GTP Cool Wall: 1989-1997 Opel/Vauxhall/Chevrolet/Holden Calibra

1989-1997 Opel/Vauxhall/Chevrolet/Holden Calibra

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    112
  • Poll closed .
GranTurismo916

GranTurismo916

15,465
United States
Orange County, NY
GTP_GT916
Nii916
1989-1997 Opel/Vauxhall/Chevrolet/Holden Calibra nominated by @Dennisch
560px-Calibra_Keke_av.jpg


Engines: 2.0L I4 (GM C20NE), 2.0L I4 (GM C20XE), 2.0L I4 (GM X20XEV), 2.0L Turbo I4 (GM C20LET), 2.5L V6 (GM C25XE/X25XE)
Power: C20NE: 113 hp; C20XE: 148 hp; X20XEV: 134 hp; C20LET: 201 hp; C25XE/X25XE: 168 hp
Torque: C20NE: 125 lb-ft.; C20XE: 136 lb-ft.; X20XEV: Unknown; C20LET: 206 lb-ft.; C25XE/X25XE: 167 lb-ft.
Weight: 1220-1380 kg
Transmission: 5-speed manual, 6-speed manual, 4-speed automatic
Drivetrain: Front engine, front wheel drive/Front engine, four wheel drive
Body Styles: 2-door coupe
Additional Info: "As a front-wheel drive coupé based on the Vectra chassis, its ride and handling are not significantly better than that of the large family car from which it grew. When launched in 1989, the Calibra was the most aerodynamic production car in the world."​
Opel_Calibra_front_20071007.jpg

Opel_Calibra_rear_20071212.jpg

opcal01.jpg
 
There's something about them I like, but I can't help feeling they're still uncool. Even with most of them dying because of rust or just being smashed by joyriders, seeing one today doesn't resonate much of a response.
 
If this was a like wall, this would be 10/10, Dave Meltzer five stars.

The guiltiest of guilty pleasures.

Uncool
 
Leonidae@MFT
Looks good, is terrible. Seriously Uncool.
Click to expand...

A near-perfect description of the Calibra for me. A very good, aerodynamic design. That is stuck to a Vectra (good lord) chassis, underwhelming engines and in some cases, a 4WD drivetrain that will behave like this on a road:

soap__large.jpg


And sadly, while some could've been saved by some proper tuning, most of them fall into the hands of chavs, who will go out of their way to ruin the car further, both mechanically and visually. It's the same problem that affects the Tigra, but even worse. Due to all of this, despite admiring the sound design of the car, the Calibra drops all the way down to a SU. If only the mechanical portions of the car could write the checks that the rest of the car clearly carries...
 
One of these stood proudly in the entrance to the Design Museum in London in the early 90s, but that was for the styling not the content. Opel badge and DTM make it cooler than the Vauxhall version, but still can't save it.

Seriously Uncool.
 
I love how these look, but had no idea at all of what it hid under the bodywork. So I guess that means I don't care for it one bit. Meh.
 
Gets better, and will continue to do so, with age. I think this is Cool in the same way as I think the 406 (particularly the coupe) is Cool. Cool.
 
These are nifty looking cars once they got rid of the chintzy black bump strips, and I definitely miss when cars were able to talk up aerodynamic efficiency without so blatantly looking the part. Give it a low cool.
 
Looks very cross.
calibra_turbo.jpeg


As if someone in the secretarial pool has burnt the coffee, and he's contemplating which of the poor girls to fire today.

Contrawise, could be J. Jonah Jameson.
 
Great when it's an original DTM racer. Here it's very average. Though the Calibra Turbo is nice.
Meh.
 
Got a real soft spot for the Calibra. Drove one when they first came out and was amazed that it had duller handling than the Cavalier it was based on. Which is saying something.

Perhaps the best looking car to ever come from the Opel/Vauxhall collaboration. Which is also saying something. Uncool, bordering on SU.
 
Calibra 4x4/turbo isn't nice. If anything, it understeers even worse. My friend owned one, and he hated it.
 
I actually quite like these. They are crap, though, and they are definitely not cool.
 

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