Bojan Vrbnjak
At a time when convertibles and roadsters are becoming rarer and more expensive, it's worth looking back, and perhaps at the used car market. In 1996, Mercedes started a wave that continued until 2010: a wave of convertibles with a folding steel roof.
In 2000, Peugeot introduces the idea of a coupé-cabriolet to the segment of affordable small cars. The 206 CC model is a bestseller - almost 100.000 examples were registered in Germany alone. The wave continues to spread. Now everyone wants a piece of the convertible top pie. That's why Opel is bringing back a name that almost disappeared without a trace in 2001: Opel Tigra. In June 2004, the former two-seater coupe was reintroduced as a TwinTop with a convertible roof. Tigra B is based on General Motors' Gamma platform.
Nevertheless, the 3,92-meter hair dryer has its own unique design concept. Unlike many other models from the era of folding roofs, this is also noticeable in the proportions of the Opel Tigra TwinTop. Opel isn't doing a Frankenstein operation, where a huge rear section would be welded onto the model in the range. The clear line from the front to the rear of the vehicle gives the TwinTop a clear outline - regardless of whether it is open or with a roof. The rear remains short, and the overhangs are sporty and narrow. A sporty wedge-shaped minicar that is more than just a Corsa in the fresh air.
That's why Opel not only confidently writes on its website that the Opel Tigra TwinTop with its "sporty design and folding steel roof" turns every street into a catwalk. The trade press is also impressed, calling Opel's small car the 'Cabriolet of 2004' at the Geneva Motor Show. In addition, the roof is not hidden in the trunk like other models of the time, but is located behind the seats to save space. This means that the 250 liter space is still very usable even when the roof is open. When it is closed, the room is full of 440 liters. Highlight: Opel has given the Tigri TwinTop an additional storage compartment behind the seats.
The transformation from coupe to convertible takes only 18 seconds. Developed by French coachbuilder Heuliez, the process is supported by five electric motors. The 206 CC is also based on French technology. The basis for the interior is the Corsa C. Functional, transparent arrangement of instruments and buttons and a small digital information screen in the middle. Overall, the pickup provides a familiar atmosphere and instant familiarity for customers. On the opposite side, there are large hard plastic fronts.
The Opel Tigra TwinTop is available in three equipment lines: Enjoy, Sport and Cosmo – later as TwinTop, TwinTop Edition and TwinTop Design Edition. The roof part can be painted in silver star (in the Cosmo equipment) or in the matte Moonland color (Sport). In 2008, the color option "SoftTop" was added, which covers the steel folding roof with textile material. The price of the Enjoy version with a 1,4-liter Ecotec gasoline engine and 90 hp starts at 16.695 euros. The price of the 1,8-liter Ecotec engine with 125 hp, which we know from the Corsa GSi, will be at least 2004 euros in 17.895. With the latter, the small vehicle, which weighs approximately 1.250 kilograms, accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 7,7 seconds.
In 2005, Opel Tigris added a 1,3-liter diesel engine with 70 hp. The CDTI engine was jointly developed by General Motors and Fiat and consumed an average of 4,6 liters. In 2005 it was the engine of the year. Driving is supposed to be fun with a manual 5-speed gearbox or Easytronic 5-speed semi-automatic gearbox. At the time, according to the test, it was: "The small car is agile on the road, has sufficient reserves of power and can drive supremely in the middle travel zone." They also confirmed that the small coupe-convertible "behaves quite sporty in corners, but without being unpleasantly stiff suspensions'.
In 2005, the Opel Tigra TwinTop was registered 13.263 times in Germany alone. During the production period from 2004 to 2009, 90.874 vehicles were produced. With 35.645 Tigre TwinTop registrations, more than a third of them landed on German roads – of which only 912 were with the 1,3-litre diesel engine. Opel sold only 2007 vehicles in 4.118.
The Rüsselsheim-based company returns to shore early due to the folding roof wave. The Astra TwinTop survived until 2011, but Opel did not introduce a successor to the Tigra TwinTop – until today. Well-preserved examples are currently available from EUR 2.000. If you want to get your hands on one of the rare diesels, you'll probably have to budget at least €4.000 and an extensive search.
