Holden Calibra to make a comeback?
According to recent reports from the UK, documents from Vauxhall's parent company GM have leaked online which contain confirmation that the Calibra badge will make a return. The documents also reveal the Vauxhall Calibra will use the Insignia platform.
The Holden Calibra was last on sale in Australia in 1997, and was sold in the UK as the Vauxhall Calibra and the Opel Calibra in other parts of Europe. This new information might not trickle down to a possible Holden Calibra resurrection, but there is a chance the model could enter our market as an Opel (earlier in the year Opel announced it would be opening up shop Down Under, completely separate to Holden).
Reports say the new Calibra will be based on the GTC Concept coupe that was unveiled at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show. The car will use the same Epsilon II platform as the Insignia, offering a sportier two-door coupe layout. With thanks to a shortened wheelbase and an all-wheel drive system, the Calibra is likely to offer superior performance over the Insignia.
Possible powertrains for the new model include the 240kW, 2.8-litre turbocharged V6 petrol engine (as seen in Insignia VXR), although, this engine is likely to be reserved for the top-spec models. Smaller, more fuel-efficient turbocharged engines are set to power the entry-level range.
The new Vauxhall Calibra will apparently go into production at GM's Russelsheim factory in Germany, in 2012, with a market entry proposed for 2013.
0
