GM Says Opel Astra Convertible's Replacement to be a Standalone Model Like the VW Eos

Earlier this year, General Motors European arm laid out its plans for the replacement of the Opel / Vauxhall Astra Convertible with a new model that will enter production in 2013 at the Gliwice plant in Poland alongside the new Astra models.

And while we know that the open-top model will be based on the new generation of the Astra compact, what the General didn't say is whether or not it will carry the Astra nameplate.

Up until now, that is, because in an interview with Car Magazine, the European design chief at GM, Mark Adams, said the new convertible will be a separate, standalone model in the likes of the Volkswagen Eos hardtop cabrio.

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Report: New Opel Astra GTC May Make it to the States as a Buick

The sporty-looking Opel Astra GTC was only just introduced in Frankfurt last week, but there are already reports suggesting that it could be one of the compact cars General Motors said it would build at an unspecified plant in the U.S. under the details released Tuesday of its tentative pact with the United Auto Workers (UAW).

According to Auto Observer, in a meeting with journalists and analysts at Opel’s Rüsselsheim headquarters in Germany, the firm's CEO, Karl-Friedrich Stracke, said "I could easily see it as a Buick" referring to the Astra GTC.

It would make sense from a marketing standpoint since Buick would automatically gain a new contender in the small sports car segment against the likes of the Hyundai Veloster, while also widening the reach of the brand to a younger audience.

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IAA 2011: New Opel Astra GTC Takes the Stage in Frankfurt

We've already given you the full scoop on the all-new Astra GTC, but in Frankfurt, Opel held the world premiere of its latest C-segment model that blurs the line between three-door hatchbacks and coupes.

Based on the five-door Astra, the low-slung GTC sports a unique body shell as well as different platform dimensions as it has a 10mm longer wheelbase and wider tracks (+40mm up front and +30mm at the rear).

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