(in the 1980's and 1990's Opel in South Africa introduced some legend hot hatches, one of these packed a mega 160kw (218PS) 2.0ltr turbo engine and blew the VW Golf VR6 into the weeds - Rolf)
In the late 1980s, General Motors’ former South African importer Delta Motors Corporation set off to design a locally-built hot hatch based on the Opel Kadett. Called Kadett Superboss, it earned the distinction of being one of the most desirable Opel-badged performance cars of the era and several examples were imported to mainland Europe by private buyers.
The hot hatch segment moves quickly and importer Delta Motors wasn’t able to rest on its laurels for very long. To build upon the Superboss’ success, the firm began developing a performance car based on the then-new Kadett/Astra that it promised would outrun the factory-built GSi 16v model.
Called 200tS, the range-topping Kadett and Astra models perfectly demonstrated the concept of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. When viewed from the outside it was hard to tell them apart from regular GSi 16v models because the two shared the same aesthetic and aerodynamic body upgrades. A well-trained eye immediately spotted the 200tS’ five-bolt 16-inch alloys, however.
Delta could not hide the Kadett/Astra’s Teutonic influence and the dashboard had a clean and relatively well laid out design with absolutely nothing extravagant to it. Engineers wanted to avoid adding superfluous equipment to keep the weight low, but they also had to pack the car with a number of high-tech features in order to partially justify its high price. As a result, the 200tS models were equipped with an on-board computer, front power windows, air conditioning (a must in South Africa, we’ve been told), power mirrors and a three-spoke steering wheel that did not feature an airbag. When all was said and done the Kadett 200tS tipped the scale at 2866 pounds (1300 kilos).
Mounted transverally in the Astra’s engine bay was a 2.0-liter 16-valve four-cylinder engine that was borrowed from the four-wheel drive Calibra Turbo. It initially churned out 214 horsepower and 206 lb-ft. of torque but the early cars were plagued with chronic overheating problems so Delta temporarily stopped production until it found a cure. Starting in 1995, all 200tS models were fitted with a larger aluminum radiator and saw their power output reduced to 202 horsepower and 210 lb-ft. of twist.
Before fitting the drivetrain to the Kadett/Astra, Delta converted it from four- to front-wheel drive, a task that was said to be absolutely gargantuan. The transmission was left out of the deal and replaced by a six-speed unit sourced from Getrag in Germany, and a limited-slip differential was fitted as standard to keep the extra power in check.
With the turbocharged 2.0-liter, the Kadett sprinted from zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 7.6 seconds and went on to a top speed of 146 mph (235 km/h), stellar figures on both accounts, especially considering the Kadett was initially designed as little more than an economy hatchback.
An article published in South African magazine TopCar indicates that Getrag agreed to provide Delta with the transmission on the sole condition that all units were to be returned to Germany for any and all repair work, not mended locally. This process evidently cost a small fortune and many owners swapped out their broken six-speeds in favor of a five-speed unit that could be repaired without calling FedEx.
To ensure that the 200tS’ braking system was up to par, Delta equipped both the Kadett and the Astra with Calibra discs up front and standard ABS.
The aforementioned article in TopCar claims that about 500 Kadetts and 350 Astras were built up to 200tS specs between 1992 and 1996. The Kadett cost 127,100 South African Rands in 1995.
Sunday classic: Opel Astra/Kadett 200tS
Road Test from South Africa CAR Magazine Sep 1995:
In the late 1980s, General Motors’ former South African importer Delta Motors Corporation set off to design a locally-built hot hatch based on the Opel Kadett. Called Kadett Superboss, it earned the distinction of being one of the most desirable Opel-badged performance cars of the era and several examples were imported to mainland Europe by private buyers.
The hot hatch segment moves quickly and importer Delta Motors wasn’t able to rest on its laurels for very long. To build upon the Superboss’ success, the firm began developing a performance car based on the then-new Kadett/Astra that it promised would outrun the factory-built GSi 16v model.
Called 200tS, the range-topping Kadett and Astra models perfectly demonstrated the concept of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. When viewed from the outside it was hard to tell them apart from regular GSi 16v models because the two shared the same aesthetic and aerodynamic body upgrades. A well-trained eye immediately spotted the 200tS’ five-bolt 16-inch alloys, however.
Delta could not hide the Kadett/Astra’s Teutonic influence and the dashboard had a clean and relatively well laid out design with absolutely nothing extravagant to it. Engineers wanted to avoid adding superfluous equipment to keep the weight low, but they also had to pack the car with a number of high-tech features in order to partially justify its high price. As a result, the 200tS models were equipped with an on-board computer, front power windows, air conditioning (a must in South Africa, we’ve been told), power mirrors and a three-spoke steering wheel that did not feature an airbag. When all was said and done the Kadett 200tS tipped the scale at 2866 pounds (1300 kilos).
Mounted transverally in the Astra’s engine bay was a 2.0-liter 16-valve four-cylinder engine that was borrowed from the four-wheel drive Calibra Turbo. It initially churned out 214 horsepower and 206 lb-ft. of torque but the early cars were plagued with chronic overheating problems so Delta temporarily stopped production until it found a cure. Starting in 1995, all 200tS models were fitted with a larger aluminum radiator and saw their power output reduced to 202 horsepower and 210 lb-ft. of twist.
Before fitting the drivetrain to the Kadett/Astra, Delta converted it from four- to front-wheel drive, a task that was said to be absolutely gargantuan. The transmission was left out of the deal and replaced by a six-speed unit sourced from Getrag in Germany, and a limited-slip differential was fitted as standard to keep the extra power in check.
With the turbocharged 2.0-liter, the Kadett sprinted from zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 7.6 seconds and went on to a top speed of 146 mph (235 km/h), stellar figures on both accounts, especially considering the Kadett was initially designed as little more than an economy hatchback.
An article published in South African magazine TopCar indicates that Getrag agreed to provide Delta with the transmission on the sole condition that all units were to be returned to Germany for any and all repair work, not mended locally. This process evidently cost a small fortune and many owners swapped out their broken six-speeds in favor of a five-speed unit that could be repaired without calling FedEx.
To ensure that the 200tS’ braking system was up to par, Delta equipped both the Kadett and the Astra with Calibra discs up front and standard ABS.
The aforementioned article in TopCar claims that about 500 Kadetts and 350 Astras were built up to 200tS specs between 1992 and 1996. The Kadett cost 127,100 South African Rands in 1995.
Sunday classic: Opel Astra/Kadett 200tS
Road Test from South Africa CAR Magazine Sep 1995:
400 000 clicks on a turbo'd engine is astonishing. You must've looked after it with kid gloves. Did you ever consider the WRX / STI thing? They were magical in the late 90's and early 00's.
