First Opel Corsa-e Rally Cars Delivered to Customers

• Delivery of first 10 Opel Corsa-e Rally cars in Dudenhofen
• Teams received car, equipment and information
• Teams from six nations to take part in ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup

Delivery of first 10 Opel Corsa-e Rally cars in Dudenhofen

ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup is ready for its debut season. The first ten Opel Corsa-e Rally cars have already been delivered to customers. At the Test Centre in Dudenhofen, rally teams received not only the vehicle but also their equipment, including stylish team tents and racing overalls for drivers and co-drivers.

Opel Corsa-e Rally

During the vehicle delivery, the teams received a comprehensive briefing on the new e-technology. This was followed by extensive functional tests with the 100 kW (136 hp) electric cars. In addition, the customers were able to convince themselves of the high potential of the Opel Corsa-e Rally in the “hot seat” next to Opel racing legend, Volker Strycek, on the spectacular endurance track of the test centre.

Opel racing legend Volker Strycek in the Opel Corsa-e Rally

“Vehicle delivery was an important step for us, the teams and the project,” says Opel Motorsport Director, Jörg Schrott. “It is a clear signal that things are finally about to get underway. Anticipation and excitement for the start of the season could be felt by everyone. Remaining cars will now be delivered successively.”

After the cancellation of the ADAC ACTRONICS Rally Sulingen due to Corona, the season opener of the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup will now take place on June 11/12 at the ADAC Rally Stemweder Berg. In preparation, the teams of the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup will contest a test event beforehand to familiarise themselves with the vehicle and charging infrastructure. In addition, the teams will receive high-voltage training, which will be conducted and certified by TÜV Thüringen.

Teams from Germany, France, Austria, Belgium, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands have registered for the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup 2021. Further details on the field of participants will be announced at a later date.

New Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD shows beaming smile

• Communication: New Opel face with Pixel-Vizor displays graphics and text messages
• Inspiring: Manta transforms from iconic coupé into sustainable ElektroMOD
• Electric: E-motor under typical black hood replaces four-cylinder engine
• Enthusiastic: Young Opel team designed and developed emission-free neo-classic

New Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD

A car full of emotion – and now the legendary Opel Manta is even transforming into an emission-free ElektroMOD with a modern face. Under the Opel-iconic black bonnet, the four-cylinder petrol engine makes way for a powerful electric motor. The “e” in GSe now stands for electrification. Pure and classically beautiful neon yellow bodywork also gets a beaming smile from the latest LED technology. The original Manta with its geometric arrangement of headlights, radiator grille and “Blitz” lightning bolt emblem already provided the inspiration for the new Opel face, Vizor now implemented in the Mokka and Crossland. Now the Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD itself bears this design in its most innovative implementation yet – the expressive Pixel-Vizor.

New Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD: Opel Pixel-Vizor

Opel Pixel-Vizor stretches across the entire width of the vehicle, protectively placing itself like a visor and setting off digital fireworks in the process. Opel Manta GSe can communicate with its environment across the entire surface. “My German heart has been ELEKTRified” is written across the new front. “I am on a zero e-mission”, “I am an ElektroMOD”, the GSe explains and in the next moment shows the silhouette of a Manta ray gliding over the Pixel-Vizor. The Opel designers had some fun with the legendary Manta logo and designed it in the form of a QR code. Next, the unmistakable trademark of the German manufacturer shines centrally, and two lightning bolts then spark out of the circle right into the stylish LED daytime running lights of the Vizor. Simply electrifying. Genuine Opel.

“Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD is the work of passionate designers, 3D modellers, engineers, technicians, mechanics, product and brand experts”, explains Pierre-Olivier Garcia, Opel Global Brand Design Manager, on behalf of the Manta GSe team. “All Opel fans through and through who love cars and have fun developing new things. With the Manta GSe, we are building a bridge from the great Opel tradition to a very desirable sustainable future. This mixture of zeitgeist and modern is absolutely fascinating.”

Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD is a reminiscence of the Opel Manta A from 1970. At the same time, the car reflects the fascination of a growing fan community that transforms classics like the Manta into so-called RestoMods with modern technologies and new design. Purely battery-electric Manta GSe ElektroMOD with its fully digital cockpit is as sporty as a genuine Opel GSe and proudly bears its ambitions in its name. MOD stands for change, for technical and stylistic MODifications as well as a MODern sustainable lifestyle.

Changes that our mobile society experiences every day. Changes towards more desirable sustainable solutions that also move the young Opel development team. On their own initiative, the parents of the Manta GSe started their “dream car” project. After many brainstorming sessions the plan was in place; and a suitable Manta A was found in the Opel Classic warehouse, waiting to be revived. From then on, everyone was gripped by pure car passion. So much enthusiasm immediately inspired the “Car Guys” in Opel management – and the idea of an extra-cool ElektroMOD became reality.

Currently, the new Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD is getting its final touches in Rüsselsheim. On May 19, 2021, neo(n)-classic will then be presented in all its exciting details.

Opel significantly increases market share in Germany in the first quarter

• March sixth consecutive month of market share growth
• Volume is also increasing significantly
• Sales of electrified models more than doubled in Q1
• Guarantors of success Opel Corsa and new Opel Crossland
• New Opel Mokka will provide further impetus

Opel Corsa 

Opel's upward trend in the important German home market continues: In March, the brand with the Blitz achieved a car market share of 6.5 percent - almost one and a half percentage points more than in the previous year. March was the sixth month in a row with higher market shares compared to the previous year. In the first quarter, Opel achieved a car market share of 6.35 percent.

Volume in the first quarter was noticeably influenced by the effects of the ongoing corona pandemic, but new Opel registrations also increased significantly in March - by 75 percent to almost 19,000 cars. In March 2020 it had the first corona-related Lockdown given in Germany.

New Opel Crossland

Guarantee of success was once again Germany's most popular small car, Opel Corsa. In the first quarter, the model - as the Corsa-e winner of the “Golden Steering Wheel 2020” in the small car category - sold a total of around 12,770 times. That is an increase of almost 20 percent. New edition of the compact Opel Crossland SUV also contributed to Opel's successful performance and was newly registered around 2,040 times in March alone (+90.5 percent). New Opel Mokka, which has only been available from dealers since the end of February, was registered more than 3,700 times in the first quarter.

New Opel Mokka-e

Opel is also continuing to grow in light commercial vehicles: around 1,700 new registrations in March mean an increase of 45 percent, so that the total market share in Germany rose to more than 6.3 percent in the first quarter.

Brand with the lightning bolt also continued to grow in electrified models: a total of around 4,850 electrified Opel (passenger cars and light commercial vehicles) were newly registered in Germany in the first quarter. This corresponds to an increase of around 2,900 units or a good 150 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. Around every tenth Opel sold in Germany is a battery-electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid. Opel Corsa-e (around 2,110 units; +233 percent) and the Mokka-e (around 610 units) were particularly successful.

Opel Corsa-e

“For six months now, Opel has been on a growth course in terms of market share - and that in a difficult environment. Consistent focus on future-proof new models such as the Corsa, the Crossland and the Mokka is paying off, ”says Opel Germany boss Andreas Marx. “We want to build on the success of the first quarter as the year progresses. New Opel Mokka and the new Crossland will provide important impetus to continue our growth path. "

New Vauxhall Corsa retains its place as UK's best-selling car

• New Vauxhall Corsa tops new car registration charts for Q1 2021
• Figures from SMMT show all-electric new Corsa-e is best-selling supermini EV
• Vauxhall increased market share from 5.6% to 5.8% year-on-year

New Vauxhall Corsa

New Vauxhall Corsa is the UK's best-selling car for the first quarter of 2021, according to the latest new car sales and registration figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

In addition, the fully-electric Vauxhall Corsa-e has performed equally strongly, recording the highest number of sales in March in the small Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) sector.

New Vauxhall Corsa-e

Success of the Vauxhall Corsa and Corsa-e, as well as the recent introduction of the all-new Vauxhall  Mokka and New Crossland SUVs, helped Vauxhall increase its share of the passenger car market from 5.6% to 5.8% year-on-year

Vauxhall’s successful first quarter has been achieved despite showrooms being shut for the first three months of the year as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. All-New Vauxhall Corsa recorded 12,413 registrations, while the new Corsa-e was the best-selling small BEV, with 1,232 sales.

Overall, the brand recorded a total of 15,868 new passenger car registrations in March and 24,826 year-to-date. 

Commenting on the results, Paul Willcox, Managing Director, Vauxhall, said: “We’re delighted the new Vauxhall Corsa is the UK’s best-selling car in the first quarter of 2021. As well as passenger cars, we’ve seen strong LCV sales with the Combo number one in its segment and also high demand for our game-changing, all-electric Vivaro-e.

“Interest in Vauxhall electric vehicles, both cars and vans, is strong and growing. Vauxhall has a wide range of EVs on sale at affordable prices, including the all-new Mokka-e SUV that has just launched. We are very much looking forward to welcoming customers back safely into our network this month.”

All-new fifth generation Corsa is available with a fully-electric powertrain or a choice of efficient petrol or diesel engines. Zero-emissions Corsa-e was voted The Sun Car of the Year, thanks to its 209-mile WLTP range, affordable price and fun driving dynamics.

QR Code Instead of Letters: Opel Digitises Model Names

• Back to the future: Logo of Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD makes the start
• Fully digital: Innovative code will replace badges on future models
• Totally transparent: Road users can communicate directly with drivers

Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD: iQR code 

Writing is out. German carmaker, Opel, is taking the digitisation of its product portfolio to the next level. Names, engine designations and emblems of future Opel models will be replaced by iQR codes. While the infotainment systems of the models from Astra to Zafira Life already seamlessly connect drivers and passengers with the digital world, it’s now a breeze for other road users and even pedestrians to get in touch with the vehicle occupants.

Opel turned its vision to further develop QR code technology into reality and has given this a new name in the design laboratory. So-called iQR code designs from Rüsselsheim bring the virtual sphere into the real world. They can take on any form – such as that of the legendary Manta logo, which can be seen in its most beautifully digitised form on the just-announced Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD. In this case, the Manta served as the fishy pilot for Opel’s graphic designers and IT developers who turned the ray-shaped logo into an iQR code design.

Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD 

“Writing the code for the logo of the Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD was a unique experience: to remodel the square form of the conventional QR code into the shape of a ray, in addition to preserving the natural movement of a swimming manta in the digital animation – that's what I call a real challenge. That we managed to achieve this futuristic vision is nothing less than sensational,” says Opel Chief Graphic Designer iQR codes Hara Masahiro Junior II – a descendant of the famous inventor of the first QR code.

In future, the brand will create a unique iQR code design for every new model line. The next Astra generation debuting at the end of this year will start things off with a bang: outer space will be a step closer when this glowing heavenly body is transformed into a radiant iQR code design.

Creative communication: iQR code design brings people together

Opel's revolutionary technology opens up new, human, approachable possibilities for communication. Other road users can then simply scan the code on Opel models with their mobile phone and contact the driver directly. So text messages, voicemails and visuals are effortlessly transmitted to the infotainment system in the vehicle – for instance when you want to give the other person the right of way or just say how ultra-stylish the Opel looks with the cool iQR code design.

But the innovative Opel iQR code design can do much more. It becomes a virtual multi-functional tool that can be used to carry out all processes related to your own car. So of course payment information can also be stored in the iQR code design. An authorised repair shop only needs to scan the code and can debit the amount for repairs to your car directly from your account – this can even be done in cryptocurrencies such as bitcoins. How cool is that!

With the iQR code design of the new models, Opel continues driving forward its digitisation offensive. The car-maker is convinced that the transparency gained between road users will lead to new and creative forms of interaction. Opel's iQR code design brings a whole new level of connectivity and harmony to everyday road traffic.

And so the QR code story comes full circle. The “Quick Response” code began its march to fame in Japan, where it was first used to identify parts and components in the logistics of automobile production. Opel now impressively shows how much potential still remains in the technology. Instead of saving just 7,089 digits or 4,296 symbols, the code further developed by Opel moves and takes on different shapes, such as on the Opel Manta GSe ElektroMOD. Absolutely visionary and previously unimaginable – now the sky’s the limit for digital interaction.