Test report by CoMod Chris on the Opel Manta A “Tuner”.
(analog 27232 and digital 30431)
The Manta – books have been written about this vehicle, films have been made, and countless jokes have been made. Above all, the Manta was one of the most popular tuning vehicles, so much so that today there are almost more tuned vehicles than authentic ones.
On the streets, however, one encounters almost exclusively the Manta B, which is no surprise, as it was built from 1975 to 1988. Its predecessor, the Manta A, rolled off the assembly line for just five years. The arguably most legendary Manta, however, did not come from Opel, but from the Belgian company "Transeurop Engineering," abbreviated to TE. There, the 2.8-liter six-cylinder engine of the Opel Commodore was transplanted into the Manta, which, among other things, necessitated a slight extension of the front end. Customers also received bold fender flares, which also externally demonstrated that this was no ordinary Manta. Contemporary sources speak of fewer than 100 vehicles built.
Carrera has modeled its slot miniature on precisely this TE 2800, as evidenced by the "TE 2800" lettering embossed into the chassis. The car will be available in green in both the digital and analog ranges, the latter as a standalone vehicle and also as part of the "Tuner Classic" starter set. A red Manta in Carrera design has also been announced, but this will be released exclusively as an analog version.
The Manta's slender body shape is very well realized in the model, and the striking, bright green color scheme makes the car an absolute eye-catcher, even echoing the rims. The matte black hood and the black window surrounds and decorative stripes create an attractive contrast. There are also oversized Opel lightning bolts on the hood and doors, as well as the "Manta A Power" lettering in the original Opel style. Some of the passenger's "details" are also oversized, while the driver sports a true-to-style muscle shirt and mullet. There is one small drawback: the body sits a bit high on the chassis at the rear; this jacked-up look was probably also quite popular in the 80s.
Let's get to the technology - the chassis is in principle a special construction for
the Manta, but features only familiar elements: the separately removable motor-rear axle unit, the innovative guide keel design, and the option of digital upgrades. The guide keel's rotation angle could be larger, but there's nothing wrong with its position. Setup is limited—as is almost always the case—to removing the rear magnet and setting the maximum possible ground clearance for the center magnet. The Manta's small dimensions suggest hectic handling, and so the car corners quite aggressively, yet always remains well controllable. There are no desloshing or similar unpleasant surprises. Thus, it lives up to its nickname "Tuner" and proves to be a suitable opponent for the Golf GTI.
Personally, I would be delighted if there were more color variations in the coming years – the color palette of the 70s and 80s offered a lot in this regard, and there were also attractive special models such as the "Black Magic," which would certainly look great on the racetrack.
CoMod Chris
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Test report from CoMod Lotus on the Opel Manta A “Tuner”.
(analog 27232 and digital 30431)
How do you start a review of the Opel Manta?
Let’s approach the matter differently: Let’s let Wikipedia speak or quote from the online encyclopedia!
The Opel Manta is a car model introduced by Adam-Opel-AG in September 1970. It is a five-seat, two-door coupe with a water-cooled, four-cylinder front-mounted engine and rear-wheel drive. The Manta and Manta drivers were immortalized in the film 'Manta, Manta and Manta - The Movie,' just as the VW Beetle once was, albeit often with a rather ironic and derogatory tone. Countless songs—e.g., "Manta" by Norbert and the Cowards—and Manta jokes emerged about the Manta driver as one of the most widespread and highly stylized stereotypes for a kind of thug: a foxtail on the antenna, a six-pack in the back seat, a blonde—who's a hairdresser by profession—in the passenger seat—this was the cliché of a Manta driver. The stereotypical Manta driver also had a low level of education, macho behavior, cowboy boots, an elbow hanging out the window in all weather, and many other characteristics considered embarrassing to others.
That's exactly what the new Manta from Carrera looks like! They couldn't have recreated this iconic Opel better. First, a few words about the figures: The passenger has a bust that would make Sonja Kraus pale. The driver wears a black muscle shirt, a gold chain, and has the classic mullet. Very true to the original, see above!
About the car itself: We have the Manta here in the tuner version with the fender flares. The paint job is absolutely contemporary. Bright colors were absolutely in back then, and parking spaces were colorful, not uniformly silver. The hood is matte black (to prevent light reflections), the huge OPEL logo on the hood, the racing stripes, the OPEL lightning bolt and lettering on the side. A very nice detail: the LUI sun visor on the windshield. The paint job is very detailed and clean; the only minor drawback on my model is the slight blurriness on the hood edge. One of my favorite things are the wire wheels: they're a painted photo-etched part!
The body itself is very robust and can even withstand crashes without a hitch. The car is perfectly child-friendly, should dad ever let it go.
And it handles just as sleekly as it looks. The 97g of plastic and metal rip around corners on the grippy tires; acceleration is good, and the magnets keep the car securely on track. Without the magnets, it's a bit harder to drive, as it's closer to the real thing than it wants to be. It's prone to slipping in tight corners.
Conclusion : The Stingray is a worthy opponent for the VW Golf GTI. If the Ford Capri or Escort were to arrive, the classic disco cars of the 80s would be complete.
CoMod Lotus
(analog 27232 and digital 30431)
The Manta – books have been written about this vehicle, films have been made, and countless jokes have been made. Above all, the Manta was one of the most popular tuning vehicles, so much so that today there are almost more tuned vehicles than authentic ones.
On the streets, however, one encounters almost exclusively the Manta B, which is no surprise, as it was built from 1975 to 1988. Its predecessor, the Manta A, rolled off the assembly line for just five years. The arguably most legendary Manta, however, did not come from Opel, but from the Belgian company "Transeurop Engineering," abbreviated to TE. There, the 2.8-liter six-cylinder engine of the Opel Commodore was transplanted into the Manta, which, among other things, necessitated a slight extension of the front end. Customers also received bold fender flares, which also externally demonstrated that this was no ordinary Manta. Contemporary sources speak of fewer than 100 vehicles built.
Carrera has modeled its slot miniature on precisely this TE 2800, as evidenced by the "TE 2800" lettering embossed into the chassis. The car will be available in green in both the digital and analog ranges, the latter as a standalone vehicle and also as part of the "Tuner Classic" starter set. A red Manta in Carrera design has also been announced, but this will be released exclusively as an analog version.
The Manta's slender body shape is very well realized in the model, and the striking, bright green color scheme makes the car an absolute eye-catcher, even echoing the rims. The matte black hood and the black window surrounds and decorative stripes create an attractive contrast. There are also oversized Opel lightning bolts on the hood and doors, as well as the "Manta A Power" lettering in the original Opel style. Some of the passenger's "details" are also oversized, while the driver sports a true-to-style muscle shirt and mullet. There is one small drawback: the body sits a bit high on the chassis at the rear; this jacked-up look was probably also quite popular in the 80s.
Let's get to the technology - the chassis is in principle a special construction for
the Manta, but features only familiar elements: the separately removable motor-rear axle unit, the innovative guide keel design, and the option of digital upgrades. The guide keel's rotation angle could be larger, but there's nothing wrong with its position. Setup is limited—as is almost always the case—to removing the rear magnet and setting the maximum possible ground clearance for the center magnet. The Manta's small dimensions suggest hectic handling, and so the car corners quite aggressively, yet always remains well controllable. There are no desloshing or similar unpleasant surprises. Thus, it lives up to its nickname "Tuner" and proves to be a suitable opponent for the Golf GTI.
Personally, I would be delighted if there were more color variations in the coming years – the color palette of the 70s and 80s offered a lot in this regard, and there were also attractive special models such as the "Black Magic," which would certainly look great on the racetrack.
CoMod Chris
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Test report from CoMod Lotus on the Opel Manta A “Tuner”.
(analog 27232 and digital 30431)
How do you start a review of the Opel Manta?
Let’s approach the matter differently: Let’s let Wikipedia speak or quote from the online encyclopedia!
The Opel Manta is a car model introduced by Adam-Opel-AG in September 1970. It is a five-seat, two-door coupe with a water-cooled, four-cylinder front-mounted engine and rear-wheel drive. The Manta and Manta drivers were immortalized in the film 'Manta, Manta and Manta - The Movie,' just as the VW Beetle once was, albeit often with a rather ironic and derogatory tone. Countless songs—e.g., "Manta" by Norbert and the Cowards—and Manta jokes emerged about the Manta driver as one of the most widespread and highly stylized stereotypes for a kind of thug: a foxtail on the antenna, a six-pack in the back seat, a blonde—who's a hairdresser by profession—in the passenger seat—this was the cliché of a Manta driver. The stereotypical Manta driver also had a low level of education, macho behavior, cowboy boots, an elbow hanging out the window in all weather, and many other characteristics considered embarrassing to others.
That's exactly what the new Manta from Carrera looks like! They couldn't have recreated this iconic Opel better. First, a few words about the figures: The passenger has a bust that would make Sonja Kraus pale. The driver wears a black muscle shirt, a gold chain, and has the classic mullet. Very true to the original, see above!
About the car itself: We have the Manta here in the tuner version with the fender flares. The paint job is absolutely contemporary. Bright colors were absolutely in back then, and parking spaces were colorful, not uniformly silver. The hood is matte black (to prevent light reflections), the huge OPEL logo on the hood, the racing stripes, the OPEL lightning bolt and lettering on the side. A very nice detail: the LUI sun visor on the windshield. The paint job is very detailed and clean; the only minor drawback on my model is the slight blurriness on the hood edge. One of my favorite things are the wire wheels: they're a painted photo-etched part!
The body itself is very robust and can even withstand crashes without a hitch. The car is perfectly child-friendly, should dad ever let it go.
And it handles just as sleekly as it looks. The 97g of plastic and metal rip around corners on the grippy tires; acceleration is good, and the magnets keep the car securely on track. Without the magnets, it's a bit harder to drive, as it's closer to the real thing than it wants to be. It's prone to slipping in tight corners.
Conclusion : The Stingray is a worthy opponent for the VW Golf GTI. If the Ford Capri or Escort were to arrive, the classic disco cars of the 80s would be complete.
CoMod Lotus
