Vauxhall Flextreme GT/E concept car
18 February 2010
- The shape of things to come
- New electric concept car
- On show at Geneva motor show
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This is the Vauxhall Flextreme GT/E electric concept car, which will make its debut at the Geneva motor show at the start of March.
The Flextreme GT/E is a four-door coupe that uses the same E-REV plug-in hybrid drivetrain as the Ampera, which will go on sale in 2012 for around £35,000.
With its battery fully charged – which takes three hours through a household socket – the GT/E has a projected range of 40 miles. That’s enough for the majority of journeys taken in the UK, but for longer trips there’s also a 1.4-litre petrol engine to generate more electricity and provide a total range of more than 300 miles.
175mpg and emissions of 40g/km
Vauxhall says the system provides an average 175mpg and CO2 emissions of less than 40g/km. With a 161bhp and 273lb ft of pull, the Flextreme GT/E, is capable of a 0-62mph dash in 9.0 seconds and a top speed of 124mph.
The concept car is a little shorter than an Insignia family car, but is much lower and sleeker. Its rear doors are rear-hinged, like those on the new Meriva.
It is designed to be as aerodynamic as possible and has a drag coefficient of 0.22, lower than that of the Mercedes-Benz Coupe, which is the most aerodynamically efficient production car with a figure of 0.24.
The Flextreme GT/E also has intakes at the front to guide airflow around the body. The wheels have low-rolling-resistance tyres, while 350mm-long active spoilers are deployed at speeds above 30mph to improve aerodynamics. There are no door mirrors, just small, drag-reducing cameras instead.
A bit like the Alfa BATA lot of the Flextreme GT/E, design features remind us of the Alfa BAT concept cars – which were revealed at the Turin motor show in 1953 and had a remarkable drag coefficient of 0.19. We think the floating door pillars and the bisected rear windscreen are particularly reminiscent of the BAT cars. Take a look:
Alfa Romeo BAT photos
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