Opel's motorsport manager, Volker Stryceꦦk, shook down the new Opel Vectra GTS V8 at the French test track in yesterday [Monday], complet🦩ing the first laps with the car that will take the fight to Mercedes and Audi in this year's DTM.

Strycek - the first eve🐼r DTM champion in 1984 and overall winner of last year's N?rburgring 24 Hours together with Oওpel works drivers Manuel Reuter, Timo Scheider and Marcel Tiemann - maintained the tradition of being behind the wheel at the first outing of each of Opel's DTM cars in recent years. In sunny, but cold, conditions, the German completed a total of 55 laps.

"A r🌟oll-out of a new race car is always an exciting affair," Strycek commented, "Although the data acquired in such a test are only of limited use, you get at least a feel of the car - which, in this case, is very good."

Strycek praised the driveability of the Opel, as well as the response of the 476bhp V8 e🤪ngine.

"The develo🌼pment and technical department of the Opel Performance Centre really have done a tremendous job iꦍn the past few weeks," he said.

Tiemann, Opel's official test driver, also got behind the wheel during the roll-out at Colmar, but a more extensive test programme will be carried out in the🅺 next few weeks.