Radical EV sports coupe shows future of Vauxhall

He said the Compass has come to represent more for Opel-Vauxhall than mere design flair: “[CEO] Florian Huettl uses the word and the principles of the compass when he’s talking about the direction of the company because it all fits. It’s not just a design element. It says with confidence that we know where we’re going.”

Although the Compass has been emphasised, the Vizor has taken a back seat. According to Adams, the Vizor was originally conceived in part to neatly conceal all the sensors and cameras required for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). He wanted to avoid the “scattergun effect” of highly visible devices on the front of many current cars, including some costing hundreds of thousands of pounds. However, as the technology improves, sensors become smaller and more flexible, so they no longer need to be hidden away behind a gloss black panel.

As such, the Vizor is now a transparent panel featuring vertical bars of LEDs, similar in appearance to the Skoda Enyaq iV’s ‘crystal’ grille. It protrudes from the front bumper with creases that meet at a central point in front of the griffin emblem, strengthening the Compass signature.

Notable for its absence is chrome, a material that has more recently come under scrutiny due to carcinogenic emissions from its production.

Inside, the Experimental is a clear departure from today’s Vauxhalls, and while the concept’s designers have taken a typically exaggerated approach to cabin design, it provides a clear, overarching view of Vauxhall’s future priorities. Every screen has been replaced by holographic interfaces, for example, and head-up-display projections span the full width of the windscreen, “dematerialising the interior”. 

Critical functions are controlled using a panel of buttons on the centre console, while gestures and voice instructions are used for infotainment.

Unusually, the sat-nav system does not project arrows onto the windscreen head-up display. Instead, it enters a mixed-reality mode in which the driver is virtually escorted by the Opel Manta GSe Elektromod – a nod to the firm’s plan to revive the Manta name for a coupé-SUV in 2025.

The interior is trimmed in white electrochromic fabric, which is made from textile fibres interwoven with thin LED strands. Every surface that uses the material – the dashboard, seats, door cards and more – can be lit in any colour desired, for greater personalisation. It means that Vauxhall could theoretically build its cars with a single interior colour at the factory, leaving it up to the driver to set the colour.

The Experimental also nods to Vauxhall’s plans to eventually offer self-driving functionality, with the steering wheel folding into the dashboard when the computer takes control. Adams suggested the concept’s smart-glass windows could become opaque when in self-driving mode to foster a more relaxing, lounge-like environment – but such technology is many years away.

Unlike the GT X Experimental (pictured above), which evolved into the Mokka, this concept will not translate into a specific production car, said Adams. “One of your first questions will be: what production car is this going to be? I’ll pre-empt that by saying it’s going to be all of them,” he said. “Many of the ideas – in progressively different magnitudes – will find their way into the next wave of the future portfolio.”

The first Vauxhall to use elements of the Experimental’s design is expected to be the Grandland successor, due in 2025. That year, European Union regulations will begin to allow car manufacturers to illuminate their front badges, opening the door for Opel-Vauxhall to introduce its new-look front end.

Next up will be the Manta, a D-segment crossover due on sale in the UK in 2025. That will be followed around a year later by the smaller successor to the Insignia, which will ride higher than the liftback and estate that bowed out last year, but it will still prioritise aero efficiency – as indicated by the rakish Experimental.

Highlights of the Vauxhall Experimental concept

Active aerodynamics: The Experimental concept features ‘gills’ in the air dams at either end. These would open and close to different degrees to channel air according to driving conditions, prioritising either a reduction in drag to boost range, or extra brake cooling.

Wind-cheating wheels: Thought we left three-spokes in the ’90s? Think again: the Experimental’s Ronal-built alloys feature three large segments containing aerodynamic flaps, which can theoretically open and close to direct air under the car and reduce drag, or to help cool the brakes.

Single-piece tyres: The Experimental’s focus on sustainability extends to the tyres, produced by Goodyear using recycled rubber. These are made from a single piece of rubber rather than several layers, said Adams, making it easier to reuse the material.

Brake dust filter: Brake and tyre emissions have become a significant concern as cars have grown heavier. One solution being explored by Vauxhall is to put filters in the path of air flowing past the tyres, capturing particles before they enter the atmosphere.

Solar roof: Solar panels are being considered as a means to keep an EV’s batteries topped up passively, complementing the regenerative braking system. A similar set-up on the Fisker Ocean is claimed to add 1500 to 2000 miles of range annually, depending on weather conditions.