxhalls in the UK and are still around. Under the VXR monkier instead.
Worn bearings in gearbox usually are not causing it to fall out of gear.
Practically always manual gearbox falls out of gear because syncronisation rings, teeth on them are worn.
Oil changes are completely irrevelant, classic manual gearboxes can go a million km's without changing oil.
Syncronisation rings get worn because of hard shifting and 2nd gear is the one which gets the most violence when accelerating rapidly.
This effect can be radically minimised if shifting is done with doubleclutching.
I drove a 2008 Saturn Astra for a while, and I loved it. I really wish that car would have been continued and that we had gotten whatever the equivalent OPC version would have been.
I offered to let you drive my 2008 Satuan Astra w/ manual never heard a thing. LOVED IT. GM DID bring this to the USA as a SATURN ASTRA.
Deer jerky and deer sausage, both superior to their typical source protein variants. Growing up in western SD where deer are basically vermin and everyone hunts, they were/are plentiful.
This is a review I never expected from an american, let alone Regular reviews. I am excited!
4:51 As a Thai person with a mother who drives a Mercedes GLC 300e, the turn signal is on the left side, and I’ve done this since when I was 12 where I sat in the passenger seat and it just so happened that the turn signal stalk is just reachable so when my mom goes for a turn, I reach my hand toward the turn signal stalk and just swipe it down or up
we know them as the vxr in the UK, and this is from just after the peak of vxr/opc when they had that same engine and gearbox in a zafira mini van, they are really weird cars, a hot minivan, if you can get the keys to a zafira or a meriva gsi/opc/vxr i suggest trying it because they may be awful cars, but the idea of a hopped up mpv from the factory is so ridiculous it's kind of charming
I reckon a lot of then have been broken for the running gear, Z20LET Corsa is hard to beat
you are wrong on all levels, this Astra doesnt use the Z20LEH motor and the Zafira VXR is based on the chassis of the Astra H which set the nurburgring record at the time. The VXR models are excellent cars
@@asifnoaman8978 so it's based on an astra opc/vxr, just the previous version, but you got to admit the zafira and meriva are abit ridiculous (in a good way)
Haven't most Zafira's died in an electrical fire by now?
Director's cut without the Sopranos ending.
Great job on the video folks! Thanks for making it.
That car has no right looking so pretty
The closest version we got was the Verano turbo. A very rare option and even more rare is the one with a 6 speed manual. Only thing is the verano turbo only made 250 hp
Hope you enjoyed Melbourne, Man. My heart weeps for CA and its fires at the moment. I lived there for 2 years, and it is personal.
The Astra VXR/OPC and Mazdaspeed 3s are the ultimate sleeper hot hatches
The rear deck lid spoiler, steering wheel buttons, and interior headlight knob remind me of my 2015 Chevy ss I sold in 2024. I miss that car so much.
Cara like this continue to remind me how great my Honda fit would be if it came with like, 60 more horsepower from the factory. Still fantastically practical, but now with just enough fun to get that “don’t tell your mother” kind of hooliganism that my morning and evening commute so desperately need.
If you’ve driven a US Chev Cruze, or any other car GM flogged in Australia and the US, you should try both because most if not all Aus market Holdens had a lot of specific changes. Good example the 1.8 petrol in my Holden Cruze has a little more power from a Aus/NZ specific tune, and then the suspension tuning that would’ve been done at Lang Lang proving grounds to make the imported models work for our roads here
I may or may not at one time took an Astra to places no astra should have gone and returned the carnage was epic memories.
The Buick Regal GS from 2012-2013 is probably the closest thing to this Astra that we have here in the States. However, both automatics and manuals in that time period are made by Aisin.
Mad we didn't get these until I realized that it was Buick Regal GS shaped. (yes they came in manual)
This thing looks so cool, and sounds great. Thanks for sharing it.
GM: "Hmm... Europe has a great small car available for us to use. Small cars might be declining in popularity, they're still quite popular and we can get some mileage out of the Astra, but... HEY, DAEWOO! CAN YOU MAKE US SOMETHING? YOU GOT A WEEK! YEAH, MAKE IT CHEAP! SPORTS VERSION? UHHH, MAKE AN APPEARANCE PACKAGE!"
Not quite. The Cruze was a GM worldwide platform like the j car.
I thought the cruse was fine aside from the engine. Solid attempt other than that right?
And that's how the Nexia was born!
The comments make me think this car has a bit of a Reputation overseas but as an American all I can think is “wow, that’s gorgeous. I didn’t know GM was ever going to make anything I’d like other than the Corvette.”
I drive a 2016 Astra Turbo Diesel. It is literally the greatest car I have ever owned and I'm going to drive it until she breaks in half.
It's nimble, it corners, it accelerates, got great torque on the low end and so long as you keep it under 55, she's not bad on gas either. It's got the interior space and the tech it comes with is actually useful.
The only downside is she is German so she likes a lot of maintenance and she is bossy about it.
Somebody needs to tell him we got the astra in America as a Saturn, and we got the 4 door sedan of this with the Buick Verano
The 3 door Saturn astras I feel are super rare though, and they’re not the VXR version.
There was a second gen Astra Coupe OPC in the parkinglot last week... i slipped on my own drool... I love GM Opel/Vauxhall.
There is also an option for a body kit and forged alloy wheels
Opel's OPC line was great.
Can't wait till he gets his hands on the Opel Insignia OPC with the Holden V6...
I wish I had known you would be visiting Australia. I have the first Astra OPC, sold here as a Holden Astra SRi Turbo even in the same colour. It would have been great to let you take it for a spin and compare.
Love it. America seriously needs things like this again.
I hope Mr. Regular made a video on that gorgeous yellow wagon I keep seeing in the background 🙏
As a parent, the best thing to come from Australia is Bluey. It's a kids show but it's S-tier.
All OPC vehicles in Europe have been nuts since the creation of OPC. The only brand to outwild OPC was Alfa with the GTA cars.
I have a base spec 5door hatch version of this. The OPC versions easily go for 3-4x as much as I bought mine for.
I do like the practicality of a 5 door hatch, but god damn, do I have a wet dream about this every now and again.
Ah, nice. This car seems to check a lot of the boxes I look for these days. I wish we had the option in the US. The turn signal trickery is fun to see as a JDM enthusiast. I usually go by the rule that the turn signal is usually by the driver's door, but with European cars, that seems to not always be the case.
2:21 "Roo-sells-hime(rhymes with lime)"
Not sure if I missed it in the video, but the Saturn ASTRA was 99% exactly the same as the Opel Astra. Then the Saturn AURA was the same as the Opel Signum, and even the Chevy Equinox was just an Opel Antara for a generation! The Saturn AURA and Astra were pretty close to the Opel versions, except the larger engine options here. I was going to put Opel badges on my Saturn AURA, but I wasn't THAT nerdy!
That car looks ageless.
I like it. It looks like a 2 door version of the 2nd gen Cruze hatch and then they shoved the engine from Buick Regal GS into it. I always thought it was odd that GM didn't make a version of the Cruze hatch with the 2.0 turbo to compete with the Focus ST.
I have the previous opc. Still going strong
I really hope to see a future Mazda2 video. Saw one in your vid.
You had me at the cool lightning bolt logo
5:00 I messed up the wiper and turn handles so many times when I was driving in Jamaica 😂 hopefully got all my actual turns mostly correct.
My old car before switching to a mustang GT. Extreme Understeer to extreme oversteer, that's the life
These are basically the 2011-2014 ish Buick regal GS just in hatch form, I had a 2011 Buick regal T 6 speed, fun car for it being 3,600 lbs.
I love this!!! Along with the Vauxhall Astra VXR
same car 🔥
@ yup I know
0:30 they did bring it to the US, it's called the Buick Verano Turbo
Some corrections:
1. Timing chain streching isn't comon and the guides can brake, engine is a A20NFT and isn't related to the 1.4. it's third generation ecotec. Other issues are injectors but that's about it. It's a super reliable engine
2. The transmission is the F40 and is also super reliable, very few problems. Problems arise if you use the wrong kind of oil. You don't need to chain the oil often. He could get the parts from the US and Australia
Yeah I mentioned it was the guide chains that shatter when lubrication stops but ah well. And the F40 came from factory under filled, hence most owners groups recommend keeping an eye on the oil level of the car. This car needed bearings, an entire new 2nd cog and the synchros.
I couldn't source the parts from the US and Holden cost an absolute fortune, I got them from WG motorsports in the UK
1:06 I like the monologue but I got distracted by how astounding that road is
4:32 I kinda felt bad about enjoying deer jerky but dear Lord its so damn good man. The Cornwell tool truck dealer sells it and it's made by this company. I forget the name of them but it so good. Side note he actually made some wild boar jerky and man it tasted amazing.
If you can find one, please do a review on a Buick Verano with the turbo. I believe there was a manual option in that car. Probably very similar to this Opel except in sedan form.
You got the Buick Verano - which is the sedan version. I have the 1.6t with 6sp manual.
Also, Opel (with or without the PC, I don't know) known as Vauxhall in the UK, which viewers of a certain TV programme may remember the odd reference to.
Mr Regular you should review the Saturn Astra XR 5 or 3 door with the 5MT it's the previous gen Astra just with the 1.8L 140bhp
. It's not as fast as the OPC/VXR models but still fun.
Love the look of this car, looks like a Hot Wheels car with the big wheels. Shame Opel doesnt make an actual coupe anymore.
The Manta and Calibra are legends. I still drive their final coupe the Bertone Astra (2.2 liters)
Like the video i havent had any of the newer cars but the video did make me miss the vectra a gls and the big comfy boat of a senator b i have had
I wonder if you can put the components in this into the Verano/Cruze at the time.
It's a chicken fillet between a hamburger bun. Chicken burger.
I’m home today for a snow day thank you for doing a vijayo
I'm pretty sure GM sold the sedan here as the Buick Regal GS. Similar motor and spicy version with more boost and a manual!
3:42 the audacity of Opel extending the speedometer all the way to 300 km/h on a FREAKING ASTRA
Rather have a Megane but good on gm for making it.
Looking forward to importing these in 20 years
All I see is the Saturn version we got here.
Also do you want to do a video on the Sentra sr turbo nismo edition?
You can submit cars on his website, but he really can only review cars in PA (or brought to PA)
@@UmmYeahOk luckily I live in pa
@@TrashedRedPandaShould be a perfect candidate then. He usually posts a link in his video, or description, or in the comments… …but for some reason, I can’t seem to find the old submission site. I don’t know if it was taken down or what. I know it existed at some point because I submitted a car a few years ago in the off chance he’d make a trip to Dallas for some reason, and needed a list of cars in the area.
Classic GM styling elements have come back in this modern car.
Same engine as pontiac solstice gxp?
I feel like some of what would make me not wanna eat kangaroo is how intimidating they are. Like I don’t wanna pick a fight with a kangaroo
Watched the original and commented.
Opel like most GM experiments, was tried half heartedly for a year with no advertising. Then they could say they tried even though it was a 0 effort thing for GM. Caddilac in Australia with evs will be similar.
when do you drive that mint xf falcon longroof?
Hell yeah re-upload! 🎉
Pretty hot design.
Bro who grew up in Pennsylvania doesn’t mind eating deer. Makes sense.
Im just glad the the foot pedals dont go gas brake clutch in a rhd 😅 that would really screw people up
You should consider testing a Buick Cascada, which shares the same chassis
Veloster mentioned 🗣️
They sold Astra OPCs as Opels in Australia despite Holden being around? And here I was thinking this car was imported to Australia from Japan because it's a RHD Opel that doesn't have a Holden nor a Vauxhall badge slapped on it. Guess we learn new things everyday. Granted, I was still aware of the existence of RHD Opel models given that the brand operates in some right-hand drive countries but also given the fact that the Vectra V6 that appears in Gran Turismo 4-6 is also RHD.
GM Built this on the successor platform to the Saturn Ion and Chevy Cobalt, they could have brought this over here as a successor to the Redline and SS versions of those respectively. I mean I know Saturn was gone by 2012 and they were the ones with the Astra nameplate in North America, but they built the Chevy Cruze and the Buick Verano on this platform too. Maybe whats even more head-scratching is that the Buick was the flavor they gave the 250HP turbocharged engine and the manual transmission to. I haven't driven the Verano, but I am guessing it got none of the suspension tuning its European cousin got.
Wasn't there also OPC and GTC?