Opel Tigra TwinTop First Details


Text & photos courtesy Adam Opel AG
edited 05-24-2004

Compact new cabrio-coupé from Opel

Innovative Roof Technology, Stylish Design and Ample Loading Space

* Sporty two-seater offers driving pleasure with all-season, everyday suitability
* Electro-hydraulic retractable steel roof opens and closes at the touch of a button
* Two cars in one – from coupé to cabrio in 18 seconds
* “Cabrio of the Year” with harmonious proportions and best-in-class luggage capacity

The Tigra TwinTop comes with an electro-hydraulic retractable steel roof that opens and closes at the touch of a button and makes Opel Germany’s first volume automaker to present a sporty two-seater of this kind. Depending on weather conditions or one’s mood, this compact quick-change artist offers open air enjoyment or coupé driving pleasure. Thanks to its state-of-the-art and space-saving retractable roof design, the Tigra offers 500 liters of cargo space – the most in its class. This intelligent roof construction enabled a sleek design line from the front right up to the elegant and well-proportioned rear end.

Hans H. Demant, Executive Director, Technical Development Center, explains the Tigra TwinTop’s concept: “We decided to offer the Tigra as a sporty two-seater that looks good, both open and closed. Eliminating the tiny rear seats customary in this class enabled us to use a special retractable roof system. This in turn is the key to the Tigra’s dynamic, sleek design and the largest loading space in its class.”

The concept is already a success: a jury crowned the Tigra TwinTop “Cabrio of the Year 2004” at its premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

The Tigra TwinTop’s generous interior offers optimum space for two passengers. In addition to the trunk’s large loading capacity, the Tigra has a 70 liter compartment with a luggage net behind its seats, ideal for bags or jackets. The trunk has 250 liters of cargo space when the top is down, still offering plenty of room. When closed, the trunk’s loading capacity increases to 440 liters. Together with the 70 liter interior compartment this adds up to more than 500 liters of loading space – the largest in its class.

The key to the Tigra’s large loading capacity and dynamic and sleek design is the car’s state-of-the-art, electro-hydraulically powered, folding roof mechanism that opens and closes comfortably at the touch of a button. In contrast to previous roof systems that required roof parts to be laid on top of each other and thus took up a lot of space, creating a “plump” rear end, the Tigra’s engineers were able to develop a roof system with space-saving folding kinematics.

Transforming the Tigra TwinTop from coupé to cabrio is effortless: pull the handbrake, turn on the ignition, release both roof latches placed on the left and the right of the window frame and push the roof button. Within 18 seconds the refined interaction between four hydraulic cylinders, five electric motors, 18 contact sensors and the clever folding mechanism automatically folds together the steel roof, which then disappears under the trunk lid. An acoustic signal confirms that the roof has retracted properly – the journey can now begin.

The rear part of the retractable roof (the c-pillar and rear window) disappears nearly vertically into the trunk, while the front part folds itself horizontally on top of the rear element – a specialty of the Tigra TwinTop’s folding kinematics. Retractable roof tops in this vehicle class usually place both roof parts horizontally on top of each other and thus take away a substantial amount of overall height in the trunk. The TwinTop’s ingenious solution enables a well-proportioned trunk lid as well as a large loading area offering full luggage compartment height – even when the top is down.

An adjustable luggage compartment partition has been vertically installed to prevent objects in the trunk from getting in the way of the folded roof parts while opening the roof. When this partition stands upright, the entire loading capacity (440 Liters) is available.

To turn the coupé into a cabrio, the partition must be slightly tilted to the rear to create the space necessary for the roof. At the same time, sensors signal the switch electronics to release the roof kinematics.

Just like the roof, the trunk lid can be opened and closed electro-hydraulically at the touch of a button. The folding kinematics have been arranged in such a way that the trunk lid opens in two directions: tilted to the back when opening or closing the roof and tilted to the front when loading or unloading. Highly sophisticated sensors ensure that one function cannot be activated as long as the other one has not been completed.

Despite its versatile roof design, the Tigra TwinTop has an exceptionally stiff body. Tigra Project Manager Horst Bach: “A number of measures, from stable side sills to sturdy cross members in the underbody behind the seats, ensure high rigidity in the Tigra TwinTop. This is especially apparent in the comfort and driving dynamics.”

The Opel Tigra TwinTop, which will go on sale in late summer, is built by the renowned coachbuilder Groupe Henri Heuliez S.A in Cerizay (France).