New Calibra shapes up

to be honest its hardly catches the eye. looks like 3 series coupe eqv of the signia and a half ar$e attempt at making a completely new car from ground up. the old Calibra was low, slim and quite good looking for its time even though i heard it was rubbish to drive.

By corsamani on 14 June, 2011, 7:51am

Exhaust setup

I have to confess that I do not like the trend to fixing exhaust thru the rear body assembly. l notice in the photos, the camouflaged model has a normal exhaust. Must not have pleased the trendoids!!

By SprightlyBob on 14 June, 2011, 8:42am

Dull, dull, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. are they aiming for the same market as the equally, now what's the word...on yeah...DULL MG6?

By Buckers1010 on 14 June, 2011, 11:20am

Oh......

To be frank I'm seriously underwhelmed. I loved the first Calibra when it came out. Despite it's Vectra interior the bodywork at the time, was nicely executed compared to other cars in it's class, with nice lines and a sweeping tailgate.

This does look like a rework of the dreary Insignia, which is a bit of a dogs breakfast at best (and feels like a prison inside). I'm afraid this just doesn't cut the mustard for me. I hope they didn't spend too much money on it.

By craiglife on 14 June, 2011, 11:58am

Don't do it!!!

Nothing special, neither was the Calibra. Learn from Renault, how many Laguna Coupe's do you see on the road? The GTC is fabulous......quit while you're ahead

By BigMartyn on 14 June, 2011, 12:05pm

insomnia cure

it looks as if vxl/opel have gone into the pharmacutical world as this offering is sooooooo boring drivers of other vehicles would be in danger of falling asleep at the wheel in the extremely unlikely event that they should actualy see one on the road.
What i can't understand is how a company can make great strides forward over the last 5 or 6 years and then pass their design department over to the darby and joan club

By radioman on 14 June, 2011, 4:41pm

If you say so

The Calibra rumour has been around now for a while. A whole lot of this seems bla bla bla worthy so till more info. I don't really care. And the spy pics look like they could even be the Astra convertible testing.

Read my blog: http://superneauvou.wordpress.com/2011/06/09/eight/

By SuperNeauvou on 14 June, 2011, 4:52pm

So what happened to the epsilon 2 platform coupe, with all wheel drive .......

By Cal_Doodle on 14 June, 2011, 11:35pm

Oh dear...

What about the 2008 Opel/GM GTC concept car? Build it just like that. The back end on this one looks like someone has just stuck the boot up its backside!
I used to own a Cavalier 2000GSi, that was a great car for me, despite its gremlins and shoddy Vauxhall Dealer work.
Don't water down the 2008 GTC too much. And give it 4 wheel drive.

By bob809 on 15 June, 2011, 12:21am

Not amused!

If none of you above have anything nice to say about this car then don't say it at all. And another thing if you think you all can do better then why don't you get off your ar$e's and send in your own designs for your dream car. The old Calibra died because it was old and dated... Don't bring back a new car looking exactly like the old one!
I for one think this looks rather cool but my only complaint is the pricing. Why can't car makers make cars this good looking for a price the ordinary joe can afford... I mean why bother making a car that is green for example and then charge premium car prices for it? Just plain stupid and bad management on the R&D costs.

By tazza6662000 on 15 June, 2011, 9:11am

It's An Astra Coupe . . . Isn't It?

There's nothing like good design to entice prospective buyers, and that's nothing like good design. Nice is not enough.

By LANMAN on 15 June, 2011, 12:55pm

Yawn! Why bother, if this is your best.

One of those cars that you park in a car park and just forget what is.

It will hardly challenge Peugeot RCZ, Renault Megan Coupe, or Citreon DS3.

By Madsteve7 on 15 June, 2011, 5:42pm

More anonymous dross from Vauxhall

Boring, dull underwhelming. Why bother?

Next car please.

By IvorBiggen on 15 June, 2011, 5:58pm

Enough to drive you to become a Pedestrian or to drink.

Even after 15 pints this still looks absolute crap.

No wonder GM want to flog Opel/Vauxhall off to the Chinese, Vauxhalls design team have not got a frigging scooby do.

Caliber is a very green car its enough to put you off ever buying a new car ever again.

By Richie767 on 15 June, 2011, 6:17pm

I think these are photoshops, not official images-having said that it looks nice to me-just don't call it calibra.. It's an astra coupe from what I can see.. Priced right it'd make a nice cut-price 3 series coupe. I think vauxhalls latest offerings look good-clean and understated so this is probably a good guess at how the car might look.

By uncle_paulie on 15 June, 2011, 6:22pm

The art of design

Theres no flair, no charimsa, no noticable aspects to the car that add character. The side is a bland, and like all cars "plump", and looks over weight.

Sadly this car is not loved by me.

By Cinqster on 16 June, 2011, 2:42pm

Not for me

This just looks like an boring astra coupe for the american market. At least the Calibra looked sharp in its day.

By cousins11 on 17 June, 2011, 11:26am

Dr Clarkson speaketh...

You are feeling very sleepy. Your eyelids grow heavy. Now listen to my words: Vauxhalls are boring. Vauxhalls are dreary. Whenever you see a Vauxhall, your default expectation will be boredom, and more often than not you will perceive only this, and not the actual appearance of the car...

AND YOU'RE BACK IN THE ROOM!

Seriously. Everybody has been told that Vauxhall is a boring brand by Mr Clarkson and chums, and therefore, almost regardless of what they do, you insist on baaing and mooing 'boring' in unison.

I think this car looks as good as anything on offer from the other major car companies, and I have no idea what the other commentators are (almost universally) talking about. But then I also have little to no time for 99% of Clarkson's ridiculous views.

By Dangerous_Dave on 18 June, 2011, 7:45am

Dangerous Dave needs to go to Vision Express

You could do the next advert for them Dave.

It's looks worse than your Grandma's ugly best mate with no hair or teeth, that you would not date.

Get your eyes tested mate you, might have a nasty accident.

By IvorBiggen on 18 June, 2011, 3:20pm

I'm pretty sure I've just managed to pin down where Ivor's Biggen is located. Better to have a nasty accident than to BE a nasty accident eh?

I'm sure you're aware that looks are subjective? But let's entertain the moronism for a moment. What in particular do you think is ugly about it? I would hate for you to just be ignorantly gassing with no particular reasons for your noise.

By Dangerous_Dave on 19 June, 2011, 4:00am

If you don't want a horses head in your bed like the car says Dave.

You are feeling very sleepy. Your eyelids grow heavy. Now listen to my words: Vauxhalls are boring. Vauxhalls are dreary. Whenever you see a Vauxhall, your default expectation will be boredom.

Clarkson was proved to be right, GM lost billions building crap boredom needed a big bailout.

Its got a nice inner ashtray & cup holder Dave, l bet you have got a nice pair of inner lungs, shame about your eyesight though.

By IvorBiggen on 19 June, 2011, 1:41pm

Elongated GTC.....

This looks like an elongated version of the Astra GTC, and the sketch of the convertible is clearly based on the Astra. 'We'll call it 'Calibra' and push it upmarket so we can charge more for it'. Let's face it, the Calibra name doesn't exactly possess upmarket connotations. Isn't Vauxhall playing the same game with the new Zafira?

By erly5 on 19 June, 2011, 9:50pm

YOU GUYS ARE SO DUMB!!!

Why the hell are you lot fighting over something that Vauxhall didn't even design??? This was Autoexpress' guess of what the car could possibly look like using photoshop, but for those who are regular AE users, they will know that AE never get the guesses right and that the car always turns out to be better than their guesses.

THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK.

By Abdurrahman1 on 20 June, 2011, 6:00pm

MR AVERAGE

That's vauxhall. Average. Personally I find nothing wrong with this name tag. We all need something or someone in our lives at work or at home which we need but don't really want to think too much about.
For instance, we, misses and myself, we have three cars. Which all have a purpose. One is a hair dryer with wheels and I'm sure if it was a person would find people of the same sex attractive, this car is used a lot. One is a rally bred Italian limited edition which strokes and pokes your adrenelin but is always broken. Finally we have the 'safe' car. This is a vauxhall. A red twinport astra with big wheels. Even with the 18 inch pims and bright red paint it is still invisible. And. It's the most unwanted. It gets abused for runs to b&q, IKEA or dumped at airports for 2 weeks of the month while I am at work. It is boring to look at, boring to drive and particularly good at anything but it always starts and nobody has tried to steal it. Great car

By conclusion on 20 June, 2011, 9:27pm

what a load of ... but maybe not, who knows?

I wish auto express would be honest with their images, what does exclusive illustration mean? Fake presumably. By all means have your wet dreams but label them as such. Sadly your messing about with photoshop means you'll also have to label them as genuine if they really are.

By fleabane on 21 June, 2011, 8:51am

Its alright

Think thats the best I can say for it really.

But, it is still better looking than anything BMW or the VAG are offering.

By AndyG on 21 June, 2011, 1:18pm

The argument stands

....regardless of whether this picture's been invented or not. I think people bash Vauxhall on the basis of some preconception largely conjured by he of the pendulous jowls and pubic head-hair, rather than actually forming a reasonable comparison. I don't see how anybody could argue that Vauxhalls are more boring than, say, most Japanese cars, or even most German cars.

By Dangerous_Dave on 22 June, 2011, 11:38am

The arguement carries on

Has Dangerous Dave ever driven a Vauxhall? There really is nothing exiting about a vauxhall, they understeer badly and look average. There hasnt been anything intersting from Vauxhall since the VX220. This was a brilliant car. Before that you probably had to go right back to the Lotus Carlton. Both cars developed with Lotus. Then there was the Nova sport irmischer.
Everything else is as bad as a maintstream Ford. Easily forgetable

By conclusion on 23 June, 2011, 12:01pm

Shut up whinging its an artists impression....

and non of you are of have been Calibra owners. Go back to your "other brand" cars and enjoy what you drive.

This is not the GTC its just a mock up.

http://photos.autoexpress.co.uk/images/front_picture_library_UK/dir_440/car_photo_220224_7.jpg

Cry Cry Cry babies LOL :)

By seanoturbo on 23 June, 2011, 3:56pm

insignia

love it ! BUT....its not a calibra its an Insigna Coupe

By vRSgordon on 24 June, 2011, 3:10am

Looks like something to have come out of a GCSE, A-Level Design College!

I wonder who Vauxhall employs as designers? College leavers maybe?? Maybe ex McDonalds burger flippers perhaps?? Shelf Stackers??

By JTravolta77 on 24 June, 2011, 8:05pm

VrsGordon? are you sure?

Anyone know for certain? Is this on The Insignia Epsilon 2 platform? Or the Astra Delta 2 platform?

By Cal_Doodle on 24 June, 2011, 10:11pm

Oh Dear

I used to like Vauxhalls, in the days of the original Calibra. This looks like its been computer designed in 20 seconds. Why do all these coupes have to wear their company faces? Thats part of the problem with this design. The face is too tall, with too much going on, and spoils any attempt to look sleek, while the rear looks no better. Is it me, or has the price of cars these last few years jumped another 3k or so? Even small family cars are now well into the mid teens of thousands, nudging 20k.

By pocketpiston on 25 June, 2011, 3:31pm

Health concerns for reviewers

After reading a fair few of these reviews I can't quite believe just how upset some people are getting! I have images of fat, old men ('conclusion' springs to mind) having heart palputations and foaming at the mouth over an artists impression! I think the cars a bit of a looker personally but I fear that if this car were ever to go into production there would be rioting throughout the country!

By Maestro on 30 June, 2011, 2:31pm

P.S.

It must also be quite embarassing for the people that think they're being clever with comments such as Richie767 who believes GM are selling VX to the Chinese. Come on! VX have made a profit in the last 4 quarters with huge leaps in public and fleet market shares and a mutitude of innovations that have won awards. Does that sound like a company that the owners are looking to sell?

By Maestro on 30 June, 2011, 2:34pm

Wait a minute it's not even going to look like that

Calibra.................Astra

By dan123 on 30 June, 2011, 5:08pm