- "A monster in the shape of an Astra; a DTM machine that terrorized the series in the year 2000."
- ―In-game catch text for the car, from GT6's Dealership
The Opel Astra V8 Coupé (Opel Team Phoenix) '00 (known as the Opel Astra Touring Car (Opel Team Phoenix) '00 prior to Gran Turismo 6) is a race car produced by Opel. It first appeared in Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec and has been featured in all subsequent mainline games up to Gran Turismo 6.
The car appears to be the #7, driven by Manuel Reuter, who achieved a 2nd place finish in the 2000 DTM Driver's Championship, just short of Bernd Schneider.
In-game description[]
*The Opel Astra was sold as the Vauxhall Astra in the UK.
Germany's popular GT race, the DTM (Deutsch Tourenwagen Meisterschaft or German Touring Car Championship) disappeared in 1996 when its was absorbed by the ITCC.[1] (International Touring Car Championship). But in 2000, the DTM resurfaced with a new format. On the grid at the opening race were the Mercedes-Benz CLK Touring Car, the Audi TT-R Touring Car, and the Opel Astra V8 Touring Car.
Despite looking similar to the production Coupe, Opel's DTM machine was an entirely different car, purpose built to the details. Under the hood was a 4.0-liter V8 that cranked out 454 BHP. It was mated to a heavy-duty sequential 6-speed gearbox that managed the power sent to the rear wheels. Weighing in at a lean 1000 kg, the Astra DTM was a proverbial road rocket.
Opel Team Phoenix finished 1-2 in both the first and second races at Oschersleben, and registered yet another victory in the first race of the third round in Norisring. Opel temporarily stalled midway through the series, but regained its momentum at the end of the season. Although Opel missed winning the team championship, lead driver Manuel Reuter finished 2nd in the Driver's Championship. Opel's other drivers fared well, too, with a 5th and 6th place finish by Joachim Winkelhock and Bruno Arnsten, respectively. Teams running the Opel race car placed 2nd and 4th in the Constructor's Championship.
Acquisition[]
| Game | Purchase location | Credits | Other methods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | --- | --- | Random draw prize for winning the German Touring Car Championship (1/4 chance)[2] Available from the start in Arcade Mode |
| Gran Turismo 4 | Opel Dealership | 550,000 | Available from the start in Arcade Mode |
| Gran Turismo PSP | Opel Dealership | 1,000,000 | --- |
| Gran Turismo 5 | Used Car Dealership (Lv. 18+) | 978,960 | --- |
| Gran Turismo 6 | Opel Dealership | 1,000,000 | --- |
Trivia[]
- This car also appears in Gran Turismo Concept, albeit unplayable through normal means; it can only be seen as a CPU car in the races.
- This car, along with its Vauxhall counterpart, features uncensored Arcor logos, especially on the racing stripe. Unlike the Mercedes-Benz CLK Touring Car ’00, whose logos were censored in Gran Turismo PSP.
Pictures[]
Videos[]
Notes[]
- ↑ Miswritten as "ITC" in the game.
- ↑ If PAL English is the selected language, it will be the Vauxhall version instead.