Chevy's Volt gets a lightning rebadge to become the Opel Ampera for Europe
By Tim Stevens 
posted January 27th 2009 8:59AM
posted January 27th 2009 8:59AM
posted January 27th 2009 8:59AM
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Autoblog?
...... has down?
Vauxhall?
Nice. Seems like they pimped the design as well.
Really looking forward to driving without any petrol in the future :)
I do that already!
it's called DIESEL!!
Are you sure that's not an Acura RL with cooler headlights in front?
It looks nothing like the Volt concept pictures being floated.
you're away this car uses a gas engine to charge after the first 40 miles?
unless you meant the future after that.
@dervheid
I wonder what your diesel is made of ? The ones you get at the gas station isn't B100.
If you are looking for interesting styling check out the Aptera.
http://www.aptera.com/
mine, isn't ****ing ugly
The Dr who reference is somewhat out of place as opels aren't sold in the UK. We have Vauxhall instead.
Aye, but it's not something we should be bragging about though.
Damn i actually like this one much better. WTF GM you give the Europeans the more aggressive looking car. We get the soccer mom VOlt.
Yeah, this version looks much more aggressive and interesting. Maybe it'll be an option? Maybe not :(
because, generally speaking, cars are a lot more expensive to operate in Europe, and Europeans won't put up with the crap that most Americans will put up with. I would purchase a lot of the Ford and GM European products if they were available in the US.
Instead I buy Japanese cars...
I can't wait to hear what Jeremy Clarkson will have to say about this...
So these big boys Kill The Electric Car, and decades later release a new one and want praise?
SHITE!
Why the hell do you say SHITE! every time?
He thinks sounding European is cool. Just like the dumbass punks in middle America saying "Anarchy in the UK."
Have you seen what kind of electric cars they were coming up with 20 years ago? Jesus, the car companies didn't crush them. Moron, the tech wasn't available. And now that it is, it is expensive. So due to the costs involved, few grass roots electric car manufactures can actually manufacture VIABLE electric cars. Thanks to the major car manufactures, we are starting to get usable electric/hybrid cars.
Why don't you clean the SHITE out between your ears and smarten up. K?Thx.
It's not 'badge engineering' if the Opel Ampera and Chevrolet Volt aren't sold in the same market.
So why can't they stick to one badge? Srsly- it started life as a Chevy, why does it need to be Opel for Europe?
Chevy over there is like Kia here.
@Jamar
Different markets are more receptive to different names. There is a reason that the Chevy Nova didn't sell well in Mexico. "No va" is spanish means "no go". Obviously that isn't the same exact thing here but it kind of illustrates the point.
@ Frogboy
That's nothing: Pajero (the name of a Mitsubishi SUV) in spanish actually means "wanker", still that was not enough to change its name in south american markets.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel
GM bought into Opel, the name was already established in that market (Germany). Such is the case with many brands. The problem with badge engineering is not so much the renaming, it's the redundancy of product. A company makes too much product for its market, there's a glut...(yadayada)
The Opel Astra exists here as a Saturn, which is ok because there's no redundancy...perhaps too little, too late...but no redundancy.
I drive an Opel Blazer in Indonesia. Both Opel Blazer and Chevrolet Blazer were sold there.. The Chevy being the more expensive one..
Also vauxhall Ampera for the UK :)
3 badges now lol
The Vauxhall 'Armpit' would be more accurate a name, IMO
This is great news, except for the fact that no oil company or car company sleeping with said oil company execs will allow an affordable, gas-free vehicle any time soon. They'll be overpriced, underperforming cock-teasers to keep the masses expecting more. It will take new companies, and companies not tied to the US oil market to produce true 'off the grid' affordable vehicles.
Don't keep allowing yourselves to be fooled. Someone is in control, and they aren't letting go of the wheel any time soon.
can I borrow some of your foil?
Badge engineering is an American tradition...?
Tell that to the Lexus ES/Toyota Camry, or the Acura TL / Honda Accord....
FYI....It's more like an automotive tradition
I think the point is that badge engineering is older here and dates back to the days of plymouth and other's brands which were designed to bridge price gaps between their inhouse brands and the competition.
bhawk the difference seems to be that at least the japanese change the car .. the sheet metal is different. All american companies do is change the grill and corporate logo.
I'm still hoping to buy my first new American car very soon .. just not a badged re'd one. I want the CTS Coupe .. wlll settle for the Sedan :) in V fashion of course .. this from a current Audi S4 owner.
-sun
They converted Voltage (Volt) to Current (Ampera)? Bound to see some resistance...
Ohm my gosh, I can't believe you made that joke.
awesome :)
@Brad
That was terrible. You should be ashamed of yourself, but possibly in a good way...
resistance actually sounds like a cool name for a car. The Chevy Resistance - doesn't sounds too bad. How about capacitor or inductance? impedance anyone? Ok that's just going too far.
I would love to have the Chevy Impedor. Sounds Mexican.
In the Asian markets, and in-line with naming conventions, this car will be called the GM Watta!
like the sound Bruce Lee makes when he does the karate chops
Last time I checked, resistance was futile ...
Its mascara is running.
+1
Badge engineering ? If this was really Autoblog they would know GM own Opel and Vauxhall in the UK. They share designs obviously just like Ford.
"They share designs obviously just like Ford."...
share designs with Mazda (Mazda 2 / Ford Fiesta, and not for the first time either!)
Thats what I meant, Ford US uses euro designs (Mondeo & Focus were designed in Germany I think) And Mazda which Ford owns a 30% share in (I Think) uses all the same platforms.They all do it like VW which owns Bugatti/Audi/Seat/Skoda/Lamborghini, they all share dashboard bits and chasis.
Once again common industry standards which fly right over most Engadget writers heads.
Yeah I had the Seat Ibiza (model before the new version) which was built on a VW Golf chassis.
Renault/Citroen/Peugeot do the same thing too. This ain't a new trend by any means :)
Top Gear Challenge:
will it run
.
.
.
.
Underwater!?
The Volt was engineered by Opel in Ruesselsheim
This is what is wrong with GM. Badge the same vehicle six different ways.
I think the Volt is a great step, but the predicted price is waaaay too high.
Hopefully they will come out with such a vehicle that the masses can afford.
If this is real, then I think again GM is giving Europeans a better design than what we get here in the states. Do GM really think the American consumers have no taste in design and quality??? or GM just think we are not worthy of a good design?