25 May 2001: Opel Speedster demonstrators put into a few selected Opel showrooms around the country have almost had to be 'defended' from customers, so great has been the interest, according to Opel Ireland MD Iede Aukema.

Speaking yesterday at the official launch of the Speedster, he said only 20 cars have been allocated to ireland for the rest of this year, while a further 45 may be available next year. Five dealers have been appointed, in Dublin, Monaghan, Limerick and Cork.

The Speedster, a 2-seater soft-top with startling styling, is being built by the GM-owned Lotus cars in the UK. It will sell at £33,000 in Ireland when it officially goes on sale next month.

A detachable hard-top will be available next January, at an extra cost of £2,100. Other options available are leather upholstery and front fog lamps.

The car is powered by Opel's 2.2-litre ECOTEC engine which outputs 147bhp and delivers a 0-60mph time of 5.9secs. The chassis and body are made from a variety of composite and aluminium materials. BB/TW