Legendary Power, infamous handling.. the Vauxhall Calibra Turbo 4x4
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- Опубліковано 18 жов 2024
- The prettiest sporty design of the decade that totally failed to live up to the driving expectations. Known for a punchy turbo engine but terrible dynamics, does the Calibra Turbo feel any better 30 years on?
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/ @number27
Love how the guy who designed the car in a week second name was schnell
Living up to his name. 😅
😹😹😹😹✨
Considering it looks like a Cavalier, it wouldn't take long.
So good
My Dad had the V6 version when we were living in Germany I thought it was brilliant doing 140mph on the autobahn as a kid.
This week on things that never happened
@@2nd.2nd.2nd you were there weren't ya. Plonker
My Dad worked for Vauxhall then Opel in Germany for 3 years during the 90’s so we lived there during that time. It’s a big world outside your bedroom in your mums house for your troll account that’s only 5 months old.@2nd.2nd.2nd
Had a Vectra.... The V6 revved like a cut snake....
@@danieltynan5301The Cavalier V6 was better
That takes me back. I used to have a 4x4 turbo in the 90's. Almost zero wind noise even when your driving almost flat out. Very fast when compared to similar cars but handling let it down. They sounded great with a Skorpion stainless steel exhaust and a decat.
ahh the C20LET engine..born from the original 20XEJ "redtop".. best engine vauxhall/opel ever made. i have a fully forged 20XEJ turbo in my Astra GTE 16v.. so fun to drive with 400+bhp 👌
Are you local to Sunderland by any chance? I ask as an Astra GTE passed me at light speed last week. 😊
@@josephfannan yes mate i live in sunderland ..wasnt me driving though..i dont speed 🤫
@@Davidsasuk That's a wonderful car you have there sir.
Seeing that interior gave me a deep feeling of nostalgia. I'm a 90s child and my dad had the early Mk.III Cavalier CD 2.0i as the family car back in the 90s. It was the family far for almost 15 years till it ended up as sandwich filler between two cars. A lady who was screaming at her two kids in the back of her car hit us pretty hard from behind and the force shunted us into the car in front and the insurance company wrote the car off.
I think I was more devastated to see the car go than my dad. That car was a huge part of my young life while growing up.
If i recall correctly, it had some nagging issues.... It didnt like cold starts on super cold days and the gearbox was quite a bone of contention for my dad and he ended up taking the garage or insurance to court over it. Something to do with gearbox issues that landed him with a £300 or £600 bill that the insurers wouldnt pay for and the garage he had taken the car for inspection to did something dodgy with it and it never ran right after they had a look at it till it didnt run at all.
I can understand why dad was happy to see the car go.
They also had a fault with a relay in the fuel injection system, which overheated and failed, but it was a much better car than Clarkson said.
@@john1703 This may explain why Dad always had spare ignition leads in the boot. During colder months the car would idle extremely rough and he would pull the plugs for a clean and change the ignition cables. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didnt and the car still continued to run pretty roughly even under power even if it was allowed to idle for 5-10mins to warm up. If it continued to run rough then most trips were cancelled 😅😅
I never understood why he had the cables or why he always changed or cleaned the plugs but this makes sense now!
I dont think he ever thought that it would have been the fuel relay which was causing the Issue and the dealerships he went to never could fix the issue and he just accepted that it was just how it was.
I had a 95 in silver after I got fed up of my MG Montego Turbo constantly breaking down. I loved it would regularly drive it flat out in the days when you could enjoy driving
You can still enjoy driving?? Unless you live in the overpopulated South that is!
My father bought a 2L cavalier 4x4 (after ditching his XR4i) loved it. I'd hired a Calibra 2L whilst my car was being repaired & said to him 'you should get one, really good on a long run ' (fuel consumption) so he took my advice & bought the 2L turbo (not so good on fuel) he had it for around 4years during which suspension & engine were tuned. In switchable power mode went between 220 to 300 bhp. Back in the day only exotics with huge price tags were any faster. It was Vauxhalls reply to the Cosworth Sierra.
That age of cavalier was a cracking car. I did lots of miles in a 2.0CD
Me too 157,000 in an automatic 2.0CD. I once did Alston to Penrith in 15 minutes on the A686. Clarkson et al are ignorant of the car's abilities.
On looks alone the Calibra has always won my heart, from the sleek base model to its ultimate form, the DTM Calibra race machine.
That DTM version had nothing in common with production car.
@@napraznicul The Opel logo was the same.
Remember these when they came out, but if I'm honest, I always preferred the look of the Peugeot coupe. It was a Pininfarina design and I believe even had the Pininfarina badge on the side, by the door.
My mums 2005 Hyundai Matrix has a Pininfarina Badges. Crazy.
To be fair, if you are talking about a 406 coupe (which other car could you have meant?) they are totally different generation cars... Werent contemporary competitors for more than a few months at the end of Calibra production.
@@GoldenCroc true the 406 came out late 97 or 98? both very aesthetic, the 406 ferrariesque
My mate had a Turbo, it was a poorly maintained unloved example but it still managed to hit 150mph with 3 of us in it......I'm extremely surprised we survived!.... that is still the fastest I've ever travelled in a car and I'll always remember that terrifying jurny 😂
Poorly maintained.. and 150mph.. 😳
@Number27 yup...it' was a real basket case of a car, but yes it hit 150mph! It was travelling slightly downhill but yeah 150 very scary!
The Calibra turbo was one fast car, I think top end was 151/152 mph.
@clivemitchell4316 yup definitely a fast car....even when broken! 🤣
Was obsessed with these as a kid and begged my dad to get one. But he hated 2/3 door cars.
In my late teens and early 20s it was a bit of a war between these and sapphire cosworths. Back then values weren't miles off. £5k could get you either in the early 00s believe it or not.
They were both 2.0 4x4 turbo with around 200hp. The Calibra was better looking and more modern. But the Sapph was just a better car. And that's reflected in the fact they're now unobtainable and most Calibras have been scrapped.
Don't say it too loudly either, but in 2024, I sort of think a late Cavalier 4x4 turbo or GSI2000 is a better looking car...
My Dad had a ‘93 Turbo in 1994 and I loved it - It felt so quick!
Had a 16v Redtop Cavy back in the day. Lowered 60mm with gas shocks and 15 inch alloys. Also put a tow-bar on the back to stiffen up the chassis.
Was honestly the best car I have ever had, handled like a train on rails and the engine could sit all day in the red.
In the early 90s, during childhood, my neighbour was a Vauxhall salesman at the local dealership. He would always bring different cars home but mainly Calibras. I remember being fascinated by the sporty shape and definitely wanted one when l was older.
Back in the 1990's I had a Calibra 4x4 turbo, a Cavalier 4x4 Turbo and a Cavalier GSI. The GSI was a fine car until it pushed hard and epic understeer and did like to aquaplane. I swapped to the Cavalier 4x4 turbo after this and the difference was night and day. The understeer was much less and the grip levels went up significantly. I sold this with 100,000 miles as the transfer boxes do about then and swapped to the Calibra 4x4 Turbo. This car did not drive in the same manner as the Cavalier 4x4 Turbo and I only had it for a short while as the driving experience was so different.
The 4x4 was done on these via a viscous coupling on the transfer box and a replacement was circa £3000 back in the 90's, so when most of these failed, they were left as front wheel drive with 200bhp!!
TY Jack 🙏🙏. Think I first saw one at the NEC Car show, liked it straight away!
They still look good today and a friend had a white 4x4 Turbo when new. But I was a Capri boy, so lusted after big engines and rear wheel drive, so neither the Calibra nor the Probe (or later Cougar) really appealed. The Vauxhall that DID wasn't really a Vauxhall at all.......the later Monaro is much more my pint of XXXX. Would love to see you test one of those, particularly a VXR. I so nearly bought one, but went 5th Gen Mustang instead :)
I always liked the Calibra, especially the 16v / V6 versions.
In fact, I'd have one right now!
How much for a '97 v6SE9 with 98k on the clock?
Many years ago I had a post university job selling for vauxhall network q (nearly new) and the new 4x4 s.
Wasn't great at selling but I loved driving all the px or other cars in stock so I could talk about them.
This one in a dark green was great for a 22 year old .
I also fondly remember the ford Scorpio with cosworth engine. Sat in it was like your favourite comfy chair fired from a catapult. Not so nice from the outside I know.
Thanks for the interesting & varied topics. Can't beat cars as a hobby
Man that Scorpio was ugly no matter what angle you looked at it. Shame really.
Great car. I had a Cav 2L 8V, took it to 155k miles, zero breakdowns, sold it to my best mate who did another 50k plus. A pal had a Calibra in 92, a lovely mileater with a cavernous boot.
A more or less stock turbo in mint condition...that's a rare beast these days.
You are on fire, so many of the cars I really liked in my youth are being featured on this channel right now
I saw the Calibra at the 1989 Earls court motorshow. I still remember now thinking it looked fantastic. I was 16, and had got the train there with my mate. Despite notable cars such as the last of the line Countach anniversary, Ferrari F40 etc, I still remember this. Miss the Earls court shows.
OK Jack, I must take umbridge with you over this. The chassis is a Cavalier chassis, from the GSi. That chassis when setup properly was epic (I owned 2). The 4x4 was rubbish, purely because of the heavy flywheel & electronic 4x4 system - ask Dougie about his 3.0 24v 4x4 Cav Gsi that's setup properly, when it runs! As you know, I've got one of the last auto v6SEs, it turns in and holds better than any yr2000 onwards car that I've owned. Please note how EV cars are echoing Calibra headlights (with influences from other places like that epic Alfa a few days ago). P.S., don't start me on the red top, I'd bore you out of Peroni!
Umbrage.
I LOVE a Calibra. I was 13 or 14 when they came out and my parents and their friends were all in their 40's and could get these on company car schemes instead of Cavaliers so I've got a lot of good memories of them. Never been in a turbo but plenty of 16v's and 8v's and the odd V6. I'm half tempted to get one as a daily driver over winter. Reckon that's a good idea? I haven't been in one since the late 90's.
I'm with you all the way!
I remember being at Cubs in the 90s, and one of the dads who dropped off his kids had a new red Calibra. It seemed like a spaceship somehow and I remember marvelling at the 6 speed gearstick as I walked past it. For comparison, my dad drove a red mk1 Astra 1300S estate at the time with a 4 speed box. It smelled of engine oil and nothing worked on it, but I loved it. That place must've been a trap for Vauxhalls, because one of the arkayla-type people was a lad with a brown Chevette and he'd installed a megaphone speaker under the bonnet linked to a CB type microphone, which we all thought was cool at the time.
What do you want to pay for one with 98k on the clock?
@@redsidebiker Not a lot
@@ruk2023-- What's the figure? Basket cases are going for £4k+. This is MOTd, sunroof doesn't work and is booked in for a new headliner. Cambelt done 20 months ago.
In the early 90´s this was my dream car. Never owned one though, but I still think it´s a very good looking car.
Brilliant car, mad strong gearbox!, itll hold 700hp and Brilliant engine and a cool looking car what's not to like
I used to hire Calibras cheaply through my workplace when I was younger.
I still love the shape of them.
The Calibra needed a magic wand called Lotus. Just imagine a Lotus Calibra with 300+bhp and proper 4wd!
I had one of these, built in Sweden, and with the Coscast head. So, the best version of this car. It had a EDS (famous German tuner of LET engiens) stage 1 chip, blowoff, stainless exhaust and a K&N panel filter. I´m still kicking myself for selling it :( Bought it in 2001 for €6000 and sold it the next year for the same money. I guess now it would be double or triple that to replace it, here in Germany :(
I liked the look of the Calibra ,still looks good today .
Imperfect , but adds too the charm , maybe ?
There were two generations of Ford Probe in the USA, starting in the late 1980s. We never got the first one in Europe, which probably explains why sales of the Probe are higher than the Calibra. An interesting piece of trivia about the Calibra is that it was built in Finland by Valmet Automotive for most of its life.
Yes, i am from Finland and i had almost 20 years ago 4x4 turbo made in Finland. What a great cars they were, calibra and vectra a, might not be a drivers car but they still have great racing history.
Vauxhall/Opel had some great looking cars mixed in with performance models. Is there any chance you could get the mighty Senator 3.0 24V on the channel.
My wife used to have an Irmscher DTM Calibra 4x4 Turbo, one of just 50 made. It was a first class touring rocket. Very civilised inside too. Another car that we shouldn't have sold 😢. Ended up being bought by a collector in Ireland. Hope it's still alive and well.
16 v my sons and I loved borrowing it. Looked great and accelerated well on the motorway. Felt solid. Enjoyed the video. Good memories.
All 4x4's had a fuse that was often removed due the often troublesome 4x4 setup so it just powered the front wheels, some enthusiasts went as far as retrofitting the whole rear hardware back to the 4x2 setup found on the lesser models to save weight! So many heathens broke these for their engines to stick in mk2 Astra GTE's if they had given up the art of self preservation or the Nova if they were completely insane! Such a shame really as the Calibra still looks lovely today, totally timeless design even if it is just a well dressed Cavalier!
Jealous mates used to call mine a Cavalier with a shell suit on !
I was on a Nova mailing list in the 90s and someone had fitted the 2l turbo in there's. I had a 1.6GSi and that punted down the road nicely enough.
I remember in my early 20s going to the Earls Court Motor Show specially to see it at launch. You couldn't get any where near it as there were so many people around it, there was nothing else like it apart from the SZ which I also still love.
Thanks for this video! Actually this car was supposed to be GM's World Rally Championship weapon in the 1990s but the project was ditched because GM prioritized touring car racing on the motorsport front. In Australia the 4WD Turbo Calibra was sold as a Holden but it was road tested alongside the Toyota Celica GT4 once and the car magazine favored the Toyota. So the dice was loaded and it did not sell well down under. Oh and it did not have a V8...
Cool car 🚗 😎
I had a cavalier 130 SRI hated it after my GTE convertible 😅
The first car I ever heard about that had a 6 speed gearbox. Blew my 12yo mind!
Gorgeous car. I drove it some 15 years ago on a short distance 8V with dead tyre and shocks, and still drove beautifully. The Opel version had a much nicer front, they sold quite well in Italy where I live, and for a LONG time you could see them running, usually in good condition. Who owns (or owned) her, cares for her. It means it's a car easy to love. A great GT, able to carry 4 people comfortably on long distances with excellent mileage. Still one of the most beautiful design in history (in my top ten, for sure).
This car was on all the automotive magazine front pages when I was just becoming interested in cars. This looked like the future of cars and really got me interested. I would buy Autocar and motor as often as my pocket money would allow and read it cover to cover. This car more than any brings back memories of those times 😊
A friend had one back when it was current, and I got to drive it 😊
I recall a humdinger of a tussle through some tight twisty lanes and I can understand the less than sporty dynamics……… however, at that time we were getting through old bangers quite quickly……… rear drive Cavaliers, Carina, Corolla, 100A, Renaults 4, 5, 9, 11 and 12, Maxi, Mini, Marina and Cortina’s……… so, a 4x4 turbo Coupe was highly exotic 🙂🇬🇧
I’ve always been a fan and they’ve aged better than many of their peers……. Saying that, I can’t remember the last time I saw one……..
Footnote: the Probe was dreadful, in name and reality - you can guess what we called them. But, Ford didn’t learn, cue the Cougar 😳
🙂🇬🇧
I had one of these, I miss it so much.
I'd modified it massively it was running 286hp, full time locked transfer box, it stuck to the road like rails, it was rapid.
I'd say it's as fast as my current 2016 BMW M235i.
It's a responsive engine because it's got a Cosworth head.
I`d love to see what you`d have to say about the South African Opel Kadett and Astra 200ts...Delta Motor Corporation (they managed the Opel Brand in South Africa) imported a thousand or so of the Calibra Turbo motors from Germany and slapped them into front wheel drive cars with an added LSD, the result was monstrous!
Always loved the Calibra had a few cavaliers couple of Sri 8 valves and two gsis all great cars and handling easily improved with a decent suspension set up.
I had this same colour 4 x 4 turbo it was a 1992, I got it in 1994, I had a lovely Polish g' friend at the time. Let's just say she handled much. much better than the Calibra, it was like a barn door to be honest!! I went out to Poland to reunite with her in 1994, the car was pretty frightening at only 130mph on the German autobahn, this being claimed to be a 150 MPH car! Fast forward, I changed my transport to a Porshe 911 SSE in 1995, that and my new English GF both rode better and were more predictable and reliable!! LOL..... BTW great channel, love your videos.....
1990s was truly a golden era for Vauxhall. Calibra, Tigra, Charlton GSi, Senantor CDX 👌
The Tigra was terrible. The others were good though.
@@simonh870 Tigra looked great though and were plenty on the road. A sales success that made decent money. It's been down hill for Vauxhall since then
May I add to your list, albeit from memory the tail end of the 90's...V6 Omega.
@@baggierols73 It's main problem was the Ford Puma which looked as good but drove miles better.
@@CoeurDeLion81omega was launched 1994
Scariest test drive I ever had was in one of the first 8 valves: me in the back, a mate in the passenger seat, & a salesman that seemed determined to kill us all. Neither of us bought one, although the car certainly went OK. I would like to try a V6, & see if anything could be done to address the handling these days.
I love front end and rear actually reminds me of a 90s Mustang.
I had a 2.0 cavalier cdi and traded it for a 2.0 8v k reg red calibra. At 21 it was completely different from the cars my friends were driving (escorts, fiestas and novas) and cheap insurance for the time. still looks great today.
I'm fortunate to have a turbo now. It's much better as a GT car than a back roads sprint car. Don't think I will ever sell it.
Nobody ever said it was bad handling did they? They just said it was the same as the Cavalier. And in its time the Cavalier’s handling was hugely praised.
He doesn't seem to be able to drive. Or never pushes them. Regurgitation of bits of car reviews.
I've owned a few cars he has reviewed, and his conclusions have no relation to reality
What did John Cleland do to the Facorty team when the UK Vectra came to BTCC? I've owned both and that is why I have a Cavvilerba
@@redsidebiker Sorry, I dont fully get what you mean? Are you saying later models were modified in some way this wasnt? Because you arent comparing a racecars handling to a normal car, right?
Cavaliers handled very well - at least the 2wd GSI did anyway
This was a huge hit here in Brazil, where it was sold as Chevrolet Calibra between 94 and 95 model years only I guess. Despite having little selling numbers, it was a pride joy of Chevrolet of that time, which was fully renovating it's lineup with the Corsa B (being built here), and Omega as the top model. But they never ever said anything about the lower cx being only in the steel wheel version 😂
Thanks for reviewing this car. They never sold them in the USA. I have 2 of the turbo models in Australia. Only about 110 turbos made it here.
p.s. If you ever make it to Australia. More than welcome to review my Megane RS275R trophy 🏆 😎
Dougie from Once Driven Forever Smitten would rag this and get it woken up.
exactly this!
@tobymcnicol922
He's a great driver, Dougie
@@paulie-Gualtieri. heheheh
@@paulie-Gualtieri.👋🏻
@@Qmark78
😂 haha
I remember driving a similar vintage Cavalier, and the front wheel came off while i was on the motorway. I barely noticed much difference in the handling.
i remember a calibra during my childhood in the neighbourhood. had a body kit, coilovers and nice wheels. thought it was one of the coolest cars around. and that as an already bmw infected kid
We had those in Australia as the Holden Calibra.
Seen a green one in the underground carpark of my local shops the other day, has to be at least 20 years since I've seen another. Great looking car and so small compared to the bland pumped up shtboxes everyone seems to drive today..
A beautiful coupe, this and the 1984 Astra GTE, both looked awesome in red.
The Ford Probe was a gaudy design that was developed for the US market. Thankfully the Calibra was a tasteful harmonious design.
I remember when these came out I thought the shape was Epic, so futuristic and cool-looking.
I ran a V6 auto in the late nineties. If you accepted it was no sports car it was a pleasant thing to trundle about in.
Such a beautiful design, particularly for the time.
A car I'd not heard of but one to which I can relate.
I still remember the reveal of the Calibra and how it completely stole BMW's 8 series release's thunder at the Geneva Motorshow.
The Calibra wasn’t designed in one week. The basic theme was, however, decided quickly and approved and supported by Wayne Cherry, Design Director of Opel at that time.
Erhard Schnell was studio chief - a great designer, real gentleman and my first boss as a young designer at Opel. He had also led the design of the Opel GT, amongst many others. Miki Hattori sketched the Calibra out, closely guided by Erhard and Carlos Barba did the interior, although the dashboard was carried over from the Vectra for cost reasons. A shorter wheelbase version was proposed, but also nixed due to cost. I remember doing the aerodynamic fine tuning in the Stuttgart University wind tunnel- we had a favorable basic shape and did a lot of detail refinements including underbody to get the 0.26CD end result. We also managed to make the shape very stable in yaw, not always easy with very aerodynamic vehicles.
By the way, a name that nearly got used for the vehicle was Cresta.
I remember the design team getting many plaudits when the car was launched at the IAA alongside the 8 series BMW.
I later drove many high speed kilometers in a black 4x4 Turbo and the thing was utterly stable at top speed on the ‘Bahn. It was not very agile at lower speeds, but you could rely on it not biting, even when transgressing its pretty high limits, which made it great in the wet. It had very little turbo lag and low wind noise, making it a great cruiser.
Very happy memories of leaving more than a few BMWs and Mercs in the Opel’s wake.
Definitely a very cool looking desirable and affordable coupe. Want one with an Opel badge for sure and in yellow.
A word about the Ford Probe/Mazda MX6. I ran a 1993 Mazda MX6, 6cyl, 5M for 14 years. Awesome car! Looked great and, for a front-drive vehicle, could really be pushed hard in corners. Also had the most comfortable seat of any car I've owned. That's a test I'd love to see.
I just think it really was a car of its time, I grew up in early 70s, ie 76 got my license n then went directly into a driving job with a transit van, then a Vauxhall Chevet van, nearly all similar cars of this era handle like pigs compared to todays cars, but pls remember we absolutely didn’t know any better back then, and in my humble opinion made us all the better as drivers. By the way I then went to drive HGVs across all Europe n parts of Africa and Middle East. So I’m no Reginald Husband ( those that know… know ? ) 🤔😎 keep up the good work mate 👍
My second favourite cat of all time after the legendary lotus Carlton
I saw an auto express magazine back in about 1993 ish that showed a spy shot of a lotus calibra. Ish that had been made
My not so favourite memory of this car was being a passenger in my friends one when he lost it on a roundabout and stacked it hard into a metal barrier, complete write off but minimal injuries thank god 🙏😂
Loved my Cavalier. One of the best colours I've come across in cars metallic Grey.
Had my 1991 Cavalier SRi from new, 65,000 miles of working use and a much underrated car imo, F16 gearbox for brilliant close ratios and the 8valve 20SEH engine gave loads of torque plus good handling. High mile or non OEM suspension crucifies dynamics.
V6 version is a nice cruiser no vauxhall has ever handled well except the VX220 🤣and many were stripped for the brilliant red top engine.
Yup. I had a V6 one of these, right after I sold off my V6 Cavalier. Both in the same lovely "Nautilus" green/blue.
The Cav CDX, surprisingly, handled better after I installed a 30mm lowering kit on it, and 16" wheels. 😉
"Schnell" is a great name for a coupe designer.
I had a sapphire cossie in my mid 20s.(rwd) and yes I ended up losing the back end in the wet and ending it's little life. A few years later I got one of these 4x4 calibra Turbos. A white one. To me the best colour for them and Always looked ace on a night time. It was a great car but it never put a smile on my face like the cossie did. Kept it in one piece though.
Great test the design impressed people with ground breaking aerodynamics and classy proportions.
Wow! That's a rare beast!
My Dad had a 2L 16V FWD version of this car as a company car. I remember liking it at the time, but the best thing about it would have been the classic redtop engine.
A nice, honest, objective review. Thank you.
I remember when these first came out, all the sales reps wet themselves trying to trade in their Cavalier SRis! It was quite the stampede.
Red top .... great engine ❤
Having not seen, or thought about one of these for years it's odd that it seems so normal. As a youngster I thought these looked like Supercars.
Back in the day, I had a silver 8v and then a black 16v. I actually preferred the 8v with its better midrange torque.
I just love that car, same era Celica Turbo was supreme many ways, but Calibra have more space.
Quite like the JayEmm reference lol
I've always had a soft spot for those, my mate had a Blue 2.0 8V it was nice car
Not long ago, seen piloted by droves of ner-do-wells, in every town. Can’t remember when I last saw one.
Boy i remember seeing the Calibra being MAXXED out with the Max Power era and the crazy bodykits that just ruined its sleek look, even if it was amusing. I'd love one of these, especially to go against the Sierra 4x4 in a battle!
It's still a great looking car
The Ford Probe sold well because it--more than the Vauxhall Calibra--was recognized for having strikingly original styling. It was the work of Mimi Vandermolen who had been in charge of Ford interiors. She said her first assignments at Ford were styling small components such as hub caps. The Ford Probe might have been the first car from a major manufacturer to have been styled by a woman and she was proud of that.
I had a cavalier 8 valve SRI , a 16v and 24v probe, a MX6 , loved them all , later in life I had V6 Cougar, 2.0 I, and 2.2 diesel 406 coupe , loved my coupes , but now would struggle to get in or out of them 😢
My mate had one & I had a Mondeo with RS kit. I couldn't believe how much his rolled in corners, when he drove mine he was very surprised. We decided at the time the best car would be a Calibra outside, Mondeo chassis & interior. Engine, either the Ford V6 or Vauxhall turbo....
The Calibra was more of a GT than a proper sports car. The wet noodle Vectra/Cavalier chassis was to blame for that.
When looking at it as an autobahn cruises, it suddenly makes sense :)
The fragile transfercase story is untrue when dealing with only mild improvements. Had a 260bhp turbo and it never broke, despite some hard launches. Driving it in snow really exaggerated the delay for power to the rears. Made it great fun in those conditions.
Still have a 3.0 V6 with 6 speed and ITB's now.
Owner knows his Calibra's though, the 8v is the best all rounder, especially with a Lexmaul intake and a mild cam.
I don't remember the Calibra ever being sold in the USA. The Carlton/Omega came over as the Cadillac Catera, Pontiac sold the Daewoo version of the Gen 2 Astra/Kadett as the LeMans, and Saturn the 5th Gen version. In addition the Saturn LS200, like the Saab 9-3, was based on the Vectra.
You are correct. GM had a red one at its Warren Tech Center though…
In my humble opinion, the MkIII Cavalier represents the epitome of automotive development, specifically the pre-facelift model made before 92. No CAT, no ABS, no airbags, very little to go wrong, yet it has an almost bulletproof EFI and engine management, an unbreakable engine in the 2.0 8v with a decent output, leccy windows, central locking and PAS comfy seats, a fair ride and drive. Stylish (even today) reliable, surprisingly economical (probably helped by that lovely low drag body) and easy to maintain. If you know how, you can fit a clutch in 20 mins! Everything since then has been downhill!
I've owned a couple of dozen Cavs at least and never had a bad one. I used to keep a couple around as loan cars for my workshop customers, mostly 2.0 8vs, but I kept having to buy more as those same customers kept buying them off me! Till, all of a sudden, they were all gone! I also had a lone Calibra, a 2.0 8v auto, which became my wife's first car after she passed her test (quite late in life) She absolutely loved it!
Yes the handling wasn't the best, on the Cav or the Calibra, like I always say, Vauxhall made the best powertrains , but couldn't make a chassis for toffee! But it's good enough for a daily driver. Personally, I don't think the IRS (also stolen from the top spec Cav III GSi as was the Redtop engine) makes much difference and the 4WD even less, considering it's complications not worth the benefits.
😂😂😂😂
I wanted the Calibra but for various reasons stayed with the Cavalier. I had a lot of fun in the Cavalier including driving it ;-)