Opel offers glimpse at futuristic Monza concept car

Opel is about to show us a glimpse of its future with the Monza concept car, which will be revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this fall. The Monza, a nameplate we haven't seen for a while, will preview Opels of the near future, showcasing technology and design rather than being a production-ready car. But some of the styling will surely trickle down to the company's road cars.

Underneath the stylish concept we're getting a glimpse of before the show itself, are two major themes which Opel will be pursuing in its future vehicles: efficiency and connectivity.

The Monza Concept is meant to be extension of the Opel's new strategy for the brand, unveiled last year and called "Drive Opel 2022." The ten year strategy envisions 23 new Opel models in new and existing segments and 13 new engines by the year 2016, in addition to efforts to improve the image of the Opel brand. Opel is also thinking about entering new markets, and relaunching its soccer sponsorship activities.

Opel's CEO, Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann, said the following about Opel's vision for the future: "DRIVE!2022 is a clear strategy for the future of Opel as a company and a brand. It covers a whole range of subject areas and elements, and in terms of the future of our models, we've bundled all our targets together in the Opel Monza Concept. It is our vision of Opel's future and stands for our fundamental values: German engineering and precision, combined with enthralling design and innovations suitable for everyday use."

The choice of the Monza name for this design concept was perhaps met with little surprise in Germany, but few Americans are familiar with the last Opel that carried this name. Built from 1978-1983, the Monza was the coupe version of the upscale Opel Senator sedan, a model not sold in the U.S. despite the fact that it was available as the Chevrolet Senator in other markets. At the time, the Monza was Opel's premiere luxury coupe, and took on the likes of the W126 Mercedes-Benz SC and the BMW 6-series cars. Even though the Monza and the Senator were made by Opel, none of their components -- engines included -- were offered in U.S.-market cars. Interestingly enough, the Chevrolet Monza that American buyers did receive was based on the Chevrolet Vega, and shared no major components with the Opel Monza.

The 2013 Monza Concept was designed to demonstrate efficiency, while offering connectivity. The Monza Concept's exterior design is also a reflection of its dual goals, featuring cues that evoke its latest offerings such as the Ampera, but with an eye toward the future.

Even though the Monza Concept is by no means a pre-production example, the front fascia doesn't seem over-styled by any measure, and we wouldn't be surprised to see this design language on a production Opel car a few years down the road.

By Jay Ramey