As surprising as it may sound, the German car builder Opel has been setting speed records since the 1920s, one such occurrence featured Fritz Von Opel piloting his rocket powered RAK 2 to an estimated 149 MPH at Berlin's Avus racetrack. Not ones to leave history alone, the Opel tuners at Steinmetz brought a modified Insignia->ke2972 Sports Tourer OPC to the Nardo Ring the other day where it hit a record speed of 178.5 MPH to become the fastest street legal Opel ever. Steinmetz started off by upgrading the OPC's cooling system with a modified intercooler before installing a larger turbo complete with a full 3 inch exhaust to let the engine breathe easier, reduce back pressure and eliminate turbo lag. In order to account for the added boost, Steinmetz has installed a set of high flow fuel injectors and then reprogrammed the engine's electronics so that everything stays in working order. The end result is an Insignia wagon that makes 400 HP and 405 lb-ft of torque that has just become the fastest Opel of all time.

RAK 2 video and press release after the jump.

Press release

For the tuning elite, the dates of 18/19 October 2009 represented a very special time in the calendar:
the High Performance Event by Continental and Auto Bild SportsCars in Nardo.

Nardo – an oval over 12 km, on which speeds far above 250 km/h can be – and are – achieved!

For Steinmetz Opel-Tuning and Klasen Motors, the ideal place for breaking the existing speed world record for a road-legal Opel… and for setting a new record of 287.4 km/h.

This puts the Insignia Sports Tourer OPC by Steinmetz / Klasen right at the top of the Opel best ever list. For everyone who wants to share in the flair, the following parts are available for the Opel Insignia:

The current Steinmetz product range for both vehicles includes:

  • Alloy wheels ST7 20″, in white & polished black 5-door, Sports Tourer and OPC
  • Lowering 5-door, Sports Tourer and OPC
  • Front grille 5-door and Sports TourerFront spoiler, pedestrian-friendly 5-door and Sports Tourer
  • Roof spoiler Sports Tourer only
  • Foot mats 5-door and Sports TourerDoor
  • handle trims, chromed stainless steel 5-door and Sports Tourer

The latest Klasen Motors product range for the performance upgrade:

A modified intercooler, larger turbo with 3″ exhaust system including rear silencer, modified fuel injection system and reprogrammed engine electronics are the components responsible for the incredible performance upgrade.Developing 400 HP at 5250 rpm and 550 Nm, there is plenty of power available in every situation to satisfy even the keenest and most enthusiastic driver.