Translation trial :
Opel Formula
The Opel Speedster Turbo from Herbert Schürg is not only an exhibition car but also a true race beast.
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The dreams that come true are seldom, those that materialize without dissolving in the hard reality, write the beginning of a long lasting story, dreams to which we get accustomed, without however sinking in the daily life.
Such dreams are different for everybody, above all when it deals with automobile. For some people, the dream car comes mandatorily from Maranello, for others from Rüsselsheim too. But, it may also be constructed on the British ground. In our case, it is an Opel, we speak of the Speedster Turbo.
For Herbert Schürg from Neckarsulm a new car dream began with the purchase of such a car. He had known many others, but sooner or later each one reached its limits and stopped in the increase of its power. At last, it was a Ferrari F1 355, whose history and improvement should find an obvious end because of exorbitant costs.
An Opel Speedster Turbo appeared then as an original alternative. A car whose agility and sportsmanship were of an equivalent level, but whose modification cost was well lower.
Schürg found a model of 7 months old with light front damages that he could rapidly repair.
The step following the repair consisted in extirpating the last gram of overweight from the light roadster, in still sharpening the lowered body and for the love of detail in developing a flap aileron, enthused Herbert Schürg, who is never bored with his car. There is so many potential in this small race sweet, that a few others cars have.
The impressive carbon spoiler is in the origin on the DTM.
The regalbel rear diffuser is made of carbon fibres. The visible parts of carbon (exhaust pipe, tank door) are exclusive creations from Callaway.
On the race circuit, the passenger seat is removable, what is lighter and increases the body transformation possibilities.
The characteristics of the basic model are already «meaningful». Indeed, 1000 kg and 200 PS let glimpse what the tuning modifications may still bring.
In this particular case, the result of the modifications about the original design lead to a power of 295 PS with a weight of only 900 kg. To reach this result; the motor, clutch, the steering devices, the brakes, the wheels, the inside and at last the aerodynamic behaviour were carefully lightened by the happy owner who worked completely alone.
Schürg never lost the detail sense. He milled the corresponding brake callipers of the Alfa Brera from Rohlingen and improved them thanks to his talent. He fitted a calliper with an independent mechanism on the rear axis disc for the hand brake, adjusted an additional louver to feed the intercooler and built his own carbon air duct. The exhaust pipe is an exclusive manufacturing with cross cutting going through. "I would not be able to tell all that was modified. On this car, there is so much work that now it must be unsaleable". The car construction engineer plays but certainly not with his jewel.
He participates into the slalom series in the Club Sport Trophy and besides he drives some laps on the Hockenheim Grand Prix circuit. His best time for a lap of 4.5 km long is of about 1 minute 57,4. But since this date he still bettered his car and he should decrease his time.
"The ideas continuously come in my brain. Further on, this will be an ultra-light carbon hard top and a new front carbon spoiler. In Winter, I have time enough for design modifications".
On the circuit, the Speedster Turbo from Schürg has been known since a long time. This is not only due to the fact that instead of the flash of an Opel he adds the griffin of the British Vauxhall on the coat of arms. This is a sole specimen that becomes still more attractive because of a long-term work. The work of a perfectionist. A true dream. That is a good thing that there still exist men who are able to live such a dream.
The turbo 2 l is directly behind the driver. The motor balancing shafts were suppressed. This enables to save 7 kg in total on the road.
Herbert Schürg and his Speedster.
"With this car, I have more pleasure than with the Stradale Challenge F 355".
TECHNICAL DATA
Opel Speedster Turbo
Engine: 4-cylinder in line fluid cooled engine, 2 overhead came shafts, 4 valves per cylinder, Turbo compressor (of the Astra OPC). Intercooler with additional louver, compression ratio 8,8:1, load pressure 1.6 bar (overboost 2.1 bar), cubic capacity of the engine 1998 cm3.
Power 295 PS (217 kW) at 5400 rpm; maximum rotation torque of 443 Nm at 3800 rpm.
Transmission: rear driving wheels, 5-speed reinforced clutch (Sachs organic), short axle stay (up to 500 Nm). Drexler differential.
Steering devices: direct wheel springing, with double front and rear superposed triangles: front ventilated disc brakes, front/rear diameter 330/295 mm, ABS, Dunlop Direzza tires 7,5 x 17 inches (front), 9,0 x 17 (rear).
Body: length x width x height (mm) 3786 x 1708 x 1117, wheel base (mm) 2330, no load weight about 900 kg, weight/power ratio 3,1 kg/PS.
Performances:
Acceleration
0 – 60 km/h 2.2 s
0 – 100 km/h 4.4 s
0 – 160 km/h 9.2 s
0 – 200 km/h 14.4 s
Revving ups 4/5 speeds
80 – 120 km/h 2.7 s / 3.6 s
80 – 140-km/h 4.15 / 5.1 s
80 – 160 km/h 5.8 s / 5.8 s
Braking distance
100 – 0 km/h 33.0 metres
Maximum speed 248 km/h.
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For Spiderman and Thorney : You could notice that german tuners do not only design their upgrades for motorway and a that such car could also run on track with intercooler.
So, Thorney have you some similar article(s) (with performance figures not only superlative) regarding your own VXT upgrades ?
Edited by chris, 04 December 2006 - 01:14 PM.
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Fantastic fun though! For comparison, 2'13" was about the limit in a stock Speedster N/A, for me.
Where are those wing mirrors from?
