Opel Reveals The Manta EV In All Its Retro Glory

Of all the brands thatGeneral Motorshas had control over, it's the German automaker Opel that gets forgotten about most here in the States. That doesn't mean that the company no longer exists though, as we saw last year when a newOpel Mokka was unveiledwith styling that drew us in from the moment we saw it. At the time, the car was nothing more than a blip on the radar to most, but then last month, Opel announced a新的电动汽车外套. Named after a rear-wheel-drive coupe sold from 1970 until the late '80s, the Manta never really took off in the US, but the EV version could well be the most attractive Opel in decades.

Now the car has been fully unveiled with a typically odd name: Manta GSe ElektroMOD. The idea behind this EV is to showcase Opel's heritage while also previewing the brand's new electric focus. It also celebrates 50 years of the Manta name, but we don't blame you if you haven't heard of it before. So what are the highlights?

Well, a single electric motor produces 145 horsepower with 166 lb-ft of torque. Interestingly, this output is managed by a four-speed gearbox, just like the original. You can thus shift manually if you like or leave the car in fourth to let it drive automatically.