Wild-looking Opel Rocks e-Xtreme looks ready to survive the apocalypse

The tiny Citroen Ami has spawned a diverse selection of offshoots since it made its debut in 2020. The latest addition to the list is the Opel Rocks e-Xtreme, which was created by an industrial design student named Lukas Wenzhofer as part of a contest organized by the brand.

Built by Opel using Wenzhofer's 3D model as a starting point, the Rocks e-Xtreme seemingly keeps the regular-production model's body but the similarities largely end there. Wenzhofer added massive wheel arch flares that wouldn't look out of place on an Arctic-bound pickup, alloy wheels that stick out even further than the flares, and an external roll cage with auxiliary lights. The finishing touch is out back, where the Rocks e-Xtreme gets a massive carbon fiber rear wing that was previously fitted to an Opel Vectra GTS V8 race car built in the 2000s.

While the German company evidently had a spare Vectra spoiler laying around, it didn't have a spare Vectra V8 engine. It doesn't sound like the Rocks e-Xtreme's specifications sheet looks any different than the standard vehicle's, meaning power comes from an electric motor that draws electricity from a 5.5-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack to zap the front wheels with 8 horsepower. It has a 0-60 time of never, its top speed checks in at around 28 mph, and it offers a maximum driving range of about 43 miles, which is fine considering the Rocks isn't really a car. It's considered a quadricycle in most European countries, so it's not allowed to go on the highway.

Don't expect to see the Opel Rocks e-Xtreme zig-zagging across a historic city center the next time you travel to Europe. Opel stresses that it built the model as a one-off, and nothing suggests the concept will reach production. However, some slightly tamer Ami variants have been let loose in the wild, including a limited-edition beach-friendly model called My Ami Buggy and Fiat's doorless, heritage-inspired Topolino.

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By Ronan Glon