Asphalt 9 Ats Automobili Corsa Turbo

[Bradley Zweig]

Youprobably remember my first review of Opel Corsa OPC - Vauxhall Corsa VXR for the colonial readers, in which I highlighted just how impressed I was with the acceleration, handling and the grip of this little hot hatch, especially when compared and pitted against the likes of Peugeot 208 GTi and Skoda Octavia vRS.

Anyhow, my impression translated into a click, which means a buy, and so here we are, with Opel Corsa OPC for a long-term drive, and that means all kinds of feedback and whatnot. We will revisit all those fine and less fine things that we saw in the initial test, and follow up with some more prose and fine imagery. Yes.

What? Yes. We will start this review in the most unusual of fashions. With problems. As it turns out, less than 24 hours after I got this car, I had to take it to the official service garage. The A/C unit was faulty, and it would not blow air through the central console vents. I did spot this shortly after leaving the sales point, but it took me a while to register the pain and accept the reality.

Once in the official service workshop, things got worse. I watched men take apart a brand new car, touching the plastic and leather and others bits and bobs with their grubby, sooty hands. And I thought, it ain't a virgin no more. A black cloud descended on me. I had less than 100 km on the road, I haven't even revved once to 3,000 rpm, and the dashboard was being taken apart, piece by piece. This was quite horrible, especially for someone with OCD.

At this point, I decided not to watch the horrible ordeal anymore, and I phoned the sales manager. She came, picked me up in her car, and took me back to her office, where she promptly gave me the keys to her demo unit, the funky little Adam, which we saw some time back. Several days back, she asked that I return Adam because she needed to show it to some potential buyers, but she arranged for a turbo-charged rental Astra, for as long as the repairs continued, free of charge on my end.

The replacement of the A/C unit took almost three weeks, and it necessitated ordering a brand new part from Germany, plus a complete dismemberment of the dashboard. After I was informed the car was all sorted out, the Opel folks washed it, tanked it, and then took it back to their sales point, for a fresh start. Furthermore, the sales manager offered me one free 15,000 km oil service, and 10% off on all original Opel parts. I did not even have to argue or say anything. This is the most amazing and courteous service I have ever encountered.

However, a new spate of problems cropped up. The steering wheel had been positioned about one degree to the left and had to be slightly realigned. The silver plastic cover on the door handles bulged, especially on the driver's side. It turns out this is a manufacturing problem with all Corsa OPC, and a new one has been ordered for me. Then, there were some tiny scratches on the dashboard, and a big one on the multimedia system. The replacement of the A/C unit left some small but quite livable-with scars behind.

Well, almost. I decided the damage to the paint and finish of the multimedia system was not acceptable, plus it was misbehaving, by not playing music from USB devices, remembering radio stations or the volume level after switching the engine off and taking the key out of the ignition slot, and by not playing the last media source when turned on again. Once more, the sales manager intervened, phoned the contractor that had installed the system on Opel's behalf and demanded a replacement. They didn't even argue and agreed to replace the unit, including driving over to my work place or home or anywhere I found convenient. Needless to say, I was mildly shocked by all the good energy and the service quality. This was hardly what I expected.

I have to admit that the mechanical pieces are all working flawlessly. And there is no noise from the dashboard, even when driving over bumpy roads. Apparently, all of the components have been secured well and with precision, and the job has been done with care. That's a good sign. A troubling start, a first of a kind for me, but so was the actual interaction with the sales, the car service team, and everyone else employed or contracted by Opel. You don't get this kind of gentlemanly behavior anywhere else.

So after a while, things kind of settled. It comes down to the A/C unit replacement, door handle replacement, and a new multimedia system, while the three of four tiny scratches on the interior plastic, barely visible even for someone like me, will remain. Plus some perks here and there, and quite a bit of VIP service. Fair enough.

All right. Let's discuss the car. At USD48,000, this is the second cheapest proper hot hatch with 192HP on the market, bested only by Peugeot 208 GTi. The rest of the competition is pricier, or it delivers fewer horses and fewer accessories by default for the same kind of money. As far as the list price goes, the graphite black metal paint Corsa OPC comes with a sunroof, sliced and diced at the manufacturing plant in Germany, leather trim inside, ultra-awesome Recaro seats, a custom multimedia system plus a reversing camera that is offered at the local market, hill-hold assist, air pressure warning, six air bags, sporty ESP+ designed to kick in at a later stage than most systems, and a badass triangular exhaust pipe.

In return, you have the aforementioned horses, torque value that goes between 230Nm permanent and five-second overboost 266 Nm in third through sixth, translating into 225 km/h top speed and roughly 7.2 seconds to 100 km/h from standstill, although I will have to test and check this independently. This is more or less in line with most hot hatches in this class, and less than an eyeblink separates the whole class.

Opel Corsa OPC is a positively, decidedly chavvy car, by design. There hardly goes a day by without a fellow driver, neighbor or car enthusiast coming over and ask or praise the vehicle, curious about its aggressive, sporty looks and the ultra-low-profile tires. Indeed, with 225/25 ZR 18 wheels and beautiful alloys, this really draws attention everywhere. The rear diffuser and the exhaust pipe, with its ever-so-rumbly note, add to the general reputation.

From the front, this is very similar to ordinary Corsas, but things take a whole new turn once you examine the side and rear quarter. The sunroof adds ambiance, the tinted rear windows add mystery, and the whole rear quarter, which is very similar to Renault Clio RS, adds to your bad boy racer karma.

The vibe continues on the inside. The Recaro seat transform the interior from a utilitarian work area into a sports arena. Sure the perforated aluminum paddles, plus the metal motifs here and there contribute their charm. The steering wheel has a flat bottom with the blue-letter OPC logo, and a white ring marker that almost serves like missile guidance during cornering. Awesome.

But the Recaros are not there just for show. They are absolutely amazing. The single most fun piece of this car, after the engine and the transmission and all that. They hug everywhere, all the way up to your shoulders, and they completely relieve pressure from your lower back. You do not jiggle about in corners, and you stay put in your seat. Even after a long drive, you feel fresh and relaxed, and there's not a single knot of pain anywhere in your lumbar area. The buckets are a total blast, and they serve a real ergonomic, anatomic purpose. Plus, they are totally rad in every way, and they complete the chavvy sensation of look-at-me, look-at-me that this cars physically exudes, on the outside as well as the inside.

Let's go back to the rest of the interior. Not bad. The air vents add ambiance. The black central console plastic does not feel as cheap as the one used in SEAT Leon. It actually adds character. Even the small central computer, with its orange lighting is neat. In fact, in low-light conditions, various bits and pieces of plastic turn orange, which is totally cool, and contrast the black very neatly.

The multimedia system is not like anything you will get with the car in its original form. Dating back to 2006 or so, the Corsa media system is an old thing, with a separate 12-button phone dial and all that hideousness. But this thing they put in there isn't much better either. It does have touch, navigation, rear camera, micro USB and all that, but it's not very pretty or sophisticated. For example, I much prefer the unit used in Adam to this junk.

Surprisingly, in the back, there's lots of space and headroom and enough belts for seating three adults, legally. Contrast this to Audi A1, where even short people need helmets, and there is only place for two. A surprise really, even though the access is tricky. Big doors help, but then you must be careful in the parking lot, and closing them takes a bit of swinging, plus they don't make a satisfying noise, and you might be tempted to try again. Anyhow, in the rear, the three legally allowed adults can spend some time without feeling too cramped. With the help of the sunroof, there's enough light to reduce the feeling of claustrophobia. No powered windows, I'm afraid, just static triangles of tinted glass. But you know what? Forget about seating anyone in the back. Why would you consider buying a three-door small hatch? To drive people around?

The boot is small but practical, and it comes with a false bottom, which is neat for storing invisible trash. You don't get a spare, to reduce the weight, but the downside is imperfect weight distribution and more jolting when the rear wheels go over deformities. Audi A1 has a much better front rear balance. But more about that later. Having no spare means you get a built-in compressor and a small book of prayers.

This is a double-edged sword. First, it's cool. Second, it can suck hot air out of the cabin at low speeds and in town. Third, it lights up the cabin, and indeed, on the inside, Corsa OPC feels airy and light. It's really a pleasant feeling. Fourth, the extra window on the roof allows more sunlight and heat to filter into the car, and if you are driving at midday, this can be mildly unpleasant.

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