Ivan Vicario Martin
In the 80 years, the phenomenon of tuning left the United States and began to spread to the rest of the world, and the Opel Kaddet by Mattig is a perfect example. At that time, the most powerful tuners were in Germany, and they offered proposals in the form of kits for the most diverse models. For example, Who does not remember the Ferrari Testarossa from Koenig, which reached almost 1.000 hp of power.
Not all tuners were dedicated to supercars, but many of them They started offering kits for more affordable models, such as Irmscher, Schneider or our protagonist, Mattig. We are talking about a German coach who, although began focusing on Opel models, quickly expanded its catalogue to offer pieces for almost numerous brands on the market.
In any case, in the 80s its catalogue was smaller and had at least Opel Kadett as the main client. Mattig offered different proposals in those years to personalize the German compact, which had become a best-seller from the moment of its appearance. And if there was a version that conquered the hearts of buyers, that was the Cadet GSi, which at the time was competing head to head with the Volkswagen Golf GTI.This is when we get to our protagonist.
THE SPECTACULAR OPEL KADETT MATTIG EXTREME
As we say, there were several customization options for the Kadett that Peter Mattig's company offered in its catalog, crowned by the so-called Extreme kit for the GSi. Absolutely disproportionate proposal in the line of the Opel Calibra Catano which was only available for the three-door body.
Thanks to the Extreme kit, our protagonist had at the time the record of being the widest Kadett in the world, measuring no less than two metres from side to side. To give us an idea, the width of the production model was 1.662 millimetres. In addition to the widened wheel arches, the kit included oversized front and rear bumpers, a racing-style bonnet and some crazy side skirts joining the gigantic wings.
Another distinctive detail was the double front optics that They imitated those used in competitionOf course, the chassis was also lowered, reducing the ground clearance by 6 centimeters, while the wheels also gained width. At the front, they were fitted with tyres measuring 245/45 11, while at the rear they went up to 345/35 13. As we can see, the fashion for large wheels had not yet arrived.
A SPOILER WITH A LOT OF CRUMBS
Perhaps the most surprising element is found in the rear of the Opel Kadett Mattig, because The Extreme kit included a raised spoiler which started almost from the rear of the roof. It was so big that it needed a support to rest on the bottom of the trunk lid, that is, exactly the same as the one in Ford Escort RS Cosworth, but a few years earlier. What we do not know is that the mechanics of the Kadett were touched, which, being the GSi 16V, offered a good 150 hp of power.
Interestingly, this preparation It was available for both the three-door and the convertible., although in the latter case in a less extreme format, never better said. The widening was a little less and, logically, it lost the huge rear spoiler to incorporate a conventional one. On the other hand, It kept the front appearance, with the double optics and the racing hood..
More than 30 years after the appearance of the spectacular Opel Kadett Mattig Extreme, There are still some units in operation. In fact, they are listed at around 30.000 euros when a model is put up for sale. Mattig herself still offers accessories for the Kadett on her website, although nothing remotely so excessive.
