To say that the all-new Opel Astra K was met with mixed reactions would be a major understatement. Weird how nowadays a car can be both pretty and boring at the same time, isn’t it?

Sure, we can praise the ‘K’ for its weight loss, roomier interior, fancy IntelliLux LED matrix headlights and so on, but what about the lack of a “wow-factor” when it comes to the way it looks?

In fact, the last time an Opel Astra had the so-called “wow-factor” was back in 2004 when the ‘H‘ came out with those sharp lines, completely unlike anything else in the segment.

Still, that doesn’t mean we should start discrediting it. Who knows, we might really like it after we get to drive it. Until then, let’s check out some virtual wizardry, starting with this very interesting OPC version.

It was masterfully rendered using Corsa OPC components and even though we can’t say that it’s not a good looking hot hatch, we tend to think Opel is going to go in another direction with the Astra OPC.

The one major problem that could arise if Opel would build this particular OPC (looking exactly like this rendering) is that it wouldn’t be aggressive enough visually. Even the current model would have a more predatory stance.

Still, the details are nice and the 20″ wheels are definitely the way to go with this car.

As for the power unit, no word on how much juice the OPC will have. And keep in mind, it won’t necessarily need to be a lot more powerful than the current version, considering the fact that it’s a much lighter car.

Right now, the OPC is powered by a 2.0 liter turbocharged engine, good for 280 PS and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque. It can hit 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6 seconds flat, which means that the new model should be quicker than that even if the power remains the same.

Oh, and the current generation OPC is already quicker than the Focus ST and Golf GTI, which means that if Opel decides to make things more interesting with 300+ HP, they might be getting into Golf R territory, which means hitting that symbolic 100 km/h mark in a little over 5 seconds.

Rendering courtesy of Virtuel-Car

PHOTO GALLERY