![]() ![]() ![]() If you are desperate for an electric Manta there’s any number of independent aftermarket firms that can convert classic cars to electric power for everyday use. It’s frustrating all this is look but don’t touch. Inside it’s gone all digital with touch screens instead of round dials but at least there’s a three-spoke steering wheel and sports seats. Yellow body and black bonnet is a winning combo and the 17-inch Ronal alloy wheels look good, too. The design has been updated with the brand’s pixelated Vizor front end and LED running lights, although we are pleased to see the round lamps ( a la Opel GT) at the back have been kept, albeit in LED form. No great claims are made for its performance but then they weren’t in the Manta’s heyday either. A 31kWh Lithium-ion battery offers a range of around 124 miles. The four-pot petrol engine has been swapped for a 147PS (108kW) electric motor, but interestingly it’s been hooked up to the original four-speed gearbox. It was really only this first Manta that boasted some style.Īnd the Opel team behind the Manta GSe ElektroMOD have done a good job keeping that style while shoehorning in the latest tech. Of course, we are talking here about the first-gen Manta, not its successor from 1975 that turned into the Manta 400 rally winner and which also spawned a Vauxhall Cavalier Sports Hatch equivalent. Opel insists the Manta is an “icon” in Germany, but while it was sold here as an Opel in the ‘70s it is less well known in the UK (where we had to make do with the Firenza). With its front-engined, rear-drive layout it was also a tuner’s favourite. ![]() That’s a little sad because Opel’s 1970s answer to the Ford Capri was a bit of a looker, in a rather petite, feminine way. While the tech underneath that signature black bonnet will be destined for an Opel or Vauxhall soon – all their new models will be electrified by 2024, Opel say – the style is destined to remain out of reach. ![]()
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