Everyone surely knows the countless Chuck Norris memes, such as: ‘When Chuck Norris dies, he doesn’t really die – death is simply too afraid to deliver the message in person.’ A few days ago, however, we received the sad news that Chuck Norris is now landing his roundhouse kicks in heaven. During a recent coffee break, this made us wonder: who will take the throne of the indestructible cult icon now?

It really is not that hard to figure out. Long before the internet even knew what a “meme” was, Germany already had its own Chuck Norris – only with a fox tail instead of a roundhouse kick, and lowered instead of wearing a Texas Ranger badge. Of course, we are talking about the Opel Manta.

The Cult of the Opel Manta

Somehow, it is still difficult to explain why icons like the Porsche 911, the VW Golf GTI, or the BMW M3 never quite achieved the unique cult status etched into the Opel Manta. The more you reflect on it, the more intriguing the question becomes: how did a relatively sleek sports coupé from Opel’s assembly lines in Bochum, Rüsselsheim, and Antwerp evolve into an analog meme for German car enthusiasts and beyond?

While Chuck Norris allegedly folded the universe with his bare hands, Manta driver ‘Manni’ performed a very different kind of miracle. With his elbow resting casually on the window ledge, a Kenwood sticker on the rear window, and a foxtail hanging from the antenna, he defined an entire era. Chuck Norris and the Opel Manta are both victims and winners of massive cult formation within German pop culture. They became detached from reality and elevated to symbols that are now more firmly anchored in the ‘dictionary of pop culture’ than the correct capitalization of the word mullet

Was it the unmistakable Ruhr-area charm of the Manta, once described as the Porsche for the German blue-collar worker? Or was it the cult film Manta, Manta that permanently embedded Manta jokes into the collective memory of a nation? No one really knows, least of all Manta-Manni himself. But while Chuck Norris’ legend ascends into the Olympus of immortality, the Manta returns to our garages with screeching tires. This time, as a highly sought-after classic car that we no longer just smile at, but genuinely find incredibly cool again.

This time, as a highly sought-after classic car that we no longer just smile at, but genuinely find incredibly cool again.

If you want to know more about the Opel Manta A or Opel Manta B in general, check out the Manta World website from an die-hard Manta enthusiast: www.mantaworld.com

Cult Suspension for a Cult Opel

There is no doubt about it: the Opel Manta is pure K.U.L.T. just like our KW suspension systems. That is exactly why we now offer the KW V3 Classic suspension kit with TÜV approval for almost all Opel Manta A and Opel Manta B models. And don’t worry, installing our KW suspension kit does not require any modifications to the axle geometry or the bodywork. The original sheet metal and the classic character of these cars are sacred to us.

Since neither the Opel Manta A nor Opel Manta B uses MacPherson struts, our KW V3 Classic suspension for Opel’s cult “Manta ray” isn’t a coilover system in the conventional sense. The stainless-steel “damper housings” do not feature a trapezoidal thread for continuouse ride height adjustment.

We took a different approach: on the Opel Manta A, including the L, SR, and GT/E variants, the approved lowering range is 10 to 30 millimeters on the front axle and 0 to 20 millimeters on the rear axle.

The Opel Manta B can be continuously lowered with the KW V3 Classic suspension by 30 to 55 millimeters on the front and rear axles. Please note that the KW V3 Classic suspension is not yet available for the Opel Manta 400 and Opel Manta CC.

Similar to our height-adjustable spring kits and our threaded springs, we developed spring perches with threads for the two Manta models. Vehicle ride height is adjusted via these perches and that’s essentially the secret behind the continuously adjustable lowering capability of the KW V3 Classic suspension for the Manta.

Why you should buy the KW V3 Classic suspension

If we’re honest, many classic car owners don’t buy a KW Classic suspension primarily because of the option of continuous lowering. Instead, they decide on our KW suspensions because of improved road holding combined with modern ride comfort.

With the KW dampers for the Opel Manta A and Opel Manta B, we use the same modern technology we incorporate in every KW V3 suspension. As a result, the Manta A (built 1970–1975) and the Manta B (built 1975–1988) gain a far more contemporary and dynamic driving behavior than in stock form. Which is no surprise, over the decades, suspension technology has evolved just as much as the tires available today.

With the new KW V3 Classic suspension, the steering response of the Opel Manta A and Opel Manta B becomes much more direct. Even on winding country roads, our suspension delivers noticeably safer feedback. The body hardly rolls around its longitudinal axis, and the Manta no longer pitches excessively under acceleration or braking. As a driver, you feel far more connected to the road and can hardly believe you’re sitting in an old car.

The reason a classic car like the Opel Manta drives much more modernly is due to our overall suspension engineering

For all our street applications, we always follow our own principle: as firm as necessary, as comfortable as possible. Accordingly, the springs and damper valving are engineered specifically with this goal in mind. Even in the baseline setup, the KW V3 damper configuration for the Manta is tuned for more driving enjoyment without the ride comfort falling by the wayside.

Thanks to its multi-valve technology, the KW V3 Classic suspension is noticeably more refined in its ride quality than many other sport suspensions and even some OEM setups. If you prefer a firmer setup, you can adjust the damping via the independent compression and rebound valves.

This allows you to adjust the rebound damping which is essential for handling with 16 clicks, ranging from a firmer feel to a more comfort-oriented ride. For the compression damping to support the vehicle body, you can select your personal setup using twelve precise clicks.

For everyone who wants to know a bit more about the details, we’ll take a quick detour with our Opel Manta and pause briefly to shed more light on our KW V3 technology with adjustable compression and rebound valves.

Compression damping influences how the spring compresses and therefore has direct effects on body roll during steering inputs and cornering. In addition, compression supports the Manta’s turn-in behavior. With twelve clicks, the low-speed compression can be adjusted on the KW V3 Classic dampers and the KW V3 Classic coilover suspension.

In principle, the rebound damping is largely responsible for how the iconic Manta stays connected to the road and how quickly the springs return to their original position after compression. Increasing the rebound damping makes handling more direct, while opening the rebound valves results in a more forgiving ride behavior and also improves comfort. 16 click positions are available to adjust low-speed rebound.

With KW V3 technology, only the low-speed valves of compression and rebound are adjustable. Low-speed and high-speed, by the way, do not refer to the speed at which we drive a Manta, but the respective piston rod speed within the damper.

In “suspension speak” slow speeds fall into the low-speed range which covers what we do as drivers: steering, accelerating, and braking. High-speed by contrast includes everything the road surface transmits to the tires such as bumps, expansion joints, curbs, and similar road conditions.

The preconfigured and non-adjustable high-speed valves ensure that on poorly maintained roads or when driving over bumps, the damper valves open within a fraction of a second so the road irregularity is absorbed. We always refer to this as a “blow-off characteristic”.

But why would anyone today come up with the idea of developing a modern suspension for the Opel Manta? Because at KW suspensions or KW automotive we simply live and breathe cars and we mean that quite literally.

Although just over one million Opel Manta A and Opel Manta B cars were manufactured between 1970 and 1988, according to Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) fewer than 4,000 are still registered in Germany today. A small but passionate enthusiast community has preserved the Opel coupé over time. It’s precisely for these enthusiasts we have now developed our KW V3 Classic suspension. Not because the market is big, but because the demands for our brand KW suspensions are high.

With the KW Classic suspension, the Opel Manta is equipped with state-of-the-art technology without losing its unique driving character. Since our damper housings are manufactured from high-quality stainless steel, they offer unbeatable corrosion resistance. This ensures that even after years of driving, the suspension remains as durable and reliable as the legendary Manta itself.

What makes KW automotive special is that we can manufacture suspensions in batch size one, always built to customer order. For our brands ap Sportfahrwerke, KW suspensions, Reiger Suspensions, and ST suspensions we manufacture up to 500 suspension kits per day at our headquarters in Fichtenberg with more than 90 percent of them for different vehicle models. Even today we still sell suspensions for the Opel Calibra, Datsun 240 Z, or the Honda Integra Type R which we don’t pull from a warehouse but instead build individually for every customer once the order is placed. And that’s something Manni would definitely think is cool too.

Optionally the KW V3 Classic suspension for the Opel Manta A and Opel Manta B is also available in the KW Classic Line variant. In this version the springs and spring perches are finished in black. On our KW suspensions brand website at www.kwsuspensions.com/de-en you will also find a dealer locator and our online shop.