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Opel has revealed a groundbreaking concept car ahead of its world premiere at the 2013 Frankfurt auto show in September.
It's called the Monza Concept and it's utterly unlike any Opel product yet produced with sharp lines and almost garish air intakes and headlights; Opel calls it "a vision of the company’s future" and it has been unveiled by Opel’s CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann.
The automaker says the car, while crucially giving an indication of its design targets, "covers a whole range of subject areas and elements". Neumann added: "It carries them forward in a visionary fashion, expressing them with fresh inspiration and clarity. This car is a study that will have a long-term impact on the next generation of Opels."
TOP PRIORITIES
Opel says it focuses on two major themes: efficiency and connectivity. These two things will "be top priorities for the 6000-strong team of engineers, technicians and designers developing the next generation of cars".
The Monza Concept claims to demonstrate "outstanding efficiency through its architecture and use of materials, as well as in its aerodynamics and ground-breaking power train. In terms of connectivity, it offers possibilities that are a quantum leap in the development of infotainment systems".
Representing a styling evolution of Opel’s ‘sculptural artistry meets technical precision’, the Monza Concept develops a new theme which conveys a sense of lithe athleticism, rather than pure muscle power. This design emphasis, Opel says, is immediately apparent in the vehicle’s frontal styling: a low stance with flowing lines and a clearly defined bonnet and striking headlights combine to give the car an extra dose of self-confidence.
Other signature themes are embedded in the overall look: the typical crease on the bonnet appears more three-dimensional and prominent, the chromed grille bar carrying the brand logo now sweeps up with winglets at its tips.
"Two blades under the headlights add to the appeal," the media info adds. "Overall, the Monza Concept has a light, athletic look designed to convey efficiency, excitement and great driving fun."
The name ‘Monza’ comes for a late 1970's Opel model and the automaker sees comparisons in some design elements between the Concept and those cars, among them large, glazed surfaces and low belt line. The Monza was also believed to be the first car to come to market with a digital data display: the Concept is following up with the future of infotainment and connectivity "to address the needs of a more closely connected and communications-savvy society".
"They will," the automaker says, "enable future individual mobility that’s more than simply a driving experience."
FUTURE GLANCE
Sticking to its heritage of influential design, the Monza Concept is the latest car penned by the automaker to illustrate its future styling direction. Nearly 50 years ago, the XVR took centre stage at the 1966 Geneva Salon. Largely the work of Opel’s head designer, David Jones, the concept was clairvoyant with its wide low-profile tyres simulating the visual change in contemporary Formula 1 cars which required more grip to cater for the three-litre engine formula’s power.
Like the Monza Concept, the XVR provided hints to design on future production models. Neumann said: “With the Monza Concept, we make our automotive future tangible today."
And fuelling curiosity about Russelsheim’s newest study ahead of its world premiere, he added: “I can’t yet go into detail about how the Monza Concept’s interior design – especially its trend-setting technologies – will change the driving experience but I can guarantee that, viewed from any angle, its innovative body design and perfect proportions will turn heads.
“But they are just a visible expression of the great substance you will find under the bodywork.”
It's called the Monza Concept and it's utterly unlike any Opel product yet produced with sharp lines and almost garish air intakes and headlights; Opel calls it "a vision of the company’s future" and it has been unveiled by Opel’s CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann.
The automaker says the car, while crucially giving an indication of its design targets, "covers a whole range of subject areas and elements". Neumann added: "It carries them forward in a visionary fashion, expressing them with fresh inspiration and clarity. This car is a study that will have a long-term impact on the next generation of Opels."
TOP PRIORITIES
Opel says it focuses on two major themes: efficiency and connectivity. These two things will "be top priorities for the 6000-strong team of engineers, technicians and designers developing the next generation of cars".
The Monza Concept claims to demonstrate "outstanding efficiency through its architecture and use of materials, as well as in its aerodynamics and ground-breaking power train. In terms of connectivity, it offers possibilities that are a quantum leap in the development of infotainment systems".
Representing a styling evolution of Opel’s ‘sculptural artistry meets technical precision’, the Monza Concept develops a new theme which conveys a sense of lithe athleticism, rather than pure muscle power. This design emphasis, Opel says, is immediately apparent in the vehicle’s frontal styling: a low stance with flowing lines and a clearly defined bonnet and striking headlights combine to give the car an extra dose of self-confidence.
Other signature themes are embedded in the overall look: the typical crease on the bonnet appears more three-dimensional and prominent, the chromed grille bar carrying the brand logo now sweeps up with winglets at its tips.
"Two blades under the headlights add to the appeal," the media info adds. "Overall, the Monza Concept has a light, athletic look designed to convey efficiency, excitement and great driving fun."
The name ‘Monza’ comes for a late 1970's Opel model and the automaker sees comparisons in some design elements between the Concept and those cars, among them large, glazed surfaces and low belt line. The Monza was also believed to be the first car to come to market with a digital data display: the Concept is following up with the future of infotainment and connectivity "to address the needs of a more closely connected and communications-savvy society".
"They will," the automaker says, "enable future individual mobility that’s more than simply a driving experience."
FUTURE GLANCE
Sticking to its heritage of influential design, the Monza Concept is the latest car penned by the automaker to illustrate its future styling direction. Nearly 50 years ago, the XVR took centre stage at the 1966 Geneva Salon. Largely the work of Opel’s head designer, David Jones, the concept was clairvoyant with its wide low-profile tyres simulating the visual change in contemporary Formula 1 cars which required more grip to cater for the three-litre engine formula’s power.
Like the Monza Concept, the XVR provided hints to design on future production models. Neumann said: “With the Monza Concept, we make our automotive future tangible today."
And fuelling curiosity about Russelsheim’s newest study ahead of its world premiere, he added: “I can’t yet go into detail about how the Monza Concept’s interior design – especially its trend-setting technologies – will change the driving experience but I can guarantee that, viewed from any angle, its innovative body design and perfect proportions will turn heads.
“But they are just a visible expression of the great substance you will find under the bodywork.”
