Cars from Around the World

The Opel Calibra (badged as a Vauxhall in the UK and a Holden in Australia) was launched in 1989, a front-wheel drive coupé based around the running gear of the Opel Vectra A, (Cavalier under the Vauxhall name) which had been launched the year before. The Calibra, styled by the American head of GM design Europe, Wayne Cherry (retired), is considered by some the most stylish Vauxhall/Opel ever, but being based on the Vectra chassis its ride and handling were not significantly better than that of the family car from which it grew. It was, however, the most aerodynamically efficient Opel ever, with a drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.26. It remained the most aerodynamic mass production car for the next 10 years, until the Honda Insight was launched in 1999 with a Cd of 0.25. Power was initially from 2.0 L 8-valve and 16-valve fuel injected I4, engines but in 1992 a turbocharged 2.0 L engine with four wheel drive and a top speed of 240 km/h (150 mph) was added to the range. In 1994 a 167 hp 2.5 V6 was introduced, thus creating what many considered to be the finest Calibra to date. Available with both manual and automatic transmissions, the V6 wasn't as fast as the Turbo, but was rather more civilised, and proved to be more reliable than the complex 4wd flagship model. During its lifetime, the Calibra was much more popular than its nearest rival, the Ford Probe, which was considered to be too American for most European people's tastes. In 1995, the Vectra A was replaced, but the Calibra continued until the end of 1997, when it was finally axed from the Vauxhall/Opel range. Although a smaller coupe (the Tigra) was available, the marque was left without a mid-sized coupé until the Astra Coupé was launched in 2000.