There are Abarth versions of the Fiat 500e and 600e. The Renault 5 is available in a relatively accessible Alpine variant and a truly outrageous limited-production track variant. Peugeot has an electric GTI, and VW will have one in the near future. Before that VW shows up, though, Opel will double its electric GSE offerings to include the Corsa, which it has teased with the image above.
It Will Be Sporty, And It Has Cool Wheels
Opel isn't sharing much about the Corsa GSE for the time being. That close-up shot of the front wheel is the only image for now. At the very least, the wheel is seriously cool. It looks a little like a reel on a mid-century tape player or film projector. The vinyl wrap on it probably won't be offered, but Opel should maybe consider making it an option, because even that looks neat on the wheel. We can also make out the brake calipers that look like they could be the same four-piston units from the Mokka GSE (more on that in a moment).
Opel's CEO, Florian Huettl, also had a few words to share about what the car will be like.
“Our Opel Corsa is an absolute bestseller. Small, agile and extremely practical, it stands for long-lasting success. The three letters ‘GSE’, on the other hand, stand for battery-electric high-performance and top dynamics. The new Corsa GSE combines both worlds. It is the new all-electric top-of-the-range version of our small car and will offer pure electric and thus locally emissions-free driving pleasure.” -Florian Huettl
We've Got A Good Guess On The Specs
Opel is a part of Stellantis, along with Fiat and Peugeot, two brands we already mentioned as providers of fun electric hatchbacks. Looking at them, along with Opel's first fully electric GSE, the Mokka, you'll notice they all have basically the same specifications. The Abarth 600e, Mokka GSE (pictured above), and E-208 GTI (pictured below) all feature a single 278-horsepower motor that also makes 255 pound-feet of torque. They all have a mechanical limited-slip differential. They all have a 54-kWh battery pack. They're all on the same platform, too, which is again shared with the regular Corsa.
So, it's a pretty safe bet that the Corsa GSE will have exactly the same powertrain. Of course, the suspension and steering may be tweaked a little to differentiate it from its cousins, but otherwise, it likely won't be anything we haven't seen before. Also, since the Corsa is closer in size to the Peugeot than the Opel Mokka or Fiat 600e, it will probably have a 0-62 mph time closer to the Peugeot's 5.7 seconds than the Mokka GSE's 5.9 seconds.
Even though the Corsa GSE likely won't be anything revolutionary, we're still excited to see it. We're also hopeful it will be a bit more daring in the styling department than the Mokka, considering the nifty wheels. We'd love to see some inspiration from the recent Vision Gran Turismo concept: possibly some flourescent lime accents, a rear wing, and a mild body kit. Opel didn't give an exact time frame for the Corsa GSE's reveal, but it should show up sometime this year.
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