Opel Astra OPC Limited Edition Black

In terms of power, handling and engineering, the Opel Astra OPC - or HSV Astra VXR - may not be the hottest hatch around, but there’s one area the Astra two-door hatch has always had it over its competitors: that roofline.

While most two-door hot hatches have fairly square rear quarter windows, the two-door Astra has a unique roofline utterly separate from its four-door sibling - and boy does it make a difference.

While it’s soon to be superseded by an all-new 2010 Opel Astra, the current model has always been a stunning player in the hatch market.

Now, one Opel dealer in the Netherlands has taken it a step further.

Nurburgring Edition version of Opel’s hot hatch, this Astra has been re-sprayed in a matt/satin black finish, with a carbon fibre appearance bonnet and roof (yes, purely aesthetic, I’m afraid).

Of course, the stealth look is capped off with gloss full-black alloy rims.

With no performance upgrades appearing in the package, this is likely a clever way to sell a few runout models for a bit of a premium.

Still, with a 2.0 litre turbo engine shoveling 179kW (240hp), the Astra OPC will steam its way to 100km/h in a Golf GTI beating 6.4 seconds and a top speed of 244km/h.

Not too shabby, eh?