The Calibra, still capable of turning heads.
(by uncle_bob | 29.08.01)
Opel's answer to the Ford Probe? or was the Probe in retaliation to the Calibra?
Well, in my opinion, Opel won the battle for the coupe.
Ever since I was a kid, when I could only dream about owning a car, the Calibra was the one that always sprung to mind. Ever since their launch back in 1990, the Calibra was always one of the cars that turned the little boyÂ’s head as it drove by.
Now, finally, I own one myself, and it was worth the wait!
So, what is the Calibra?
Well the Opel Calibra was introduced in 1990, as a coupe, and was taken out of production in 1998.
It offered a fast, powerful car, with nearly no practical uses other than driving fast. Being only 2 door, and the low roofline that slopes rapidly towards the rear of the car, made it useless as a family car. Although people can sit in the back, it doesnÂ’t make for a very comfortable wide, but in all said and done, itÂ’s possible.
It came with a 2.0litre engine, either in 8valve SOHC, or 16 valve DOHC which was updated in 1995 to be replaced by the ‘Ecotec’ engine both were straight 4 engines. A V6 4x4 Turbo was also produced which was a beast! That’s all that can be said. Capable of giving most cars on the roads today a run for their money.
The Calibra is a re-designed Vectra in a sense. Using the chassis and a lot of the components being donated by its smaller sister, the Vectra Gsi and other Vectra's. The body was re-designed to give you what you know as a Calibra. At the time of production, the drag coefficient of the Calibra was only 0.26, thatÂ’s lower than any other 4 seater car in production, through out the WORLD! Quite an achievement and made a very nice car.
With Horsepower figures in the range of :
115bhp from the 8v,
150bhp from the 16v before 1995,
136bhp from the 16v after 1995 (the Ecotec engine)
and the V6 well, lets just say enough!
Those kinds of figures make for a very powerful car when coupled to the sleek aerodynamic body, make a very fast car.
The DTM version, released in 1995, made a much needed styling change that made it look that little bit better, and is the favoured version today, because of the looks, even though it was less powerful but 14bhp. With rear spoiler and lower suspension, the car was improved still further.
Why they discontinued it I don’t know, especially when you look at the Vectra for example. Which in comparison is rubbish, but who knows what goes on in these manufacturers minds, maybe it was to give a taste of what Opel is capable of, without making the Calibra a ‘popular car’ like the Ascona which became the Vectra? I don’t know.
So, whatÂ’s so good about the Calibra?
The engine, is the first great thing the Calibra has to offer. A proven design that worked well on the racetrack as well as on the road. Not too dis-similar from the engine used in the Touring car. It gives out impressive power figures for a 2litre (1998cc) and also makes maintenance easy due to the typical Opel design, making parts easy to get at and replace.
Designed to be pushed that little bit harder, they can take a beating and keep on ticking, without any major repercussions. Mine has 130,000 miles on the clock, and the service history shows no engine work ever being needed, bar a timing belt.
The Looks. It has to be said, the Calibra looks the part. Especially when put up against cars of today, that look like they were stick together in the showroom, with the latest design craze seeming to be to have what looks like separate wheel arches, roofs etc, all showing the seems. The Calibra boasts a sleek, stylish profile, with no bulky bits and frogeye looking headlights.
The sleek roofline and sweeping windscreens give it a very sporty look, and the narrow slit headlights make you wonder how they light the road at all, but yet are very effective.
The rear end is high and ends sharply. Giving it a ‘no messing’ appearance to onlookers behind, and the low side skirts and bumpers give it that, straight off the Touring car track look.
It doesnÂ’t have any of these unsightly holes for towing eyes, or jacking points. They are all covered by flush mounted, colour-coded panels that keep in form to its sleek looks.
The rear lights are even nice to look at. Tinted, not the horrible multi coloured clusters that seem to be coming back on modern cars.
The DTM version, shows off a low, refined rear spoiler that seems to mould itself into the boot, and the large wheel arches make room for a respectable set of 15inch wheels.
Safety, is something else that the Calibra has to offer, although nothing new or out of the ordinary, safety has been thought of. DriverÂ’s side Airbag is fitted to later models after 1993, with the introduction of a passenger side airbag after 1994.
ABS is a standard feature on all models, with vented disc brakes on the front, and solid disc brakes on the rear, with a drum brake system incorporated into the rear wheels as well, to work with the handbrake.
The hydraulic system is set up in a way that means the front brakes will always be applied first, under heavy braking, thus giving maximum braking performance, needed with so much power driving you.
Handling. The handling of the Calibra is next to perfect. Its wide wheel base and low centre of gravity make cornering not only safe, but comfortable too, due to the lack of roll produced in cornering, giving you a much better feeling of control in bends as well as keeping the car stuck to the road. Although it has caused me problems due to the fact, it wont fit in my garage because it is to wide and wont drive onto inspection ramps, because it is to low. So getting under the car for maintenance is a challenge.
The wide wheels (205) on most models, make for very good grip, unfortunately, the rare size that is, makes tyre replacement expensive, at approx. Å–80 each for a mid range tyre. And the 15inch wheels, fitted as standard, may not look the best alloys in the world, but they do help not only with appearance, but also in transferring that power to the road.
Interior. Well your buying a sports car in a sense, so fancy gadgets like TVÂ’s, cruise control etc are not your standard features. However air conditioning is fitted to some models, with the 4x4 coming with leather interior. Trip computers were fitted to later models too.
The dashboard is that of the Vectra. Which is basic, but enough for what you want. Good instrument panel with all sorts of warning lights incorporated from your basic bulb failure and oil pressure, up to ABS, EMS, brake pads, towing lights etc. I have never seen all the warning lights it incorporates, I guess thatÂ’s a good thing, but I am sure if I looked there is one that tells me when my tea is ready too.
The seats are comfortable and long. Bucket seat design, without being too squashy (that a word?) . They make long distance driving comfortable, with giving you a numb bum.
The boot is very large. surprising large, and makes use of the useless space in the rear well. The boot on my Calibra is bigger than that of my dads Ford Granada Scorpio. However, the low rear windshield does limit your boot height, but its wide profile does compensate. Folding the seats down gives you a very large boot space, with plenty of room for the weekly shopping, or, if youÂ’re like me, all them amps and speakers you want to fit.
Electrics all round, including windows, sunroof, central locking. A few nice features fitted onto the Calibra are things like, the Auto windows that shut when you lock the door. As well as the one touch system that fully opens or fully closes the window, just by one touch of the button. And due to the location of the window buttons this is a good thing, because you do find yourself hunting for the switch when on the move. Electric seats would have been nice though.
Security. Standard Opels's alarm fitted, incorporating: ultra sonic, dead locks, sensors on every opening door, including boot and bonnet. Tamper detect, and current sensing. Engine immobaliser.
The alarm is automatically set when the doors are locked. With the option of disabling the ultrasonic via a button located in the driverÂ’s side sensor ( I only found that out the other day
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A secondary siren is fitted to some models, in case the main horn is disconnected.
The alarm is very sophisticated and is all self diagnosed for faults and operation. A diagnostic function fitted allows you to plug a ‘Tech1’ computer into the system which logs all activity in the alarm and produces reports or which sensor set off the alarm, how many times it has been set off, what is at fault if there is one etc.
A feature that would have been nice to see on the Calibra is remote control locking and windows. Never introduced to the Calibra, although if buying second hand you may find an aftermarket system fitted which incorporates remote locking.
Gearbox. Not the best gearbox ever used in a car, it is a very close gearbox, and makes for very good acceleration, however it is sometimes hard to engage reverse without grinding it. But then as the saying goes, if you cant find it, grind it. It is smooth once youÂ’re on the move and the close gates make rapid changing easy and effortless, all adding to the high acceleration it can achieve.
The clutch is heavy, and you really have to work at it. But this is needed due to the large amount of power you are unleashing through it. But it does work those leg muscles a lot.
It is very hard to pull off without spinning the wheels, because of the heavy clutch which is all very well if you want to show off, but under normal conditions, does make for rough starts and rapid tyre wear. The road outside my drive is full of black tyre marks.
Burnouts are not a problem in the Calibra!
Overall. Overall the Calibra is a very well designed, rapid car. With a good powerful engine and very nice styling. I still turn heads going down the road, and it is still standard. At the moment! But it is a very nice car, one of the best cars I have driven. Because of its short production life, it is not very common, compared to a lot of cars, and so do have a sense of appeal to it, and a sense of lust among other road users. I canÂ’t remember the production figures, but it was low.
Price wise they hold their value well. Expect to pay Å–3000+ for any model in good condition, and for a 1990 car, thatÂ’s expensive, but worth it. And you know when it comes to selling it, you wonÂ’t lose too much on what you payed for it.
Parts are easy, because of the amount of Vectra parts used, although you wont find many Calibras in scrap yards, so a Opel dealer is needed for some components.
Modifying the Calibra is easy, because it is so user friendly, and so many companies offer kits and parts for it. You can make a very nice, unique car. And because of the small number on the roads, you wonÂ’t look like every other Calibra, like you do in a lot of cars.
Definitely gets a thumbs up from me
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Advantages:
* fast
* stylish
* Not as common as a lot of cars
Disadvantages:
* Gearbox sometimes
* 4x4 drive system is unreliable