We have already looked into some of the sports that, for one reason or another, filled our imagination in the 90s — those wonderful 90s… And the Opel Astra GSi 2.0 16v is precisely one of them.
Going back to 1991, it would be difficult to anticipate the success that the Opel Astra would have — and that continues to this day. Successor of the also very successful Opel Kadett, the Astra had the difficult task of continuing the legacy of the small family member that covered much of the history of the «mark of lightning».
And the German brand didn't do anything for less: the Opel Astra, which adopted the name given to Kadett by Vauxhall, was available in three- and five-door, van, saloon and cabriolet variants, the latter designed and built by Bertone in Italy .
A restless 2.0 liter atmospheric multi-valve engine
But it was the GSi 2.0 16v version that caught the attention of petrolhead, which is no wonder…
On the outside, what distinguished the GSi from its peers in the range were the sportier bumpers and body color, the differentiated grille, the peculiar hood air vents and the larger rear spoiler.
And of course the GSi inscriptions. The biggest differences were in the interior — and we're not talking about the cabin…
Under the hood was a 2.0 liter in-line four-cylinder block with 16 valves, developed in partnership with Cosworth (which would specifically develop the cylinder head). A proven engine on the Kadett GSi, launched three years earlier and one of the first multi-valve engines at Opel to power a high-volume model.
Official figures indicated 150 hp of power at 6000 rpm and 196 Nm at 4800 rpm, power that was transmitted only to the front axle through a five-speed manual gearbox — doesn't seem like much these days, but late 1980s and early from the 90's of the last century, 150 hp was one of the gauges that separated the “kids” from the “big ones”.
It wasn't difficult to get more power from the C20XE engine, without sacrificing reliability, one of its strong points.
On the scale, the Opel Astra GSi 2.0 16v weighed only 1100 kg (DIN). The power-to-weight ratio of 7.3 kg/hp allowed it to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in just 8.0 seconds and reach a top speed of 217 km/h.
premature end
It would be short-lived sun… In 1995, the Euro2 environmental standard entered into force, which forced the German brand to equip the Opel Astra GSi 2.0 16v with a catalytic converter, which lowered the power to 136 hp.
For this reason — and also because a good part of the units ended up being victims of unhealthy transformations — trying to find a first-generation example, with 150 hp, second-hand these days, can be an inglorious task.
The Opel Astra GSi 2.0 16v will really remain in our imagination…
About "Glories of the Past." . It is the section of Razão Automóvel dedicated to models and versions that somehow stood out. We like to remember the machines that once made us dream. Join us on this journey through time here at Razão Automóvel.