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To prevent sales from dropping even further, Opel has become the highest discounter in Germany last month — outdoing even Fiat S.p.A.

Trade publication Autohaus PulsSchlag revealed that Opel dealerships’ discounts in May averaged 12.8% off the list price, undercutting the 12.4% savings from Fiat, which has long led in the incentives race in Germany. According to its monthly survey, the industry averaged rebates of 10.9%. Even after rolling out a new version of its best-selling Astra compact, Opel sales still fell by 41% in Germany through May.

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Ever since Opel lifted the covers off the stylish GTC Concept back in 2007, there have been rumors flying throughout the internet and the media about a production version of the study that would essentially replace the Vectra-based Calibra of the 1990s.

And while many (yours truly included) may support that an Astra-based sports coupe sounds like a more reasonable and lucrative proposal for Opel, Car Magazine has returned with an update on the Calibra II / GTC Concept story.

The report claims that the four-seater coupe is still under consideration but if it gets the final okay, it could go on sale as early as 2013, which sounds plausible given that the car would be more or less a two-door version of the Opel Insignia (sold in the U.S. as the 2011 Buick Regal).

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Following in the footsteps of sister company Opel that recently launched a special edition version of the Corsa dedicated to the German national football team, Vauxhall has announced the release of a set of England flag decals for the three-door Corsa.

The kit, which includes the same style decals that flow from the Corsa’s headlamps right the way along its sides with a pair of matching mirror caps as the German-market model, is available from Vauxhall retailers for £149 fully fitted and including VAT.

To celebrate the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa that will kick off in Johannesburg’s Soccer City Stadium on June 11th, Opel has released a limited edition version of its Corsa supermini dedicated to the German national soccer team. For the record the Germans were drawn into Group D where they will play their three first round matches against Australia, Serbia and Ghana.

But back to the Corsa, the German-market “Football Championship Edition” features the traditional colors of the country’s soccer team combining a white paint job with stripes that run from the hood to the rear quarter window and also cover the exterior mirrors, and a set of 17-inch alloy wheels finished in black.

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While attending the ongoing Beijing Auto Show, consumers are being presented with seemingly countless options of electric and hybrid gas-electric vehicles. Outside of the show, however, consumers are opting for gas-powered SUVs and shunning hybrids and electric vehicles at dealers.

According to Gasgoo, several Toyota and Honda dealers in Beijing, China, are complaining of shortages of small SUVs, while hybrid vehicles are having to be sold at a loss to clear them from dealer lots.

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