Opel GT X Experimental: German, accessible and exciting
The time has come, Opel finally takes off the canvas of their new concept car, the Opel GT X Experimental. It is Opel’s vision for the coming years that is fully focused on the future. It is also the concept car that we had already learned weeks ago in an old factory hall at Opel in Rüsselsheim. The car that is completely inspired by that other concept car the Opel GT Concept from 2016.
The GT X Experimental is only 4.06 meters long, completely electric and designed as a compact five-door SUV with the appearance of a coupé. The GT X Experimental is bursting with innovative ideas and embodies Opel’s brand values and future vision. This is the concept car that lays the foundation for future vehicles.
Opel and the passion for innovation
During the Opel design phase, the three brand values, German, accessible and exciting, were central. The car is designed with German technology, quality and precision, sometimes visionary and gives a glimpse into the future of what new Opels from around 2025 will look like: daring, with a lot of attention to design, but also accessible and designed for everyday use, convenience and safety.
According to Opel, it is no coincidence to symbolically shape their vision of the future as a compact SUV of only 4.06. SUVs are extremely popular and Opel wants to make such models available to a large audience. New models must be more efficient than ever. The GT X Experimental is built around a lightweight structure, with 17-inch wheels that seem much larger by the design and undeniably has an exciting appearance. Furthermore, GT X is completely electric, equipped with a compact 50 kWh lithium-ion battery of the latest generation. However, the car is not completely autonomous (level 3), ie it can drive autonomously in every respect, but the driver must be able to react when intervention is necessary.
Opel design of the future ‘optical detox’
The Opel GT X Experimental, designed entirely in Rüsselsheim by the design team of Mark Adams (Vice President Design), should stand for purity and brutality. However, for each component of the car, it was examined during the design phase whether it was possible to omit superfluous elements. This process calls the design team ‘optical detox’.
Opel’s concept cars
The name of the GT X Experimental is similar to that of Opel’s first concept car, the Experimental GT from 1965, a coupé and also the first concept car of a European car manufacturer. The extra X emphasizes Opel’s plan to further strengthen its grip on the SUV market: 40 percent of all cars sold in 2021 are expected to be SUVs.
Over the past decades, Opel has shaped its future with concept cars. Most of them never intended to be taken into production. But they did give direction to the development of new models. The last three concept cars from Opel do show a clear connection with the development of Opel as a brand. The Monza from 2013 gave shape to Opel’s aim for greater efficiency (layout, less weight and powertrain). The 2016 GT Concept brought efficiency to an even higher level with its design based on Opel’s brand values of accessibility, simplicity and purity. With the GT X Experimental, Opel goes even further with their brand values ’German, accessible and exciting’ and a bold design.