Official: Hot Opel Astra OPC / Vauxhall Astra VXR gets 280 Ponies, on Sale in 2012

It’s finally official; the production version of the most powerful model in the new Astra GTC range that will be marketed as the Opel Astra OPC in mainland Europe and as the Vauxhall Astra VXR in Britain.

These pictures show the Vauxhall model but the styling and the performance specifications are common between the two Astra GTC-based hot hatches.

Power is derived from a new 2.0-litre turbocharged direct injection four-cylinder engine capable of 280-horsepower and 400Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque that are channeled to the front wheels via 6-speed manual gearbox and a specially developed mechanical limited slip differential.

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GM Says Opel Astra Convertible's Replacement to be a Standalone Model Like the VW Eos

Earlier this year, General Motors European arm laid out its plans for the replacement of the Opel / Vauxhall Astra Convertible with a new model that will enter production in 2013 at the Gliwice plant in Poland alongside the new Astra models.

And while we know that the open-top model will be based on the new generation of the Astra compact, what the General didn't say is whether or not it will carry the Astra nameplate.

Up until now, that is, because in an interview with Car Magazine, the European design chief at GM, Mark Adams, said the new convertible will be a separate, standalone model in the likes of the Volkswagen Eos hardtop cabrio.

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