Innovative small car concept / Opel Frogster - Fresh Fun-Car for the Next Generation

Frankfurt, Germany (PROTEXT/ots) -

- Cross-reference: photos were sent via satellite and are

available at:http://www.presseportal.de/galerie.htx?type=obs - Provocative and practical - Quick-change artist: all-in-one roadster, convertible and

pick-up - Roller cover replaces conventional roof, PDA supercedes

conventional instruments It's as green and fresh as the Opel 'Laubfrosch' (Tree Frog)of the 1920s, as confident and provocative as today's youngsters.With their 'Frogster' concept Opel's designers and engineers havereinvented today's small car concept, presenting a host of freshideas for the next generation of car buyers. Instead of aconventional convertible top, the study has an electricallypowered roller cover to provide weather protection. It offers achoice of configurations: With four individually foldable seats,the driver can turn the Frogster into a one or two-seat roadster,three or four-seat convertible or a pick-up - all at the push ofa button. When it's time to park, the cover slides forward - likea shutter - to close at the base of the windshield. In addition, this bright green quick-change artist features amini-computer installed in the center of the dashboard. TheFrogster is thus always in its driver's pocket because this 'PDA'is not just a Personal Digital Assistant but also a radio-controlled 'car key' and roller-cover operator. When integratedin the Frogster's center console, the PDA also becomes a displayfor the radio, navigation and climate control systems. "We asked ourselves what a car for the 'Playstationgeneration' would have to look like," recalls Hans Seer, Directorof Design at Opel. "We came up with words like 'small, price-friendly, open' on the one hand and concepts like 'young,exciting, fresh' on the other." The result, in the words ofStefan Arndt, Chief Designer for the Frogster project, "is acompletely open runabout with a high belt line, extremevariability in the interior and fun bodywork details." The designstudy, with dimensions of 3715 x 1680 x 1530 millimeters (lengthx width x height), also has typical Opel features like the largetrapezoid-shaped front-end, clearly accentuated wheel arches with175/55 R 15 tires and three-dimensional headlamps and taillights.The concept car also features a number of practical detailsincluding step-like running boards and large hand-grips on therear. Two small loading hatches behind the doors provide accessto the load area even when the roller cover is closed. Crazy but Cool: Roller Cover is Roof and Trunk Lid in One The Frogster is powered - like the Corsa Eco - by the livelyECOTEC 1.0 12V gasoline unit (43kW/58 hp) and equipped with theinnovative Easytronic automated manual gearbox. The mostsurprising feature is undoubtedly the roller cover, which servesas both a convertible top and load-area cover. It is made out ofsturdy aluminum sections connected with rubber inserts, whichmake the cover waterproof and prevent rattling. This completelynew element in automotive construction has long since passed itspractical test under the hardest possible conditions - the samekind of roller cover is positioned vertically on the side of fireengines and used to secure the life-saving equipment on board. In the Frogster, the 1.30 meter-long protective cover isrolled up by an integrated electric motor at the rear. When theroller cover is fully retracted and the rear seats are foldeddown, the little green car is configured like a pick-up truckwith a load length of 1250 millimeters. When all four seats areup, the load area is 650 millimeters long. In addition, the frontpassenger seat can be folded down so that even surfboards can fitinside the car. In this configuration, one passenger can sit onthe rear seat behind the driver. When the roller cover is moved up over the load area, theFrogster becomes a four-seat convertible with a 500 millimeter-high trunk which can still hold 280 liters (according to VDA).The next configuration makes the Frogster a two-seat roadsterwith 750-liter trunk, and the rear seat backrests folded forward.The final configuration, where the roller cover is unrolled toits full length of three meters (within 25 seconds) the vehicleis completely covered for protection from the elements while thevehicle is parked. In this guise, the front seat backs fold outof the way as well, the steering wheel is tilted a few degreesdownwards, and the cover locks at the lower edge of thewindshield. The sophisticated simplicity of the car's weather protectioncontinues in the interior. The material chosen for the four seatsis similar to the neoprene used in surfers' body suits. There isalso a mobile phone - an obligatory item in the hip world of theFrogster - positioned between the front seats and held firmly inplace in a neoprene holder. The advantage of this material isthat occasional showers will not leave any lasting traces if theroller cover is open. Operated by PDA: Part of the Frogster is Always with You A detachable PDA offers Frogster drivers a new way to link uptheir in-car and out-of-car lives. In a sense, the Frogster iswith them wherever they go, in their coat or trouser pocket. Thisisn't just 'mega-cool', it's practical, too. The driver'sfavorite music, for example, can be stored in MP3 format and isavailable at all times. When it's hooked up to the vehicle, itplays through the in-car audio system for greatly enhanced sound.And the mobile in-car computer can do even more: it can open andclose the doors and set the roller cover to the desired positionvia remote control. The modern mini-computer, when integrated in the dashboard,can display important comfort-related functions such as climatecontrol settings. The 110 x 50 millimeter digital display fittedin front of the driver is dedicated to such typical automotivefunctions as speed, rpm, fuel, Easytronic gear display, as wellas the usual indicator and full beam lamps. The name "Frogster" comes from a chapter of Opel's eventfulhistory. In 1924, the company enjoyed a huge amount of successwith a 4/12 hp small, open road car, that people called the "TreeFrog" because of its green color. Designer Stefan Arndt recalls:"Everyone knows how excited we all are about the Speedster. Whenwe were working on this concept car, someone suddenly called out:'Let's paint it green and call it the Frogster.' We all agreed itwas perfect." For now, there are no specific plans to put the Frogster intoproduction. The aim of the concept car is to test the acceptanceof new ideas among the primarily young target market. "With theFrogster, we want to appeal to future generations of cardrivers," explains Opel Chairman and Managing Director, Carl-Peter Forster, "It shows just how creative our engineers anddesigners can be." And, in Forster's eyes, it is also proof "thatpractical cars can be anything but boring." ots Original TextService: Adam Opel AG Internet: http://www.presseportal.deContact: Adam Opel AG Oeffentlichkeitsarbeit 65423 RuesselsheimPhone +49 (0) 6142 7-77340, 7-72826 or 7-70 Fax +49 (0) 6142 7-78353

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