We got our first good glimpse of Opel’s electrified Manta restomod about a month ago, and now it has been fully revealed. We love just about every aspect of it. Besides looking gorgeous, the Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD sounds like it should be quite entertaining with its manual transmission and rear-wheel drive.
Yes, you read that right, this Manta is still rocking the same four-speed manual transmission it had when it left the factory in the 1970s. And it still sends power to just the rear wheels. It’s not a massive amount of power and torque at 145 horses and 188 pound-feet, but it’s a healthy bump over the old four-cylinder’s 103 ponies. Plus, like all electric cars, all that power and torque is available immediately. Supplying said power is a 31-kWh battery that Opel estimates can provide 124 miles of range. It seems to only support 9-kW Level 2 charging, so it will be about four hours to fill up.
Hiding this electric powerplant is a clean, tastefully updated exterior. The chrome bumpers have been removed, the trim blacked out, and fancy LED lighting added. The taillights are new light rings, but the entire front grille and headlights have been replaced by an LED screen. It displays running lights that ape those on the Mokka crossover, and it can also add full frontal lighting and display messages. The only part of the exterior we’re not completely sold on are the wheels and tires. They’re custom 17-inch Ronal wheels that have a sweet design, but the high offset and lack of sidewall don’t seem to fit the classic car’s shape.
The interior is a more major overhaul with the addition of the 12-inch instrument panel and 10-inch infotainment screen from the Mokka. Most surfaces are wrapped in black Alcantara, except for some highlighter yellow, er, highlights on the doors and seats. Those seats happen to come from an Opel Adam S. But the 1970s vibe is still represented with the four-speed floor shifter and retro steering wheel, not to mention the Bluetooth receiver box built by famed amplifier company Marshall.
Of course, being a one-off restomod, you won’t be able to buy one of these electric Mantas. But it gets us excited for the future of restomods: a future that’s cool, fun and green.
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