GM's Opel division creates its own muscle car concept off the same Holden-sourced rear-drive platform on which the new Pontiac GTO is based. Designed with the look to the future versatility demanded by customers, the Insignia is at heart a coupe, though its rear-powered doors make it a near-sedan. Underhood is pure American-grade horsepower with a Corvette-sourced 344-hp V-8 promising 0-60-mph times in the high-five-second range. The obligatory show-car trick feature is an electrically powered fifth seat exposed when the tunnel separating the rear right and left seats motors away into the trunk. In four-seat mode, the leather-wrapped, ebony wood-trimmed tunnel provides a DVD player with LCD screen, coolbox for two bottles, and a humidor. The luxurious five-seater explores the design direction for the next-generation Omega flagship. For us, it reveals the greater potential in sharing rear-drive platforms across GM brands.
