Opel kept its promise and built a real-life example of the independently designed Rocks e-Xtreme, remaining true to the craziness of the original renderings. The Opel Rocks e-Xtreme was created by design student Lukas Wenzhöfer, who shared it online just one week after the debut of the production-spec heavy quadricycle in September 2021. Fast forward to December 2022, the 3D model won the #OpelDesignHack competition, with the price being its transition from the digital world to reality.
Honoring the unanimous decision of the
“selected specialist audience”, Opel took on the challenge, taking the humble
Rocks Electric to the e-Xtreme. The team stayed true to the 3D model, paying
attention to every single detail and making it happen with the help of 3D
printing.
The highlight of course is the protruding
wheels shod in all-terrain tires, which are combined with an overhauled
suspension offering an increased ground clearance. Despite the use of chunky
fender flares, there’s no way to cover the wildly wider tracks, making the
little Rocks look like a cartoon car. The “bright yellow roll-over hoop”
provides an extra feeling of safety to the occupants while serving as a base
for the roof-mounted LEDs. Speaking of lighting, the Rocks e-Xtreme traded the
Citroen Ami-sourced units for sleeker LEDs and adopted the Opel Visor
treatment. Last but not least, the carbon fiber rear wing is sourced from the
Vectra GTS V8 DTM racecar and looks gigantic for the vehicle’s size.
Despite the extreme visual and chassis
modifications, the company didn’t mention any power upgrades over the stock
Opel Rocks Electric which is nothing more but a rebadged Citroen Ami. The
quadricycles come fitted with a single electric motor producing 8 hp, and a 5.5 kWh lithium-ion battery. Besides Opel and Citroen, there is
another Stellantis model using the same quadricycle underpinnings albeit with a
restyled bodywork – the Fiat Topolino.
The “one and only” Opel Rocks e-Xtreme
will embark on a tour so more fans of the tiny EV can check it out in person.
