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It’s been a while since there was anything sporty and exciting from Opel – in fact, not since  the Astra OPC was decommissioned due to the release of the new-gen Astra. The Corsa OPC is still around, but is so old now that it has even spawned a Nürburgring-inspired special edition, which is normally the prelude to a car’s swansong.

But there are big changes in the air during the coming up months, as Opel preps us for the release of the new Astra OPC; a 220 kW front-wheel drive super hatch that should remind all GTI and ST drivers what the mid 1990s Opel Kadett 200TS was all about.

Unfortunately we are not quite there yet, but in the mean time Opel, has unveiled the milder, bread-and-butter version of the three-door that will for the basis of the OPC, and is labelled as a GTC.

The GTC sub-brand is relatively new to the Opel house, and is basically a three-door version of the Astra hatch, but with sportier looks. It can be loosely compared to the relationship the VW Scirocco has with its Golf sibling, in that it is less practical than an Astra due to the door layout, but far more striking to look at.

The GTC doesn’t disappoint in either of those characteristics. The two front doors are massive and open wide, making parking in tight spaces a circus performance that start with  you, the human octopus, manoeuvring yourself through gaps far too tiny for the average person.

But it also looks incredible, if a little non-descript, as a few of my friends had trouble distinguishing it from Renault’s Megane coupé. Frankly, that’s hardly a bad thing when it comes to exterior visuals.

The interior is a pleasant place to be, with a handsome instrument cluster and a centre console that deviates from what wehave seen on most cars lately. There is a lot happening on that centre console though, to the point that when you first step into the car, you almost need to read through ever button to work out what it does.

It is also not a great layout if you need to do something while not looking down (for example, changing the radio station while you are driving), but the multifunction steering wheel more than compensates, with an intuitive and minimalistic button configuration.

The seats are large and supportive, but offer a limited adjustment range. All the adjustment options are there (rake, reach, height and even seat cushion angle), but where I would normally crank the seat down to a medium-height position, I had to look like a granny and sit as high as the seat would allow.

The cabin feels tall, and the footwell very deep, so that that I always felt I was just too far away from the pedals. I could have moved my seat forward, but the gear shift was positioned so far behind me already that moving any nearer to the pedals was impractical.

This is of course all based on my own driving position, and I can happily report that Deon did not experience the same problems I did – clearly, ergonomics often boil down to personal preference, and the Astra simply doesn’t suit mine as well as some of the other sportsters in this segment.

The GTC comes with an electronic handbrake which is controlled by a tiny switch just behind the gearlever. Normally I detest electronic handbrakes in manual vehicles, but since the GTC is equipped with hill start assist, it was actually an absolute joy to use and should become the industry standard. Not having an old 1800s-style lever in the centre console also leaves more space for additional and storage binnacles and compartments.

Standing next to the GTC you can’t help but feel that it is a big car –bigger even than the five-door Astra, which I think has to do with its high waistline. Even behind the wheel, it still feel a little oversized. It might be a trick of the mind because the gear throw is long and dramatic and the high waistline narrows the glass apertures, which makes you feel as if you are navigating a very nimble truck.

It actually must be a mental thing, because the GTC is quite fun through the corners. The version under scrutiny here is the 1.6T Sport model, which is equipped with a 1,6-litre turbocharged engine rated at 132 kW and 230 Nm.

It suits the GTC very well, providing a nicely balanced amount of urge, but never really burning any rubber off the mark. In fact, it doesn’t feel much like a hot coupé at all (that’s going to be the OPC’s task) and you end up having to work quite hard to find the Sport that the model designation refers to.

The GTC then is a very well rounded, well-equipped and handsome three-door hatchback, with good table manners and comfortable lodgings (although it has to be said that the rear accommodation is somewhat claustrophobic).

It is not quite as exciting as we were hoping for, but with the OPC Astra on the horizon, the GTC perfectly fills the gap between what promises to be a benchmark coupé, and the family-orientated Astra hatchback.

On my 24 hour driving bench this week is Mercedes-Benz’s über-sedan, the E63 AMG. It links the traits of a luxurious sedan in the traditional Mercedes-Benz E-Class format to the engine from a Bavarian snow giant.

It’s very fitting that that is my steed today, because the Merc is the direct competitor of BMW’s M5, which I drove two weeks ago.

As styling goes, the BMW has my vote, just because it looks more modern than the E-Class. The Mercedes has unfortunately been styled to appeal to the American market, thereby making it less of a sports car and more of a Germanic Cadillac.

That said, this super-E has a fabulous AMG body kit that doesn’t push the exterior looks of the car into the touring car racing category. Instead the vents, fins and overhangs are subtle, which I think will appeal to this car’s potential buyers.

The exact same feelings can be transposed to the interior. While I think that the cabin of the M5 is more modern and has more performance-oriented gadgets, the E63 AMG offers extraordinarily comfortable seats, and a great AMG steering wheel. It’s also very easy to just get in to and just drive.

The BMW has a whole separate command station for its performance settings, and another, separate button cluster for the safety features, making the cabin daunting if technology is not your forte.

The E63 has one AMG button that sets everything to the sporting max (except for thetraction control, because to disable that you need a degree from the Chancellor herself) and sends you on your merry way. The same button does not reverse the settings, but the Eco button on the dash will do that for you.

While in Eco mode the Merc will do green things like stop the engine when you come to a standstill  to try and save on carbon emissions, and will rebalance the gearbox shifting to maximise fuel efficiency.

It could also considered as the Comfort setting on the car, which is quite comfortable indeed, thanks to the suspension which is as hard as granite in AMG mode but becomes as squishy as a marshmallow in Eco. The engine also doesn’t feel restrained or peaky and the brakes shave off speed resolutely and predictably, without any clavicle-shattering G-forces.

In short, the E63 AMG really is two cars rolled into one, and not a pub brawler made up to look like a gentleman. It is as comfortable on the track as it is on bumpy paved roads in the suburbs.

There is also quite a bit more interior space compared to the M5, and the boot is solarge that if you were to buy the Mercedes-Benz as a weekend car, you couldrent out its luggage compartment as a free standing cottage.

But then, you would never have to buy this car solely for the weekend, because even though it has a bi-turbocharged V8 with 420 kW and 900 Nm of torque, it is more drivable than the E200 CGI I tried a few months ago.

It might not be as well equipped, good looking, or as track-focused and customisable as the M5, but then the E63 AMG has never tried to be those things in the first place.

Instead, this is a car that will be kind to you whether you drive 50 km/h or 250 km/h, will make a noise when you want it to, but still make you feel like a dignitary when you arrive at your destination. A lot of car then – but at R1,257-million, we’d expect nothing less!

Frequent readers will be aware that I have been excited about the Abarth 500 for many, many months. And it makes sense (in my head at least) because the Abarth merges the impeccable interior and styling of the regular Fiat 500, and the performance of Alfa Romeo’s 1,4-litre turbocharged engine (albeit in a detuned 99 kW variant).  And since I enjoy that Alfa Romeo engine on a daily basis, I longed for the same power delivery in the beautiful cabin of a Fiat 500.

Well this past week I managed to indulge my senses and finally got behind the wheel of the tiny scorpion.

Off the bat, the Abarth has enough sporty bits and overhangs to distinguish it from the standard 500: the front bumper is longer and the rear is chunkier and there are two big chrome exhausts sticking out the back of it. On top of that there is an infestation of Scorpions crawling around the body, as the new 17” wheels have the insignia along with a badge on the rear midriff of the car, and over the standard Fiat badges.

And while you can configure your Abarth with a wide selection of stickers and colours, ours was thankfully only finished in the gorgeous pearlescent white paint job, which earned it the occasional double glance from pedestrians and fellow motorists.

Behind that exoskeleton, the 500’s interior is present and accounted for, and is made up almost entirely of a single piece of same-coloured pearlescent white plastic which serves as the dash. Abarth has put their stamp on the interior with a pair of bucket-style seats and a new Abarth steering wheel, along with scorpion flavoured carpets. The seats are comfortable but offer almost zero lower adjustment, but I suspect that that is a limitation of the 500’s interior and not the seat. The steering wheel is thick and mighty, and a joy to hold.

There is also a turbo boost meter stuck on top of the dash with a shift light inside it which will flash when you hit the red line. It’s not incredibly useful, but it does finish off the extra-sporty feel of the Abarth 500 quite nicely.

Under the bonnet is the turbocharged 1,4-litre four-cylinder engine that is the same basic unit found under the bonnet of the Fiat Punto and Alfa Romeo Mito and Giulietta. Having driven the Mito QV for almost a year now, I already knew that this engine was incredible, and luckily it has not lost that while making its way into the Abarth. The torque is readily available and it is not difficult to keep the engine in its power band, which is surprising since it is a little hamstrung by the 500’s five speed manual gear box.

Although I never went looking for 6th, I suspect that it would be a far more enjoyable drive with the additional forward slot.

But while the Abarth 500 does a decent job at putting its power down (as long as you keep that Sport mode engaged) its real strength is its low weight and huge tyres. A kerb weight of a just 1000 kg means that everything is a little better than expected, and paired to a set of fat 205/40 17” wheels the car becomes almost super-human through the corners. The front wheels grip through everything and allow you to apply the power even before you are through the corner, meaning that the turbo has time to spin up and deliver the goods for the next straight.

There are some problems though, and the most glaring one is the spec level of the car. The interior that I loved so much in the 500 seems bare and a little cheap, I suspect in an effort to try and keep the price down. At R230 000 it is still a great deal but I feel that you’ll end up paying a lot more for the car that you actually want to drive off the show floor.

The ride is also as hard as granite, and is unforgiving on our less than stellar Johannesburg roads. And then there is the power, which could do with just a little bit more. The car feels quick and is an absolute blast to drive, but you are never really going as fast as you think you are. While I would normally chalk this up as an advantage, the difference between what you think you’re doing and what you really are doing is just too large.

The Abarth 500 is really just pure fun, and a rewarding way to spend R230 000. But when I got back into my Mito QV, it was as if I had stepped into a Formula 1 car. Everything was just better, and things that didn’t bother me at first became apparent, specifically the difference between the 500 and the Alfa’s steering.

There is of course a faster version of the Abarth 500, called the Essesse, which not only ramps up the power of the 1,4-litre engine to a more substantial 119 kW, but also the price tag to close to R270 000. There is no doubt that it will be a lot quicker, but even in this guise the 500 with a stinger is a great buy.