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Opel Ampera Wins 2012 Monte Carlo Rally for Electric and Alternative Propulsion Vehicles

In its debut appearance at the Monte Carlo Rally, the Chevrolet Volt's European twin, the Opel Ampera, picked up its first win in the electric and alternative propulsion category. From the seven Ampera models that competed in the rally, four finished in the top 10.

The French duo Bernard Darniche and Joseph Lambert finished first, while the Ampera teams with Charlotte Berton and Olivier Sussot ranked third, Jean-Claude Andruet and Patrick Lienne came in 7th and Hanns Werner Wirth and Daniel Riesen finished 8th.

Spy Shots: New Opel Astra Convertible Caught Out in the Open Again

Opel is sure taking its time to complete the lineup of its popular Astra model. It has already been close to three years since GM's European brand introduced the five-door hatchback, which was followed by the Sports Tourer estate, the three-door GTC and more recently, the 276hp OPC flagship sports model.

In fact, while we're still waiting for the presentation of the four door sedan (closely related to the Buick Verano) and convertible models, we found out that Opel is working on a mild update for the five-door hatch!

The Convertible model seen in these latest spy shots will enter production next year, which means that its world premiere should take place at the Paris Motor Show this fall or at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.

Scoop: Is Opel Working on a Mild Refresh for its Opel Astra Range?

It has become something of a norm for automakers to update their vehicles after three or four years into the market, depending on their life span.

The fourth generation of the Opel Astra is nearing that phase as it was introduced in five-door hatchback form at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show with the estate model (called Tourer) following a year later at the 2010 Paris Motor Show and the three-door GTC being presented at last year's Frankfurt Motor Show.

Our spy shooters caught up with a vehicle transporter in Germany loaded with a bunch of new Opel Astras, one of which was a Tourer model with its fascia partially masked in tape.

European Carmakers Must Deal with the Crisis Fast or Face the Consequences

A number of European carmakers are facing the same problem: they have more facilities and employees churning out more cars than they can sell.

Automotive CEOs acknowledge the fact and understand that something needs to be done about it. Fiat’s Sergio Marchionne has often said that European carmakers must consolidate or risk going down and he is constantly trying to tie-up the Fiat-Chrysler group with another carmaker.

GM’s Dan Akerson has stated that he's fed up with losing money with Opel and Vauxhall. However, the recently formed alliance with PSA Peugeot Citroen could provide a solution to this problem.

Hot Opel Astra OPC with 276hp Storms the 2012 Geneva Motor Show

GM's Opel division is challenging both the 250-horsepower Ford Focus ST and the 267bhp (270PS) Volkswagen Golf R with its brand new Astra OPC that will be sold as the Vauxhall Astra VXR in Britain.

Revealed to the public for the first time at the ongoing 2012 Geneva Motor Show, the new Astra OPC is based on the sporty looking three-door Astra GTC hatchback adding to the mix a powerful 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with 276bhp (280PS) output and maximum torque of 400Nm (295 lbft).

A six-speed transmission and a mechanical limited slip differential on the front axle drive the front wheels allowing for a top speed of 250km/h (155mph). Opel has not yet confirmed acceleration times.

As with the rest of the Astra GTC range, the OPC model gets the GM/Saab sourced HiPer Struts (High Performance Struts) on the front axle while the company's engineers also made changes to the suspension, steering wheel and brake systems.

Geneva 2012: Opel and Vauxhall Make a Mokka out of the Buick Encore

General Motors has set its eyes on the small crossover market with the new Mokka that will be sold in Britain under the Vauxhall brand and the rest of the continent as an Opel.

The European version of the North American Buick Encore, which made its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show, will compete against the Nissan Juke and the soon-to-be revealed in production form, Ford EcoSport.

The 4.28 meter long B-segment crossover has seating for five passengers and will be offered with a choice of front- or all-wheel drive.

Chevy Volt and Opel Ampera win 2012 European Car of the Year Award

The Chevrolet Volt and its sister model, the Ampera, which is sold as under both the Opel and Vauxhall nameplates, have won the 2012 European Car of the Year (COTY) Award with 330 points.

Coming into second place was the Volkswagen Up! city car with 281 points while the new generation of the Ford Focus finished third with 256 points.

The other cars that made it to the final round of the competition were the Range Rover Evoque (186 points), Fiat Panda (156 points), Citroen DS5 (144 points) and the Toyota Yaris (122 points).

The competition brought together votes from 59 automotive journalists in 23 European countries.

Sources Say GM wants to Acquire 5 Percent Stake in PSA Peugeot-Citroën as Alliance Talks Progress

A merger, a tie-up, an alliance or a collaboration, whatever you call it, at the end of the day, it all boils down to one thing: how well two automakers can work together in order to minimize costs and maximize profits.

As previously reported, General Motors and PSA Peugeot Citroen are discussing a “strategic alliance” in Europe that could prove beneficial for both companies.

GM would find a way to cut costs in its Opel and Vauxhall brands, which are bleeding cash for what seems like forever, while Peugeot and Citroen would use GM as a means to increase their volume and lessen their dependence on the troubled European market by expanding elsewhere.

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