Born to Turn Heads: New Opel Corsa GSE in Sporty Camouflage

• Striped and chequered decals: Modern tribute to the sporty Opel Corsa A of the 1980s
• Camouflaged and concealed: Electrifying design details of new Opel Corsa GSE still remain a secret
• Hot prospects: Sporty new Opel Corsa top-of-the-range model available to order this year

“OMG! What a stunning car is that?” This is probably what many Opel fans asked themselves when they saw the first spy shots of the new Opel Corsa GSE. Because Opel will soon be expanding its range of GSE models, as the manufacturer announced recently. The new Opel Corsa GSE will be available to order later this year.

However, there is still some time to go before the high-performance version of Germany’s best-selling small car is officially unveiled. This is why the new Opel Corsa GSE is currently still camouflaged; after all, not all of its hot design details are to be revealed in advance. At the same time, the sporty-looking wrap on the exterior is much more than just a practical disguise – it pays homage to the sporty Corsa A variants of the 1980s, thus, with a modern twist.

“With the camouflage for the new Opel Corsa GSE, we’re combining classic design with an exciting, forward-looking look that highlights the spirit of our GSE models,” said Andreas Kubis, who, as ‘Technical Lead Confidentiality’, is responsible for camouflaging Opel’s prototypes and pre-production vehicles. “Of course, the primary purpose of the camouflage is to prevent all the details of the upcoming model from being revealed too early,” explained the prototype protection expert. “With the Opel Corsa GSE, however, it was immediately clear to us that this ‘disguise’ should convey a message. Its sporty design with black, white and yellow accents whets the appetite for this hot hatch, whilst also paying homage to Opel’s motorsport heritage.”

At Opel, GSE stands for goosebumps, speed and electric emotions. The new Opel Corsa GSE was designed to embody all of this not just in its final production version, but right from the first glance as a prototype. Andreas Kubis and his team have done a sterling job here. Even the matt black base colour of the wrap conveys the vehicle’s performance character. The large yellow and white stripes, complete with GSE lettering, unmistakably herald the new hot hatch. The stripes have been arranged to resemble a sporty chequered pattern, complemented by white and yellow dotted double lines that look like finely stitched seams.

Opel fans will find all this familiar. The sports seats in the first Opel Corsa GSi, back in the late 1980s, already featured a very distinctive striped pattern. And the yellow and white stripes on the bodywork of the new Opel Corsa GSE, now arranged at different angles to one another, deliberately draw inspiration from the chequered design of the seat covers, which is inextricably linked to the Opel Corsa SR and Opel Corsa GT of the first generation of this best-selling small car.

The new Opel Corsa GSE is already whetting the appetite for powerful performance in its matching hot GSE styling. Opel will soon reveal which design details will make the new high-performance model even more striking. Visitors of this year’s Paris Motor Show (12 to 18 October) can already look forward to seeing the Opel Corsa GSE in the flesh as the hot hatch will celebrate it exhibition premiere in the French capital.

World Premiere: Opel Presents GEN4 Formula E Prototype

• Opel GSE 27FE celebrates world premiere at the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet
• Test and development driver Sophia Flörsch behind the wheel of the electric racing car with more than 800 hp
• Extensive track testing programme to begin in May
• GSE line-up on the track: Opel Mokka GSE, Opel Corsa GSE prototype, Opel Manta GSe, Opel Mokka GSE Rally and GEN4 race car
• Final design of the Formula E race car to celebrate premiere at the 2026 Paris Motor Show

Opel is setting the next milestone on the way to the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with the new Opel GSE 27FE celebrating its world premiere at the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet in southern France. With the prototype of the GEN4 race car and its striking design, the brand with the Blitz bolt is showing the next chapter of its Formula E commitment – for the first time live on the racetrack.

"We have a clear strategy with Opel GSE: Race. Drive. Play. And 2026 is clearly dominated by racing," announced Rebecca Reinermann, Vice President Marketing. “We are showing how exciting and at the same time relevant electric performance is for and at Opel."

Over 800 hp: Opel GSE 27FE for the new era of Formula E

“What we are unveiling today is much more than a prototype," said Jörg Schrott, Team Principal of the Opel GSE Formula E Team. “The Opel GSE 27FE is a strategic technology accelerator for our development in series production and GSE performance models in particular.”

The Opel GSE 27FE is the race car for the GEN4 generation of the Formula E World Championship, which starts with the coming season. The prototype has permanent all-wheel drive, an output of over 800 hp, achieves a recuperation output of up to 700 kW, thus taking electric motorsport to a completely new level. Other strategic elements such as different aerodynamic configurations promise even more excitement during the races.

The preparation is correspondingly extensive. "After many intensive hours on the test bench, we are now integrating the entire powertrain into the car and will be on the racetrack from the beginning of May," explained Jörg Schrott. In the coming months, test bench runs and test operations on the track will alternate in a targeted manner. "We are currently planning to complete around 15 days of testing on various European racetracks before the start of the season."

Design with high-speed DNA

The design of the GSE 27FE follows a clear idea: If a car is so fast – what does it have to look like so that this speed is conveyed even when stationary? The answer is provided by the striking ‘Lightspeed’ graphics of the body. The decal with strong yellow accents ties in with Opel's motorsport history and racing DNA with its eye-catching yellow design.

“With the design of the Opel GSE 27FE, we want to make speed and performance unmistakably visible even before our GEN4 race car hits the track,” said Pierre-Olivier Garcia, Head of Opel Global Brand Design. "'OMG! in a blink' perfectly describes this intent: immediate effect, maximum presence and the focused energy of modern electric racing. Every line, every surface, every detail is driven by a clear vision – precision engineering expressed through design made in Germany."

The Opel Compass features prominently at the front and clearly identifies the vehicle as an Opel. At the same time, the GSE 27FE continues to develop the GSE design language introduced in 2025 with the Mokka GSE Rally – from a rugged rally look to a new visual world designed for high-tech and high-speed Formula E.

The final design, with which the Opel GSE 27FE will make its world championship debut, will be shown in October as part of Opel’s presence at the 2026 Paris Motor Show, which will also focus on the GSE line-up.

Sophia Flörsch on the track for the first time in the GEN4 prototype

The first driver to pilot the GEN4 prototype on the racetrack was test and development driver Sophia Flörsch. The 25-year-old German completed the first kilometres in Le Castellet. The Munich-based driver will be closely involved in development from the very beginning – from simulator sessions to the upcoming test drives with the GSE 27FE and other generations of Formula E.

“After initial tests in the simulator, to drive here for the first time in Opel's Formula E GEN4 race car is an indescribable moment. The brutal torque, this completely new performance – it feels like the future of motorsport, and I'm ready to push the limits,” said Sophia Flörsch.

GSE all along the line

In Le Castellet, Opel shows how closely Formula E and the GSE models interact: In addition to the Opel GSE 27FE, the Opel Mokka GSE, the prototype of the new Opel Corsa GSE, the Opel Manta GSe and the Opel Mokka GSE Rally complete some laps together. At the Circuit Paul Ricard, Opel is showcasing the entire range of its electric performance: from a rally competition car to a concept icon to sporty production models and the future Formula E racing car.

“We are impressively demonstrating how all elements of our GSE story come together today," said Rebecca Reinermann. “We are consistently expanding GSE as an emotionally charged performance brand. Formula E plays a key role in this because it combines technology, high-tech innovation, sustainability, fan culture and enthusiasm in a unique way.”

Formula E as the emotional face of GSE

Opel officially announced its entry into Formula E as a German works team in mid-March and is using the World Championship as a global stage for its all-electric high-performance models with the start of the GEN4 era. The abbreviation GSE stands for ‘Grand Sport Electric’ and thus for particularly dynamic electric vehicles. After the Opel Mokka GSE last year, the new Opel Corsa GSE will be launched in 2026. "Formula E is the fastest growing racing series in the world – and that's exactly where Opel belongs," insisted Rebecca Reinermann. “We don't want to reserve this uncompromising performance just for motorsport professionals. Opel customers should also be able to enjoy this sporty, direct 'OMG! driving experience'. That's why we are further expanding our GSE series model range with the Opel Corsa GSE."

Opel Increases Global Sales in the First Quarter of 2026 – Double-Digit Growth in Europe

• Worldwide growth: New registrations increase by almost 8% in the first quarter
• Strong in Europe: Passenger car sales in Europe up almost 18% year-on-year
• Continued strength: Corsa remains best-selling small car in Germany and the UK
• Convincing SUVs: Opel Grandland, Frontera and Mokka with double-digit increase

Opel grew worldwide significantly in the first quarter of 2026. From January to March, Opel and its British sister brand Vauxhall sold more than 157,000 cars and light commercial vehicles. That is almost 8%  more than in the previous year.

Growth drivers included the SUV models Mokka, Frontera and Grandland newly launched in 2025. The trio recorded double-digit growth compared to the first quarter of 2025. The new Frontera, for example, is also very successful as an electric vehicle. In the United Kingdom (UK) it is the best-selling all-electric B-SUV in the first quarter of the year, in Spain it ranks fourth and, in the Netherlands, it ranks fifth.

Meanwhile, demand for the Opel Corsa, Germany's best-selling small car for over five years, remains high and is even increasing. Sales of the bestseller were up by 25% in Germany in March. It thus remains the undisputed number one among small cars in Opel’s home market in the first quarter. The same is true in the United Kingdom, while the Corsa is number two in the Netherlands and number three in Portugal, Belgium and Turkey.

"All these figures clearly show that Opel is on a clear road to success. Furthermore, the new Astra has recently started rolling off the production line at our main plant in Rüsselsheim. Our designers and engineers have done an excellent job. The car will convince customers and give us additional drive. I am convinced: 2026 will be a good year for Opel," said Florian Huettl, CEO Opel and Vauxhall.

Passenger car sales in Europe developed particularly positively. From January to March, Opel and Vauxhall sold more than 115,000 passenger cars in the EU29 region. That is 18% more than a year ago. The market share rose by 0.4 percentage points to 3.3%. Also remarkable: In almost all markets, new registrations were higher than in the first quarter of 2025.

Things went particularly well in Opel's home market of Germany. Almost 33,600 new passenger car registrations in the first quarter represent an increase of 39% compared to the same period last year. The market share was up by 1.2 percentage points to 4.8%. In March alone, 13,700 Opel passenger cars were newly registered – that was an impressive 43% more than in the same month of 2025.