Update: Astra VXR GTC now with 290 BHP!

[News_Stig]

Remember the Astra VXR GTC I posted about 3 weeks ago, well GM's Opel / Vauxhall division is cutting to the chase by releasing full intel and a ton of photos of its sleek looking a week ahead of its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show - Bravo for them.

For the most part, Opel's study is a thinly veiled concept of next year's sporty three-door Astra hatch, which will carry the GTC tag. On top of that, the concept's aggressive details such as the styling of the bumpers and the large wheels strongly hint at the OPC version.

Same goes for the Astra-sourced interior that we see here for the very first time. Highlights include the sporty bucket front seats and a flat-bottomed racing steering wheel with metal inserts, both of which are expected to make their way on the new OPC.

Last but certainly not least, Opel announced that the concept's 2.0-liter twin-scroll turbo-charged four-cylinder engine with direct injection and Start/stop tech produces a mouth watering 290-horsepower channeled to the front-wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. A limited slip differential [supposedly] helps limit wheel spin and balance power delivery between the front wheels.

From what News_Stig's sources are telling him, there's a good chance the 2.0-litre turbo will produce a similar output in the production GTC OPC that will rival both the VW Scirocco R and Golf R models.

http://www.tyresmoke.net/forum/general-cars/128353-gtc-they-back.html