2010 Geneva Auto Show: Opel Ampera - Workin' In the Rain, Gettin' Soakin' Wet...
By John O'Dell March 1, 2010
Usually, show cars arrive at the auto show hermetically sealed in spotlessly clean trailers, are whisked into their display spots under cover of darkness and are fanatically buffed, scrubbed, polished and shined before being shown to anyone outside of the company.
But GM apparently wanted to make a point with the Opel Ampera - the German sibling of the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in hybrid.
The point being...it works, and even though its electric, you don't have to worry about getting it wet or dirty.
So a crew from GM's Opel/Vauxhall unit drove a pre-production prototype of the 2012 Ampera (due out in late 2011, almost a year after the Volt is to be launched) about 350 rainy miles this past weekend from the Opel plant at Russlesheim, Germany, to Geneva's Palexpo show place.
And instead of cleaning up the spotted and spattered exterior, GM left it a bit disheveled, with muddied tires and spotted paint, to underscore the message that this is a car the works.
Great. Now they've gotta start selling 'em - as Volts in North America, Opel Amperas in continental Europe and Vauxhall Amperas in the U.K.
In the photo below, GM Europe President Nick Reilly shares the stage with the artistically muddied Ampera as he runs through a practice presentation on the Opel stand this morning. The formal unveiling is slated for Tuesday.
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