June 2023

“You design it, we build it”: Premiere for the “Opel Rocks e-XTREME”

“Next level urban mobility. An electric vehicle with wow factor”; that is also what the jury of the #OpelDesignHack thought a few months ago and chose Lukas Wenzhöfer’s extraordinary concept as the winner of the challenge. In the next step, Opel took the claim of the challenge – “You design it, we build it” – literally and turned the design into reality. Opel kept its word and built the Rocks e-XTREME as a one-off.

Rebecca Reinermann, Vice President of Marketing Opel/Vauxhall: “With the #OpelDesignHack we have taken a new path of interaction and communication. Opel has opened the industry’s usually closed doors and – approachably and transparently – allowed the Opel community to take part in the build of a concept car. The result is the Rocks e-XTREME; a unique, very cool version of our Rocks Electric, originating from a design challenge and closely accompanied by ‘Making-of’-insights for all. A very successful cooperation.”

The production version of the Opel Rocks Electric already represents innovative mobility in its unconventional design, but above all, the Rocks Electric offers locally emissions-free driving fun for two from the age of 151. Points that the industrial design student Lukas Wenzhöfer kept in mind and took to the “extreme” with his design. He wanted to turn the agile, all-electric quadricycle into an all-terrain fun vehicle with wow factor. “The off-road capability promotes the feeling of freedom to be able to reach any destination. And the increased sportiness promises extra driving fun to show that electromobility is more than just a sensible solution,” explained Wenzhöfer.

A challenging task that the engineers at Opel set themselves in recent months, as they wanted to stay as close as possible to the 3D model when building the one-off. The characteristics included protruding wheels for a wide, secure stance, double wishbones at the front and a bright yellow roll-over hoop. The Opel Vizor has also been reinterpreted and equipped with LED front lights and the Opel logo accentuated in turquoise. To keep the weight low and to support the performance of the electric motor, the vizor and mudguards were produced using 3D printing.

Another unmissable highlight is the prominent rear wing made of carbon, an original wing from the Vectra GTS V8 that now carries the emblem “e-XTREME” and the serial number “001”.

Then followed the actual production. The Rocks e-XTREME made similar demands as building a concept car. And with the same attention to detail, the colleagues in the Opel concept workshop brought the design to life, step by step and with convincing results. Now it’s here: the first and only Opel Rocks e-XTREME!

The unanimous opinion of the selected specialist audience at the first presentation: “Just ‘Wow’! The Rocks e-XTREME shows how even a small electric vehicle can be so much fun and so cool.” Many other Opel Rocks Electric and Rocks e-XTREME fans will be able to make the same experience in the coming weeks and months when the eye-catching one-off goes on tour.

[1] Applies to four-wheeled light motor vehicles with a rated continuous/utilised power not exceeding 6 kW, with no more than two seats and a maximum speed not exceeding 45 km/h.

By SWVaux Staff, ago

New report reveals drop in whiplash claims from drivers despite growth in motor claims

A new report from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) has revealed that although motor insurers paid out £2.4bn in motor claims in the first quarter of this year there are ‘early indications are that the whiplash reforms introduced in 2021 to create a simplified, fairer, more efficient, and cost-effective compensation system are having an impact’.

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By SWVaux Staff, ago

Jürgen Klopp Electrifies ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe” Teams

Jürgen Klopp is certainly one of the best football managers in the world. His football know-how and his way of motivating people have helped him win numerous titles over the years. His successes include winning the German championship and the German Cup with Borussia Dortmund in 2012, along with his victory in the UEFA Champions League in 2019 with Liverpool, which he followed up by leading the “Reds” to the Premier League title in 2020. In the new social media video released by Opel, the Rüsselsheim-based carmaker’s brand ambassador delivers an “electrifying” motivational speech to a very different target audience.

Instead of addressing a team of seasoned professional footballers, Klopp takes to the dressing room to give a special group of talented individuals hoping to make their way in international rallying a somewhat different team talk – those individuals being the participants in this years’ ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe”.

“Jürgen Klopp is one of the most well-respected football managers in the world. He has a passion for electromobility, and rightly so, as battery-electric vehicles provide a sporty acceleration and performance. Having been the face of the Corsa Electric when we launched it, he is naturally supporting the first ever all-electric rally series – the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup – powered by GSe. His well-known coaching abilities will make our top Cup athletes perform at their highest levels during 2023 rally season,” said Rebecca Reinermann, Vice President Marketing Opel and Vauxhall.

In the short video, 55-year-old Klopp points out that the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup is about more than winning. “This is a revolution! The revolution of motorsports. This is the first electric one-make rally cup in the world. If this is possible, absolutely everything is possible! Be bold and show the world the future of motorsports,” are the electrifying directions the Liverpool manager gives his “new” team before sending them out to compete.

The 22-year-old German Cup pilot Christian Lemke raved about the shoot: “It was amazing! I had the honour of driving around Liverpool with Jurgen Klopp in our Corsa Rally Electric. My nervousness vanished quickly because he was totally relaxed and easy-going. A super-cool, normal guy who likes to laugh and crack a joke. The shoot was an incredibly cool action that fits perfectly with our Cup. For him, such a speech was normal – but when you realise in the course of the clip that it is not aimed at footballers, the parallels between the two sports become visible. In my opinion, Jürgen Klopp was the perfect man for this shoot.”

World’s first electric one-make cup: Exciting ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup

The ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup, the first electric one-make rally cup in the world, enters its third season this year – with the 100 kW/136 hp Opel Corsa Rally Electric as an exciting rally car. With its immediate torque of 260 Newton meters, the all-electric small car promises sporty driving from the very first second; perfect for rallying, but also for anyone who likes to accelerate briskly in everyday life and wants to drive with responsibility.

Klopp has been brand ambassador for the Rüsselsheim-based carmaker since 2012. He is recognised around the globe and has become a much-loved and well-respected football ambassador over the course of his career. In total, Klopp has featured in more than 20 Opel TV commercials – most recently in the campaign for the Opel Astra.

By Stellantis Media, ago