Opel Scores Award At Festival Automobile International For Its Manta GSe ElektroMOD!

All-Electric Resto-Mod Continues To Gain Attention On The International Stage...

Robert S. Miller February 2, 2022

Just like many of the other Stellantis brands, the Opel brand is embracing a future for electrification. To help build up excitement with its fan base about the possibilities of an electrified future, this past year Opel introduced the Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD Concept.

Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD Concept. (Opel).

The Manta GSe ElektroMOD Concept started life as a 1970 Opel Manta A, Opel ditched the gasoline-powered four-cylinder engine under the hood in favor of an all-electric powertrain. The result is an awesome resto-mod, blending the beautiful styling of the Manta and the most recent technology available with today’s automotive industry.

Recently, the GSe ElektroMOD Concept was on display at the Festival Automobile International in Paris. A panel of 12 judges from the fields of motorsport, architecture, fashion, design, culture, and the media award the GSe ElektroMOD Concept as the “Grand Prize of the Festival”. The award is an achievement to which the judging panel wishes to pay tribute. The panel called the car a “successful reinterpretation of past models”.

The Manta GSe ElektroMOD retains its original four-speed manual transmission but mates it to an electric motor producing 145 horsepower and 188 lb.-ft. of torque, which sends power to the rear wheels. While the power levels don’t seem extraordinary, it is a good upgrade over the original Manta A powerplant which made 105 horsepower in GT/E form. Being an electric vehicle also means that power is available instantly.

The Jeep® brand introduced the Wrangler Magneto Concept at the 2021 Moab Easter Jeep Safari, which also featured an all-electric powertrain equipped with a manual transmission. So, it appears that manual transmissions can live on in electric vehicles.

As with the production Opel Corsa-e and Opel Mokka-e, the Manta GSe ElektroMOD can also recover braking energy and store it in the battery. Opel says that the Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD is only equipped with a 31-kWh battery, which it estimates to give the Manta a range of about 124 miles (200 kilometers).

The exterior is also enhanced by a modern take on the classic Manta A front styling, which incorporates the new Opel Pixel-Vizor stretching across the entire width of the vehicle. Acting as a protective visor, the Opel Pixel-Visor is actually a screen that can display various messages and images. The Manta GSe ElektroMOD can display messages like “My German heart has been ELEKTRified” written across the new front or “I am on a zero e-mission”, and “I am an ElektroMOD”.

Inside, the Manta GSe ElektroMOD features the latest Opel digital technology. The classic round instruments have been replaced with a wide digital screen, which Opel calls the “Opel Pure Panel”. Two integrated, driver-oriented, 12-inch and 10-inch widescreens show important information about the car such as charge status and range. For those who cruise to music, there is a Bluetooth box from legendary amplifier brand Marshall.

Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD Concept Image Gallery:

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