Opel Insignia GSi 12 Seconds Quicker Around Nürburgring Than OPC

The new Opel Insignia GSi is a lighter, faster, more performance-oriented version of the family sedan with the same name. Power comes courtesy of an upgraded 2.0-liter turbocharged engine delivering 260 horsepower (193 kilowatts) and 295 pound-feet (400 Newton-meters) of torque, and is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. With all those performance credentials in tow, how does it do on a track?

Opel took its new Insignia GSi to one of the most grueling tracks around to find out – the Nürburgring. With former DTM racing driver and Director of Performance Cars and Motor Sport Volker Strycek behind the wheel, the sports sedan performed above and beyond what the company had initially hoped. Though Opel neglected to give an official time, it made clear that the new GSi was an impressive 12 seconds quicker than the outgoing OPC variant.

"The lightweight architecture, the excellent chassis configuration with uprated damper hydraulics and software adjustment, the unique all-wheel drive along with the performance tires make the GSi as precise and sharp as we wanted it to be," said Strycek after his test drives. "The results speak for themselves. I can complete a lap of the Nordschleife in the new Insignia GSi up to twelve seconds faster than in the more powerful OPC predecessor – but I obviously push the car every inch of the way."

Alongside a 260-hp (193-kW) turbocharged engine, the new Insignia GSi comes with a number of unique performance features to boot. All that power is paired to an intelligent all-wheel-drive system that sends a perfect amount of power to each individual wheel thanks to torque vectoring. The Insignia also rides on 20-inch rims wrapped in a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires, and comes standard with high-performance Brembo brakes.

The company is calling its new Insignia GSi the "Connoisseur's Choice," following a "Tested on the Nürburgring" seal of approval. Though it lacks a price currently, the new Insignia will go on sale in Europe in just a few weeks.