Time really flies by, whether you’re having fun or not – can you believe that it’s 25 years since the Opel Calibra debuted at the 1989 Frankfurt Auto Show?
A truly special model for Opel aficionados, the Calibra was an affordable, good-looking coupe which had a drag coefficient of just 0.26, making it the most aerodynamic among contemporary production cars. It was successful too, with Opel producing 238,647 units from 1990 to 1997.
The Calibra arrived as the successor of famous Opel coupes including the Manta, Opel GT and Monza and was ahead of its time thanks to the very low drag coefficient, independent wheel suspension and semi-trailing arm rear axle, optional all-wheel drive and modern gasoline engines with closed-loop-controlled catalytic converters fitted as standard.
The Calibra was offered with a 2.0-liter entry-level engine with 115PS (114hp) which propelled it to a top speed of 203 km/h (126 mph), while the 150PS (148hp), four-valve version reached 223 km/h (138 mph). Despite the performance, the Calibra 16V averaged 7.7 liters/100 km (30.5 mpg US) on the combined cycle.
Priced from 33,900 Deutsche marks, the Calibra’s list of standard equipment included power steering, a five-speed close-ration gearbox, a six-speaker audio system and tinted windows. Optional extras included air conditioning, a four-speed automatic transmission and an electric tilt/slide sunroof. An all-wheel drive system was also optionally available in addition to the standard front-wheel drive for both 2.0-liter gasoline engines.
Despite being a coupe, the Opel Calibra offered plenty of room for four passengers thanks to its long wheelbase and a luggage compartment of up to 980 liters (34.6 cu-ft) with the rear seats folded flat.
In March 1992 Opel launched the Calibra Turbo, which was powered by a 2.0-liter turbo engine producing 204PS (201hp) and featured all-wheel drive, a six-speed gearbox, sports seats and 16-inch light alloy wheels with wide (for the time), 205/50 tires. Another engine variant later introduced was the Calibra 2.5 V6 with 170PS (168hp).
Production ended in 1997, with a Last Edition model featuring a sports chassis, BBS wheels, leather trim and air conditioning. The Calibra’s biggest markets were Germany, the UK, Italy, Spain and France. Let’s just hope Opel will build a new Calibra one day.
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