Vauxhall’s European brand partner Opel has announced it’s set to take the new Adam city car rallying, with the aim of supporting grassroots motorsport and emerging talent.
At the same time, a race programme for the Astra OPC – Opel’s equivalent of the VXR – has also been announced.
The Opel Adam rally car is described as being “closely specified” to FIA R2 standards, which targets young drivers in particular, and will be eligible to compete in the ADAC Rally Masters series in Germany in 2013.
Customers who elect to drive the Adam will also be entered into the ADAC Opel Rally Cup, enabling them to compete directly with similarly specified cars. Cash prizes are on offer, while drivers under 27 will have their own “junior rally” points system. Part of the championship prize includes some professional tuition.
Opel has committed itself to supporting the sport until at least 2016, and is promising a “modular development program”, which will hopefully allow talented driver to progress to an international level.
A forthcoming Corsa-based rally car is set to support this.
The Astra OPC Cup, meanwhile, will feature circuit racing versions of the 270hp hot hatch “built to match” VLN Endurance Championship specification. This is a European category of racing that’s particularly popular with grassroots competitors.
As with the Adam rally car, the Astra OPC Cup will have its own trophy, and is expected to include a 24-hour race at the Nurburgring. Again, cash prizes are on offer, and there are also benefits packages in place to support privateer entries.
Part of this strategy includes affordable spare parts, as well as technical and organisational support from Opel, on and off the track.
Whether we’ll get to see any of this in the UK remains to be seen, but Vauxhall does have a long history of supporting British motorsport. Fingers crossed.
