Penny pinching

Though GM has all but excommunicated its performance brands while it tries to stay afloat in the mainstream market, the optimistic folk in the German Opel division have a plan to get their hot cars moving again.

A network of Opel Europe's dealers are plotting to buy a stake in the company by skimming off the sales and investing it in a fund - an Opel investment fund.

The plan so far, according to Automotive News Europe, is to invest 150 Euros from each vehicle sale into an account over three years, amassing an estimated 400 million Euros.

The positive action is affirmation of the dealer's loyalty, and should improve buyer confidence. It may also rub off on Vauxhall, the UK version of Opel.

However, the brand has to actually last three years... GM has indicated that Opel needs 3.3 billion euros to survive the current crisis.