Today we're in Rüsselsheim, the city where Opel was founded in 1862. The company that built their first car in 1899.
And this particular building is the last bastion really. We're on company grounds, and all around me are brand-new Opels coming off the line.
But this little building here, is the forgotten area for men with beards and mustaches. You can smell the oil and the petrol in here,
and you can feel the past. Because this is the past, and we're storming into the future. And the future will be electricaL.
So what can manufacturers do to distinguish themselves? Well, how about their history? That's something to build on, wouldn't you agree?
People often remember the cars from the past. Because when the combustion engine disappears, the soul disappears with it.
There's nothing to smell, there's nothing to hear, there's nothing to feel anymore.
An electric drivetrain is always the same. So when you want to distinguish yourself within a big group of brands, because Opel is now part...
of Stellantis, consisting out of Citroën, Peugeot, Fiat, Chrysler Vauxhall, you will want to look at your own history.
Going back to the original designs, to what made Opel great. And I think everybody will think of the same design right now.
Let's be honest here, the Manta A is the ultimate Opel when it comes to design. It was released in 1970 and it was supposed to be...
the rival of the Ford Capri. A sports coupé, which was hot back then. It was based on the Ascona, so it had simple technology...
but with a very elegant body. A lot of people will think of the Opel Manta B when they think of a Manta, which was much more square.
But why Opel has chosen for the Manta A for their reincarnation, is purely because of the grille.
The headlights and grille are integrated into the front. Looking at the modern incarnation, it also has a similar front fascia.
This is the Opel Visor, or Pixel Visor as it's called. It projects all kinds of words on all of these leds.
Of course, it's electrified as well. But you can project anything you want on here. Except for when you're driving, because it will have the...
Opel-logo on for safety reasons. But what's the story behind this specific Manta?
Well, within Opel, there are all kinds of people who truly love the company. This particular was built in 1974 and it was bought by a lady nearby.
After a while, she wanted something else, so she gave it back to Opel. It ended up in the back of a warehouse and only a short while ago,
a group of young designers explored the warehouse and found it. They immediately said this was Opels grand design, and that it...
should be the base of Opels future design. And mostly the front, the visor. And it has become an important styling feature in modern Opels.
With the Mokka being the first one. But they didn't stop there. Since they were doing everything thoroughly, they didn't keep the 1.6-litre...
that produced 90 horsepower. Instead, they put in an electric drivetrain, producing 147 horsepower.
With that, it's the most powerful production Manta A ever. Back in the day, you could only have a 105 horsepower Manta GTe.
Just look at these wheels. 17-inch Ronals. It's got very thin tires, which is quite different than the 13-inch wheels from back in the day.
It's got different shocks, different brakes, these mirrors come from a 3D-printer. They resemble the original, except they're a tad more modern.
If we move to the back, we see the word Manta. However, it's made in modern typography, like on other Opels.
Over here, you've got LED-lights for the back. Again, it's the iconic double rear lights.
They've removed the bumper, smoothened the rear up, placed the logo over here and they've moved the license plate further down.
Also, the license plate illuminates itself. There aren't any lights shining on it. Instead, they're incorporated.
Back in the day, you opened up a bootlid with a key. And this is no exception. If we open it up, we can see the battery pack.
It's 31 kWh, and you can get around 200 km on a single charge. If you want to fully charge it, it'll take about three hours.
It's placed directly behind the rear seat, which means there's a weight distribution of 52 percent at the front and 48 percent at the back.
These stories are fun and all, but I'm really curious about what it feels like to drive. Despite the rain...
Right. Driving this electrified Manta. It's a very special experience, because this is the only one in the world.
It's a kind of prototype. And I've driven prototypes and concept cars before, and you shouldn't really do that.
They're mostly meant for show and they're usually powered by a very simple engine. Also, they usually hang together by superglue.
And when it comes to driving, it's usually not that great. However, this car is fully road legal. It even has an MOT.
And I'm literally driving around Rüsselsheim right now. Unfortunately, it's rainy outside, but that won't keep us.
And I'm driving on the outskirts of town right now, so there aren't any people around, but I can imagine that if I were to encounter...
unsuspecting pedestrians, they'd immediately think 'what's that'. They'll recognize it as a Manta, but they will see differences.
Also, you can't hear it for one bit. Opel themselves say that this electric Manta has the same performance potential as the original...
Manta GSe. I can't really compare that because I have never driven the original Manta GSe, but I have driven other older Opels,
so I can imagine what it's like. But, this is fully electric. I'm literally driving in traffic in a fully electric Opel Manta from 1974.
And we're turning onto the motorway now. Interesting.
We can immediately check the performance potential.
Well, it's quite a rapid acceleration. Speaking of going faster, I've got a real gearbox to work with.
I'm changing to fourth now. I have to press the clutch pedal and allow it the grab on.
I haven't seen that before in an electric car. And I have to say, that offers a new dimension. I really have to shift.
It's not only brake and throttle anymore. The rain is getting quite bad now, and Opel is not going to like this.
I mean, it's a prototype and they're really careful with it. Anyway. Right now, I'm doing 80 km/h and I'm putting my foot down right now.
And the acceleration is pretty good, even in fourth. I'm not disappointed at all by the way it drives. I might've expected a slightly bad experience...
because it's a concept car, but this is just a legal car to take onto the road.
The springs and dampers then. We've got adaptive dampers on this Manta and they're necessary, because it's got 17-inch wheels...
with thin tires. Something else than the orignal 13-inch wheels with thicker tires. That gives it quite a bumpy personality.
I think that an original Manta feels smoother. When it comes to the steering wheel, it's a periodically correct Petri-wheel.
And since I've got the opportunity, I'm going to play with the gearbox again. I'm doing 50 km/h right now, so let's get back to third...
And I'm going to put my foot down now.
I wouldn't have thought I would smile because of an electric car. That's mostly because of the fact that I can change gear.
Of course, you're supposed to drive a Manta with the windows down and your arms out of the window.
Hey look, there's a Golf GTI checking me out. Eat your heart out, ya Golf.
Of course, it's staying on my tail because it's curious.
The interior then. The dashboard has been taken from the original Manta, but all of the dials and such have been replaced with Opels...
PurePanel. Two separate screens like in the Mokka. The screen on my right is some kind of demo display, which is playing a loop of a video.
Of course, that's meant for this particular car. On this screen however, I've got all of the important information I need.
Speedometer, battery percentage, you name it. I've got 97 percent left, which means I still have 194 km of range.
It's got an Eco-mode, Charge-mode, Power-mode... Very basic, but what more do you need?
I do have to say, I didn't think Opel would allow us to drive this one of a kind concept car on the road.
We're doing pretty well I reckon. It's a bit sturdy, a bit bumpy, but it's a sporty car after all.
What else is there? Well, I'm sitting on seats that you'll also find in the Opel Adam S or Corsa OPC.
Sporty seats, with nice and fitting yellow upholstery. It's got an alcantara roof, a middle tunnel with a Marshall-speaker...
for an enhanced sound experience. Even without that little speaker, there's more than enough noises coming from the car to begin with.
Right now I'm braking, and you can hear the brake pumps buzzing and the differentials working.
And automatically, I'm pressing down the clutch and changing to second. Second is the setting-off gear.
I can't get that out of my system. I mean, I'm literally changing gears in here. That's still kind of weird.
I'm opening up the windows anyways, because it's getting foggy in here. So look at my Manta-pose. As it should be.
To be completely honest, this 100 percent more fun than I would've thought. I imagined it would be an old car with old technology...
with an electric drivetrain. Destined to be a anonymous bumpy box, but being able to change gear makes it so much more fun to drive.
I really have to take off my hat for Opel, they really did a great job here. But it raises one important question: will they put it into production?
Nope. So what do have to do now? Well, Opel has gotten a lot of enthusiastic reactions, so they're in doubt.
People recognize it from the past, so they're considering other options. A conversion kit for example.
So I'd say, if you're enthusiastic as well and if you think that this is the way go electrical when it comes to classic cars,
just bombard Opel with emails and telephone calls. It will be a matter of time before they budge.