Cloth convertible or retractable hardtop? The design gurus at Opel, perhaps in an effort to appease the indecisive, think you realy should have it all: a fabric-covered retractable hardtop. Hmm, okay then! The new Tigra Illusion micro-convertible aims to evoke the look of the classic cabriolet while sporting all the benefits of a solid-roofed vehicle. Personally I think they could’ve just left it bare, and that a retractable hardtop is always the better option: it’s the only way a convertible can look good with the top up. What’s your preference—ragtop or retractable?

Via CarScoop

Since the Big Three have been crying incessantly about the new CAFE standards, it’s always interesting to see something which points out just how long they’ve been asleep at the wheel. Way back in 1973, Shell—yup, that Shell—sponsored a contest to see who could make the most fuel efficient car. The winner was this 1959 Opel T-1, which achieved a mind-numbing 376MPG while traveling at 30MPH. The secret was light weight, hard, low-resistance tires, and an innovative fuel system which fed the little four banger leaned-out gas vapor. Until recently, this masterpiece had been languishing in a museum at Talladega Superspeedway, conveniently forgotten by champion whiners like the General’s Bob Lutz. But fortunately, Seattle car aficionado Evan McMullen has just plucked it from obscurity. McMullen, who owns the Emerald City’s Cosmopolitan Motors, is no car-hating tree-hugger. Over the years his sales floor been home to numerous Bugattis, Ferraris, and rarities like the Jaguar XJ220, so it’s pretty cool to see him trying to keep folks honest about the possibilities for fuel-efficient cars. Read more at the Seattle PI.

Spy photographers have once again spotted a prototype for Saturn Aura/Opel Insignia. The vehicle spotted gives us a good glimpse of what’s to come for Saturn’s largest sedan and, for the first time, reveals what the production interior will look like. The prototype appears to draw lightly from Opel’s GTC concept, but it’s definitely evolutionary, rather than revolutionary. Obviously the head and tail lamps are fake on this prototype, but we can imagine what will be in their place without too much difficulty (GM has also released a teaser image showing the Insignia’s taillight).

The upcoming Aura/Insignia is based on GM’s fresh Epsilon 2 platform. We’re expecting similar powertrains to the current model – a couple of V6s and a hybrid – as well as front wheel drive. All-wheel drive is a rumored possibility. The prototype’s gauge cluster is highlighted by four chrome-ringed dials — two large and two small — with clean looking faces. Chrome also accents the center-mounted gear shifter, giving the interior an up-scale feel. For the first time, spy shots reveal what the center stack will look like on the road-going model. Although the quality doesn’t look quite up to production floor standards, the overall design can be inferred. Atop the center stack looks like a space that could house an LCD screen.
The Insignia will be released in late ’08 as an ’09 model in Europe, with U.S. sales of an Aura likely following a year later. More photos at Left Lane News.