Opel Experimental concept previewed ahead of IAA

Opel has revealed a new concept car, the Experimental, as it previews the brand’s future design direction. The typology is described as a ‘crossover’ but it seems to lean more towards hatchback or coupe territory than SUV – think Astra GTC over Mokka.

It is not the first time Opel has leveraged the Experimental nameplate, with several other concepts shown in recent years. Many will also be familiar with the 1965 Experimental GT, a two-door coupe that was launched at the Frankfurt auto show that year.

That concept would go on to become a successful production model which fondly took on the “baby Corvette” moniker in a nod to its design ancestry. On revealing this latest Opel Experimental concept, the design team directly name drops this sublime GT car as a source of inspiration – but they are keen to distance themselves from the notion of retro-reinterpretation.

“We use our strong heritage as an inspiration for our future models, but we never do a ‘retro-design’,” explains Florian Theis, chief designer for advanced interior and exterior concepts. “There are numerous iconic Opel cars like the Experimental GT, the Manta or the Monza with efficient, exciting and inspiring designs.” The Vizor and Compass design cues, he adds, “are two prime examples of how we take inspiration from our heritage and give it a modern twist.” Indeed, these features can be seen on the Opel GT X Experimental concept back in 2018.

The digital reveal of the new Experimental concept came earlier this week, but its maiden outing will be during the IAA in September (where you can join CDN for a day of design discussions and workshops).

The project began last year but is a continuation of the Bold and Pure design language which has been gradually progressed over the last few years. As far back as 2016, Opel bosses have been quoted as using terms like “bold” and “pure”, in particular with the two-seater GT concept shown in Geneva.

So while this new crossover is very much a concept, it is arguably further along the line towards pre-production than some show cars are. Theis describes it as “an outlook on the Opel design of the future,” and confirms that certain elements of the concept will carry through to upcoming production models. “As you can see with the 2018 GTX Experimental and the Mokka production car, we want our concept cars to convey a very clear message and add value for the brand,” he says. “They always show innovations, form language and design elements that will be translated into future production vehicles.”

Concepts like these seem to come together far quicker than in the past, and part of that is down to the prevalence of digital design tools and the COVID-19 pandemic, which accelerated agile working techniques. “We are using more and more digital tools to design and present the cars,” affirms Theis. “Later in the process, we use full-size models to review on the final design. Nonetheless, design development is clearly shifting towards a digital design development.”

Aside from the series of renders on offer there is not too much to go on for now; we hope to share some ‘in the metal’ shots during the IAA in September where CDN will have boots on the ground.