Make/Model: Opel Astra Turbo Coupe 2.0
Colour: Capri Yellow
New?: Yes
Engine: 2.0l 16v turbo petrol direct injection
Power/Torque: 147kW @ 5600rpm, 250Nm @ 2000rpm
Average Fuel Consumption: 9.87 l/100 km
Performance: 0-100km/h in 7.63 s, 245 km/h top speed.
Owned: December 2003 - August 2005

Notes: This was my first high performance car. And boy what a feeling it was when I drove it out of the dealer's showroom... I never drove any vehicle before with this kind of performance - it was 2.2 seconds faster than my 2.0 CSX!

I remember flooring the car in Pretoria on my way home - only to have my heart skip a couple of beats as the enormous power pushed me against the seat. I knew I was in love with this car....

Until the trouble started. One day I was taking over another vehicle and the turbo suddenly decided halfway through to stop working... All I can say is that scared the hell out of me, as it is extremely dangerous to have a fast car whose performance is unpredictable. You can never trust your car to behave in a certain way.

Obviously I took it back to the dealer and they discovered after the third time in the shop, that the turbo blew. So they installed (under warranty) a new turbo unit. Once again I was a happy driver... Until two weeks later when the engine management light came on again... The turbo gradually lost pressure until one day when there were no significant boost anymore.

I knew that as much as I loved this Bertoni styled beauty, I could not live with all the trouble it gave me. This is the proverbial ex-lover which you can neither live with nor without.