This is Opel’s Insignia with RWD and a Corvette V8 Engine housed in an avant-garde body.

Name: Opel Insignia

Launched: 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show

Specifications: rear-wheel drive with V8 engine producing 344 horsepower, seven speed automatic gearbox and hydropneumatic suspensionWhy It Matters Now:

We thought it appropriate to dial our time machine back to 2003, when the Insignia Grand Sport was officially unveiled.

The Insignia was released at a time Opel was still selling the Signum and Vectra. It was much more unusual than its predecessor, with sliding rear doors suspended from a pantograph. To open the doors, the driver needed to push a button on the handle. The rear doors would then automatically slide to the right to allow access to the cabin.

It featured a prominent grille made from solid aluminum, flanked by two LED headlights. This was quite an impressive feat 13 years ago. Opel actually used 405 light-emitting diodes to install the headlights and taillights as well as the interior lighting. The Insignia concept was technologically impressive. It featured electric motors that could open and close the rear windows and tailgate at the touch of an electronic button.

It was a stunning concept that made waves at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show. The design features a panoramic roof, large 21-inch wheels, quad exhaust tips and no B pillars. It was quite different from the road-going model five years later. Opel used a rear-wheel drive layout derived form the Holden Commodore. An LS1 V8 Corvette engine with 344 horsepower (256 kilowatts), was installed and delivered to the road via a 7-speed automatic gearbox. It was enough American muscle to enable the Insignia concept run to 62 mph (100 kph) in less than six seconds before topping out at an electronically-capped 155 mph (250 kph).

Opel also engineered the car with a hydraulic suspension, which allows for a smooth ride that one would expect from large sedans with high-end aspirations. Russelsheim continued the luxury theme inside with a tobacco-brown leather interior, turquoise decorative seams and dark ebony trim. Some areas were given a satin-finished aluminum look, while LEDs and a foldable screen on the DVD player gave the cabin a sophisticated feel.

The Insignia concept can be electrically folded into the trunk floor to make it a four-seater. The cool box that could hold two bottles of champagne was available to passengers who sat in the back of these comfortable individual seats. The Insignia concept felt more like a limousine with a humidor to store fine cigars.