New Opel Corsa GSE: Hot Hatch Tradition Reloaded

• Back to the future: Opel Corsa GSE revives the tradition of sporty Corsa models
• Small, strong, fast: 207 kW (281 hp), 345 Nm, from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds 
• From the Opel Corsa A GSi to the new Opel Corsa GSE: Each Corsa generation enthuses fans with at least one highly dynamic version

Compact, quick and seriously powerful: the new Opel Corsa GSE 1 delivers electrifying driving pleasure in its purest form! This new everyday performance car – which will arrive later this year and will celebrate its exhibition premiere at the Paris Motor Show in October – is turning heads not just with its striking, racy ‘hot hatch’ design. Above all, its performance figures speak for themselves: With 207 kW (281 hp) and 345 Newton metres of torque it will offer just as much electric power as the Opel Mokka GSE. Added to this is the fastest acceleration of any current Opel production model: in just 5.5 seconds, the Opel Corsa GSE propels the speedometer needle from 0 to 100 km/h 1. This is high performance in a compact package and makes the new Corsa GSE the most powerful production Corsa to date.

At the same time, the new high-performance version of Germany’s and UK’s bestselling small car takes the sporty GSi genes of the first Corsa generation into the future. Ever since the first generation of the model, Opel has been offering Corsa fans the chance to drive an extra-hot and sporty version of the beloved small car. The ‘hot hatch’ fun all began in 1988 with the Corsa GSi. Since 2007, the various versions and generations of the Corsa OPC have been providing adrenaline rushes. And now the new, all-electric Corsa GSE is on the starting blocks, ready to deliver the ultimate driving experience a small car can offer!

The first Opel Corsa GSi: A car as dynamic as a motorcycle

In 1988, the first Opel Corsa GSi entered the market. A car as dynamic as a motorcycle: ultra-compact, 820 kilogrammes light, with prominent wheel-arches, sports seats, 74 kW (100 hp) and 188 km/h fast.

The 1.6-litre injection engine newly developed for the launch accelerated the sportive first-generation Opel Corsa to 100 km/h in around 9.5 seconds. With powerful low-end torque, the car has always brought a smile to Opel Corsa GSi drivers’ faces when they step on the accelerator pedal. To bring the higher performance and agility onto the road, Opel engineers adapted the chassis and brakes of the Corsa to the GSi specification. The extra features included stiffer springs, specially tuned shock absorbers as well as larger, internally ventilated front disc brakes. Anti-roll bars at the front and rear kept the car safely on track in corners.

The designers also reflected the sporty character of the first Opel Corsa GSi in its appearance. The standard specification at the time already included sports seats, a three-spoke sport steering wheel, a rev counter, sports alloy wheels and wide tyres. With its technology and design, the first-generation Opel Corsa GSi paved the way for future generation sporty Corsa models.

GSi = fun-to-drive: Opel Corsa B GSi and Opel Corsa C GSi boost performance

A particularly sporty model variant hit the road in 1993, the Opel Corsa GSi 16V. It featured colour-keyed side-sills and bumpers as well as front and rear spoilers. The standard equipment also included electronically controlled ABS, a rev-counter and wide tyres.

As most powerful Corsa model of its time, the second-generation Opel Corsa GSi offered 80 kW (109 hp) and impressed once more with plenty of power from low revs (‘low-end torque characteristics’). The small car could sprint from zero to 100 km/h in 9.5 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 195 km/h. A sporty chassis and gas-filled shock absorbers helped to bring the performance onto the road. The Corsa driver could shift gear using the five-speed sports gearbox, and the standard power steering helped to steer through tight bends with ease. Sports seats and a leather-trimmed steering wheel created the right atmosphere in the cockpit.

In 2001, the Opel Corsa C GSi followed in the footsteps of its predecessor – stronger, faster and more powerful than before. With a top speed of 202 km/h and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.0 seconds, the third-generation Corsa GSi was the fastest production Corsa to date. At the same time, the Corsa GSi’s 92 kW (125 hp) 1.8-litre engine impressed not only in terms of power but also, thanks to 165 Newton metres of torque, with sporty bursts of acceleration while maintaining modest fuel consumption. This was made possible by an advanced engine management system controlling sequential fuel injection, particularly precise fuel distribution, ignition and other functions. Even back then, the developers focused on delivering sporty driving pleasure in the most resource-efficient way possible.

Start of the Opel Corsa OPC era in 2007: Even sportier, stronger and more expressive

From 2007 onwards, the ‘OPC’ abbreviation had finally come to stand for pure dynamic driving fun in the Opel Corsa as well. In that year, Opel presented the Corsa D OPC with 141 kW (192 hp) and 266 Newton metres of torque. With a dark-contrasting diffuser, striking gills, powerful front and rear aprons and a roof spoiler, the OPC showed at first glance what drivers could expect. But the end of the line had not yet been reached. In 2010, the Corsa OPC ‘Nürburgring Edition’ – the most powerful Corsa to date – followed. Its characteristics: 154 kW (210 hp), 280 Newton metres of torque, from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.8 seconds and a top speed of 230 km/h! The newly developed Bilstein performance chassis and the special high-performance braking system from Brembo brought the power safely to the road.

Opel continued to cater to GSi fans amongst Corsa drivers too: For all those who preferred a more discreet sportiness with superior power delivery, Opel had also the fourth-generation Corsa GSi on offer. With 110 kW (150 hp) and a top speed of 210 km/h, the for the first time turbo-charged car closed the gap between the ‘ordinary’ production Corsa and the high-performance OPC variant.

 

The OPC of the fifth-generation Corsa, which followed in 2015, also demonstrated right from the start that, whether on the famous Green Hell of the Nürburgring race track or in the urban jungle, the Corsa E OPC feels at home anywhere. Once again being the fastest member of the Corsa family with a top speed of 230 km/h, it combined uncompromising sportiness with superb everyday practicality. This sporty car, just under four metres long, impressed with its powerful turbo engine delivering 152 kW (207 hp) and 280 Newton metres of torque, its agile handling and, last but not least, its sporty design: Recaro performance seats, a flat-bottomed leather steering wheel and sports pedals inside, as well as large air intakes, a strongly contoured bonnet, bold side skirts, a dominant rear spoiler and the twin exhaust tailpipes flanked by a diffuser on the outside all bore witness to the power of the Corsa OPC. And to channel this power onto the road in a controlled manner, the Corsa E OPC featured, for the first time, a suspension system with Frequency Selective Damping technology.

‘Hot hatch’, the next level: The new Opel Corsa GSE electrifies the public

To all who want to experience an exhilarating, high-performance driving experience in a state-of-the-art small car before the end of this year will not have to wait much longer. The new Opel Corsa GSE is on the way. It succeeds the Opel Corsa OPC as the most powerful Corsa to date and takes the ‘hot hatch’ experience to the next level – uncompromising, thrilling and, above all, fully electric and locally emissions-free. After all, that is exactly what GSE stands for: Grand Sport Electric!

 With 207 kW (281 hp) – that is 181 hp per 1,000 kilogrammes of vehicle weight! – and 345 Newton metres of torque, the new Opel Corsa GSE will offer just as much electric power as the Opel Mokka GSE. At the same time, however, the top-of-the-line version of the model family becomes even more dynamic. With an acceleration of just 5.5 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h1, the high-performance Corsa pushes its driver into the GSE sports seat more vehemently than any other current Opel production model.

Sophisticated technology also contributes to the exceptional performance, handling stability and direct feedback: the Opel Corsa GSE has front-wheel drive with Torsen-multi-plate limited-slip differential and a lowered sports chassis with specifically designed axles, stabilisers and hydraulic shock absorbers. GSE-optimised steering and pedal tuning underlines the highly dynamic driving experience. And if necessary, four-piston performance brakes ensure immediate deceleration from high speeds.

The new Opel Corsa GSE confidently showcases its performance. Numerous details – from the GSE-specific front and rear to 18-inch wheels, performance seats, yellow seatbelts to digital displays with performance data and much more – create a Corsa GSE design with genuine wow-factor and demonstrate what emotional, all-electric ‘hot hatch’ driving fun is all about in its purest form.

[1] All data are provisional. Vehicle not yet homologated and not yet available.

[2] The values of a vehicle depend not only on the efficient use of fuel by the vehicle, but are also influenced by driving behavior and other non-technical factors.

!NEW! Pre-Season Testing: Countless Kilometers for Opel Astra TCR

• Development of Opel’s new customer racing touring car right on schedule
• Positive findings after five-day test drives in Estoril, Portugal
• Delivery of first cars to customer teams at end of February 

For customer racing: Opel Astra TCR is built in accordance with the regulations of the Touring Car Racing Series.

The Opel Astra TCR development program is going at full speed. Last week, the new customer racing touring car built in accordance with the TCR (Touring Car Racing Series) regulations covered countless kilometers over five test days on the Circuito do Estoril in Portugal. “It was a very good test,” says Opel Motorsport Director Jörg Schrott. “The timeline is still very tight, but we are on schedule. Opel Astra TCR ran reliably at the last test drives in Zandvoort and Estoril, it’s performing well. Now we’re working on fine-tuning details before the first vehicles are delivered to our customer teams at the end of February.” The Opel Astra TCR makes it public premiere at the Geneva Motor Show (March 3 – 13, 2016).

Pre-season testing: Countless kilometers for the Opel Astra TCR on the race circuits in Zandvoort and Estoril.

Opel Motorsport Technical Director Dietmar Metrich and the team at Opel development partner Kissling Motorsport paid special attention to the front axle’s sophisticated concept. “On a racing car with around 330 hp and front-wheel drive, this is a key component. All the longitudinal and lateral forces of a TCR car, so in addition to braking and steering this also means acceleration, affect the front wheels,” explains Dietmar Metrich. “And this is not only about the lap times, it is also about tire wear. So whoever has a car with a well-performing front axle has a clear advantage in tough competition. And because the front-wheel suspension pivot point is not specified in the TCR guidelines, we have some leeway in the design of the front axle.”

During the last test drives, the technicians concentrated on the basic setup to draw out the Opel Astra TCR’s maximum performance. This is in line with Dietmar Metrich’s credo: “It’s always easier to make a fast racing car solid than to make a solid one fast. But ultimately the best of both has to be at hand.” What is extremely important in the process is the meticulous balancing of the mechanical grip of the chassis and wheels as well as the aerodynamic grip, which is mainly created by the rear wing and front splitter. Both give the racing car fast and easy-to-drive handling. The racing car driver’s information on the car’s driving behavior is as significant as the lap times. Finely tuned vehicle balance is also especially important for brake performance. Opel Astra TCR’s brake system from the renowned manufacturer AP enables extremely late braking points. This is ensured by 378 mm brake discs and six-piston brake calipers at the front along with 265 mm brake discs and two-piston brake calipers at the back. The driver can modulate the braking balance from the cockpit.

Opel Astra TCR is also top in terms of dynamic strength. The sequential, six-speed racing transmission operated by a paddle shift located on the steering wheel from the French specialists Sadev works without difficulty. And the four-cylinder, two-liter turbocharged engine with two overhead camshafts and multi-point injection has already proved its strength and endurance in long-distance events. The 16 valve 330 hp unit with maximum torque of around 420 Nm also delivers impressive figures in its TCR trim. In this case it is boundaries set by the guidelines that limit the engine’s potential performance.

The key concept here is “Balance of Performance”. To ensure that every automaker – regardless of the technical basis of their production series platform – can bring a competitive racing car to the racetrack while also putting an end to cost-intensive technical spin-off pursuits, the regulation guardians balance the racing cars using a tried and tested system. The two “Balance of Performance” adjustment points in the TCR are engine performance and weight, whereby the engine performance is controlled via electronics or so-called mapping. The TCR guidelines thus enable exciting customer racing with maximum cost control.

“We still have lots of work ahead of us before our TCR debut,” says Jörg Schrott. “But I’m already looking forward to the coming season. The TCR is exactly what the teams and fans want. Thrilling, breathtakingly close motorsport featuring cars the spectators can identify with – this approach is a surefire success.” 

!NEW! Opel four-valve engines look back on 100 year tradition

First four-valve engine: In 1913, Opel developed a new generation of racing cars for the Grand Prix de France, a forerunner of today’s formula one races.

1913 Grand Prix car: First Opel with four-valve engine

Opel Kadett GSi 16V: First Opel volume model with four-valves per cylinder

Opel Calibra Turbo 4x4: First Opel with gasoline turbo engine

Opel ECOTEC DTI 16V: First direct injection turbo diesel with four-valve technology

Opel 1.0 ECOTEC Turbo

Opel 1.6 ECOTEC Turbo

Opel 1.6 CDTI ECOTEC

The all-new turbocharged 1.6 liter gasoline and diesel engines which began the current renewal of Opel’s powertrain portfolio, and the compact 1.0 three-cylinder turbo that made its world premiere at the 2013 Frankfurt International Motor Show, are the latest in a long line of Opel engines with four valves per cylinder that stretches back 100 years.

In 1913, Opel developed a new generation of racing cars for the Grand Prix de France, a forerunner of today’s formula one races.

1913 Grand Prix car - First Opel with four-valve engine

Opel produced three of these cars, each one built down to a rigorous weight limit of only 1000 kg. The real highlight, however, was under the hood, where an innovative new four-cylinder power unit provided the motive force.

First four-valve engine: In 1913, Opel developed a new generation of racing cars for the Grand Prix de France, a forerunner of today’s formula one races.

In addition to an aluminum crankcase and a single camshaft in the cylinder head, the 4.5 liter, 110 hp engine also featured two intake valves and two exhaust valves per cylinder – Opel’s first internal combustion engine with four valves per cylinder.

From “Green Monster” to Ascona 400

Opel Green Monster 

Opel further developed the concept the following year, resulting in the most gigantic automobile the company has ever made – the 12.3 liter “Opel Rennwagen”, also known as “Das grüne Monster”, the “Green Monster”.

Opel Green Monster - 12.3 liter 4-valve engine developed a huge 260 hp

The revised 12.3 liter 4-valve engine developed a huge 260 hp, capable of propelling the 2000 kg “Monster” to a maximum speed of 228 km/h!

Opel works racing driver, Carl Joerns, scored most of his victories in this magnificent car, especially in beach races on the Danish island of Fanø.

Four valves per cylinder went out of fashion throughout the automotive industry in the 1920s. They did not reappear until the late 1950s, in motor racing, and it was via rallying that Opel introduced the technology to its road cars in 1979.

In order to compete in group 4, the top class of rallying at the time, with the Ascona 400, Opel had to produce a “road-going” model. While the rally-thoroughbred featured a newly developed, 177 kW (240 hp), 4-valve power unit, the homologation-special was equipped with a 140-hp version of the 2.4-liter engine.

1979 Opel Ascona 400 -  Rally version

Despite this detuning, the “street-legal” Ascona 400 was still good enough for a maximum speed of 200 km/h and zero to 100 km/h-acceleration in 7.6 seconds.

1979 Opel Ascona 400 -  Road version

In the 1980s, four-valve engines became increasingly attractive, not only because of their inherent horsepower-advantage, but also because of their lower fuel consumption and reduced exhaust emissions.

1988 Opel Kadett GSi - 2.0 16V engine produced 110 kW (150 hp)

When Opel introduced the legendary Kadett GSi 16V in 1988, the brand’s first volume-model with four valves per cylinder, it immediately became an industry-icon.

1988 Opel Kadett GSi 2.0 16V 

Opel 2.0 16V DOHC – The engine to beat

The technological highlight of the new high performance engine designed by Dr. Fritz Indra was its aluminum cylinder head developed in cooperation with Cosworth, the famous English racing engine builder.

Opel 2.0 16V DOHC Engine

The sporty engine 2.0 16V produced 110 kW (150 hp) and maximum torque of 196 Nm at 4800 rpm. Ninety-percent of this torque was already available in a wide rev-band between 3100 and 6000 rpm.

With its specific fuel consumption of 232 g/kWh, equivalent to an efficiency rating of 37 percent, the engine was a long-standing benchmark for specific fuel consumption in four-cylinder power units.

The Opel 2.0 16V became the engine to beat in many other disciplines, too – in Formula 3 motor racing, for example, which produced so many future F1-stars like Michael Schumacher, Jarno Trulli, Nick Heidfeld and Alexander Wurz. During the classic era from the late 1990s through the mid-2000s, Opel F3 engines established themselves as the most successful in the world.

Opel Formula 3 

Despite factory-supported competition from Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and VW, Opel scored 164 F3 victories in Germany alone, plus another 30 national championship titles around the world.

Opel Formula 3 

Opel rapidly spread four-valves per cylinder to the rest of its powertrain portfolio.

The company applied four-valve technology to the smooth-running, inline six-cylinder engine in its top-of-the-line models, Omega and Senator, in 1989.

Four valves per cylinder + “Dual Ram” = Omega 3000 24V

Think big: Opel applied four-valve technology to the smooth-running, inline six-cylinder engine in its top-of-the-line models, Omega and Senator, in 1989.

1989 Opel Omega 3.0 24V  

Thanks to the so-called “Dual Ram” induction system the engine was famous for its impressive power delivery at low revs. With 90 percent of the 270 Nm maximum torque available between 3000 and 5800 rpm, the Omega 3000 24V, for example, could accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in 7.6 seconds.

1989 Opel Omega 3000 24V  

By the way, the 3000 24V also provided the basis for the strongest Omega ever, the Lotus Omega, which was powered by a 3.6 liter, twin-turbocharged version of the engine developing 277 kW (377 hp). At the time, the Lotus Omega ranked just behind an extremely powerful Alpina limo as the fastest production-sedan in the world.

Lotus Omega 3.6 24V BiTurbo: The six-cylinder provided the basis for the strongest Omega ever, the Lotus Omega, which was powered by a 3.6 liter, twin-turbocharged version of the engine developing 277 kW (377 hp).

The 2.0 16V from the Kadett GSi provided the basis for the first Opel turbocharged gasoline engine, which made its world premiere at the 1991 Frankfurt motor show in the Calibra Turbo 4x4.

1991 Opel Calibra Turbo 4x4

The 150 kW (204 hp) 2.0 16V turbo was notable not only for its high torque of 280 Nm at only 2400 rpm, but also the turbocharger and the exhaust manifold, which were integrated in a single component. The extremely low thermal losses of this integrated system significantly increased the efficiency of the turbocharger.

With all wheel drive: The 2.0 16V from the Kadett GSi provided the basis for the first Opel turbocharged gasoline engine, which made its world premiere at the 1991 Frankfurt motor show in the Calibra Turbo 4x4.

Despite the 42-percent higher torque and 36-percent higher power-output of the 2.0 16V Turbo compared with the naturally aspirated version, the average fuel consumption of both engines in the Calibra was almost the same – 8.9 versus 8.7 l/100 km.

This tradition of high performance and high efficiency begun by the 2.0 16V in 1988 continues today with the new 1.6 ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo gasoline engines.

Opel 1.6 ECOTEC Direct Injection Turbo: New powerful and highly efficient gasoline engine with 170 and 200 hp

Opel’s reputation for innovative four-valve engines reached another peak in 1996 when the company became the first automobile manufacturer to combine the advantages of four-valve technology with diesel direct-injection and turbocharging.

Direct - Injection Turbo diesels with patented valve train

Opel ECOTEC DTI 16V: Opel’s reputation for innovative four-valve engines reached another peak in 1996 when the company became the first automobile manufacturer to combine the advantages of four-valve technology with diesel direct-injection and turbocharging.

The ECOTEC DTI 16V diesels delivered high low-end torque, as well as low fuel consumption and emissions. The performance spectrum of the 2.0 and 2.2 liter engines stretched from 60 kW (82 hp) and 74 kW (100 hp) up to 92 kW (125 hp). They featured a patented valve-train operated by a single overhead camshaft.

The introduction of the all-new, four-cylinder, 1.6 liter CDTI turbo family earlier this year demonstrates how Opel continues to play a leading role in diesel engine development.

New Opel 1.6 CDTI ECOTEC - Euro 6 diesel engine

Featuring closed-loop combustion control and an aluminum block, the new 1.6 CDTI is the first diesel from Opel to comply with future Euro 6 emissions requirements, delivering climate friendliness, low fuel consumption, class-leading refinement, and high power/torque density.

Drivers can look forward to more such benefits in the immediate future, as Opel continues its current product-offensive and long-standing tradition of technological innovation. By 2016, the Rüsselsheim manufacturer will have renewed 80 percent of its powertrain portfolio.