Opel Insignia OPC Sport Tourer Mule First Spy Photos

Opel would be fine if it wasn't tethered to General Motors.

Here's more evidence why.

After having earlier spotted the Insignia OPC (Opel Performance Center) doing a few laps around the block, here we have a mule for the Insignia Sports Tourer OPC spotted at Nürburgring getting its sea legs.

The Sports Tourer OPC comes with Brembo calipers, cross-drilled brake disks, larger exhaust pipes and OPC tags on the front sides of the car just before the forward doors. The car looks pretty much ready for showroom delight, although Opel may still want to add a few more distinguishing touches to further set this OPC apart.

The Insignia Sports Tourer OPC will likely come with a 2.8 liter, twin-turbo V6 with about 320 hp. The standard Insignia with the same engine (but with only 260 ponies) is an all-wheel drive, and the 4WD system is also expected in the OPC model.

It may seem like the folks at Opel are conducting "business as usual" during a time of crisis, in the whistling-past-the-graveyard sense of the phrase, by going ahead with more OPC models. The GM Europe brand is in dire need of operating capital and is running the risk of being dragged into dissolution if GM collapses.

A sad case, indeed, since Opel is a fine automaker in need of some cash. It would probably be a steal to buy Opel these days, if someone, even the German government, had the gumption for it. It's an investment that would likely pay off dearly once this crisis is over. No one wants to see models like this European Car of the Year-winning Insignia go away.