From Rally to Road: New Opel Mokka GSE

• Everyday rally feeling: Customers can look forward to the Opel Mokka as a powerful GSE
• Pure power: Opel Mokka GSE Rally is the inspiration for the extraordinary series electric car
• Still camouflaged: New Opel Mokka GSE currently in final rounds of development

A few weeks ago, Opel Mokka GSE Rally celebrated its sensational premiere at the ELE Rally in the Netherlands. There, the prototype announced itself in front of everyone as a new star in electric rallying. Now Opel has confirmed that Opel Mokka GSE is coming as a production vehicle – OMG! GSE moments included. In the future, customers will also be able to drive the successful compact Opel SUV as a fully electric high-performance GSE version, making everyday life on the move extraordinary! Just like Opel Mokka GSE Rally, Opel Mokka GSE benefits from the company's pioneering achievements and experience in electric rallying.  How the newcomer awakens the desire for more is also shown in the electrifying video.

“During the development of Opel Mokka GSE Rally, it quickly became clear to us that we did not want to reserve this incredible feeling only for motorsport professionals. Opel customers should also be able to enjoy this particularly powerful, direct and uncompromising driving experience. That is why we are putting Opel Mokka GSE into series production," said Opel Vice President Current Product Marc Fetzer.

OMG! GSE feeling for the road: Opel Mokka GSE as a series version of the rally prototype

Opel Mokka GSE Rally, which recently entered the big stage at the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup ‘powered by GSE’, stands for excitement: From the outside, it shines with motorsport foiling including OMG! GSE lettering, black bonnet, yellow brake calipers and many other rally accents. Even more impressive are the key technical data: 207 kW (280 hp) of peak power, 345 Newton metres of torque and sophisticated motorsport technology make Opel Mokka GSE Rally a unique all-electric rally car. "Opel Mokka GSE Rally marks an incredible leap in electric rallying. The power and the precise handling are brilliant – it's great fun from the very first second," said Calle Carlberg. 

The champion of the 2023 ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup should know, after all, he has already put the Mokka GSE Rally to the test. “I think it's fantastic that Opel is now translating the prototype into series production as Opel Mokka GSE and making this driving experience possible for all Opel customers.”

Opel Mokka GSE will also share many components and traits with Opel Mokka GSE Rally. This includes the strong performance as well as the direct feedback from the vehicle and the feeling that the Mokka GSE ‘sticks to the road’. Rally-inspired highlights will underline the uncompromising appearance. It will, however, still take a little time before the particularly sporty electric car will be available. Currently, the Mokka GSE is camouflaged and is undergoing final tests, so that customers will receive a perfectly tuned production vehicle and benefit from the experience gained in motorsport. The Opel Motorsport team has already collected valuable data with Opel Mokka GSE Rally at its rally premiere in Eindhoven and at the demanding stages of Rallye Vosges Grand-Est in France. These experiences will be incorporated into the series version of Opel Mokka GSE.

Opel will continue the OMG! GSE story soon by announcing further news and releasing first official pictures of  Opel Mokka GSE.

Tom Heindrichs Wins Third Round of the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup ‘powered by GSE’ 2025

• Belgian Heindrichs dominates the action at Rally Vosges Grand-Est
• Championship leader Alex Español and German Kilian Nierenz complete the podium
• Opel Mokka GSE Rally prototype inspires drivers and fans in the Vosges

Tom Heindrichs dominated the third round of the 2025 ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup ‘powered by GSE’ 2025. At the Rally Vosges Grand-Est in northern France, the 21-year-old Belgian and his co-driver Jonas Schmitz were the fastest in seven of the eight special stages in their Opel Corsa Rally Electric and had an impressive lead of 52.8 seconds over championship leader Alex ‘Sito’ Español and his co-driver Borja Odriozola at the finish in Gérardmer. Kilian Nierenz and co-driver Milena Raithel won an exciting three-way battle with the Austrians Marcel Neulinger/Silvano Winkler and the Germans Christian Lemke/Jan-Eric Bemmann and secured their second podium place of the season. In the overall standings, Español's lead over the new runner-up Heindrichs is now 17 points.

At the finish, winner Heindrichs¸ brother of World Rally Champion Thierry Neuville, was satisfied: "After the start of the season did not go quite to plan for us, we are all the more pleased with this win. The fact that we were able to win seven out of eight stages here shows that we are on the right track. Now it is important to keep at it and make up more ground on Sito in the championship. We are looking forward to the next events in the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup."

Kilian Nierenz was no less happy, after moving up into third in the overall standings thanks to another podium finish: "The rally was awesome! At the shakedown, we were really shocked at how challenging but also beautiful the route is here. Tom was outstanding, but we're super happy with third place and the second fastest time in the Power Stage. Opel Corsa Rally Electric also worked great on these hard tracks and we were able to gain a lot of valuable experience again. It was a lot of fun!"

Opel Mokka GSE Rally: Prototype causes a stir on and at edge of track

New all-electric Opel Mokka GSE Rally also caused a stir among French rally fans. Opel veteran Horst Rotter and his co-driver Conny Nemenich drove the 207 kW (280 hp) prototype as an advance vehicle over the demanding special stages and gained further important insights in the development of the powerful electric car. "The car already works really well and is a lot of fun with its high torque of 345 Newton meters," Rotter praised.

"As in the past two years, the Vosges Grand-Est Rally has proven to be a challenging but also very enjoyable event for our young participants," said Jörg Schrott, Head of Opel Motorsport. "The fact that all the cars saw the chequered flag in Gérardmer speaks for our teams and the qualities of the Opel Corsa Rally Electric. Tom Heindrichs put on an outstanding display. Above all, I am happy about the great performances of Marcel Neulinger and Thyrsa Eertmans, who have impressively shown their potential here. And our new Mokka GSE Rally has left a strong impression on the French fans."

Teams of the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup ‘powered by GSE’ will now take a short summer break. The fourth round of the world's first electric rally one-make cup will take place on August 15 and 16 as part of the ADAC Saarland-Palatinate Rally around St. Wendel.

Standings ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup ‘powered by GSE’ after 3 of 7 rounds:

1. Español                   91 points

2. Heindrichs              74 points

3. Nierenz                   72 points

4. Lemke                     69 points

5. Kamermans            55 points

6. Neulinger               42 points

7. Wittenbeck            35 points

8. Jungnickel              28 points

9. Eertmans               27 points

10. Steitz                    23 points

11. Rott                      19 points

12. Raftery                 10 points

New Opel Mokka GSE Rally: Future of Electric Rallying Starts Now!

• Pioneer: Opel Mokka GSE Rally is first vehicle to be developed according to FIA’s new eRally5 regulations
• Eye-catching prototype: With ‘OMG! GSE’ foiling, strong colours and special wheels
• Top performance: 207 kW (280 hp) and 345 Nm of torque
• Motorsport technology: Bilstein rally suspension, racing gearbox, lightweight chassis
• Rally premiere: Opel Mokka GSE Rally celebrates debut at ELE Rally Eindhoven on May 23/24

ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup ‘powered by GSE’ has just made a successful start to its fifth season. To this day, the rally series is the world's only all-electric rally one-make cup, but Opel is already looking to the future. Because the manufacturer is giving a preview of what the electric rally car of tomorrow could look like with the new Opel Mokka GSE Rally – also in an exciting and electrifying video. With 207 kW (280 hp), the powerful prototype once again underlines the pioneering role that Opel plays in electric rallying.

“For more than four years, Opel and the ADAC have been demonstrating that electric rallying works and excites. With our new Opel Mokka GSE Rally, we are offering a glimpse of a fully electric next generation rally car. Thanks to the latest motorsport technology the prototype offers strong performance and power aplenty,” said Opel and Vauxhall CEO Florian Huettl.

Opel Mokka GSE Rally: Goosebumps, sportiness and electrifying euphoria

Serial production Opel Mokka is already an exciting head turner with its characteristic design, new colours, new cockpit and top technologies. New Opel Mokka GSE Rally retains much of this – and represents the next big step especially for all-electric rallying: it is stronger, faster, more uncompromising in every respect!

From the outside, Opel Mokka GSE Rally is an absolute eye-catcher: With its extraordinary motorsport foiling including large ‘OMG! GSE’ lettering. In addition, there are yellow brake calipers at the front and yellow rims at the rear, as well as other rally design accents. There is a clearly visible air intake on the roof and "Mokka GSE RALLY" is emblazoned in white and yellow lettering on the black bonnet.

Elsewhere, the inner values of the prototype with the Blitz are even more impressive: an electric peak power output of 207 kW (280 hp) and torque of 345 Newton metres, combined with sophisticated motorsport technology, promise performance on a par with a Rally4 car. A multi-plate limited-slip differential and a racing gearbox, together with reinforced drive shafts and wheel hubs, provide powerful propulsion. The chassis was manufactured in a lightweight design. The perfectly tuned rally suspension from Bilstein consists of reinforced McPherson struts and uniball mounts on the front axle as well as a rigid rear axle with modified springs and dampers. Electronic driving aids such as ABS, ESP, lane-keep assist and traction control are all absent on Opel Mokka GSE Rally. Based on the experience gained from the Opel Corsa Rally Electric, the software tuning for the engine and battery management has been designed for maximum efficiency, driveability under competitive conditions and performance. The battery corresponds to the series version with a storage capacity of 54 kWh.

“The Mokka GSE Rally will make Opel Motorsport fans’ hearts beat faster and give them real ‘OMG! GSE’ moments. The electric rally prototype proves that our GSE sub-brand will hit the next level in 2025: with electric thrills and high-level performance true to our rich motorsport heritage,”, said Rebecca Reinermann, Vice President Marketing at Opel and Vauxhall.

Elsewhere, the extremely high safety standards have been retained. Like the Opel Corsa Rally Electric, the Opel Mokka GSE Rally also has a roll cage (certified by the FIA), rally seats with six-point seatbelts, a special encapsulation of the battery and an additional underride guard. The 400-volt system is continuously monitored by the proven Master Alarm Indicator. In the unlikely event of an insulation issue, a visual and acoustic warning system immediately reports a malfunction. In the event of a sudden deceleration (such as in a collision), a sophisticated sensor system completely shuts down the high-voltage system in a few tenths of a second. In addition, Opel Mokka GSE Rally has a special extinguishing system with electrically non-conductive extinguishing agent.

And: Opel Mokka GSE Rally is the world's first rally car currently being developed according to the FIA's new eRally5 regulations. The fast prototype could thus be used worldwide in multiple customer sport competitions from the 2026 rally season.

From vision to reality: Electric rally brand sport works and inspires

Opel Mokka GSE Rally thus represents the next possible development stage for all-electric rally one-make racing. Since the 2021 season, Opel has been proving: Electric rally racing works and inspires! The Corsa Rally Electric, which is used in the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup ‘powered by GSE’, has proven to be a fast, reliable and safe electric rally car. The near-production technology, especially for the high-voltage components such as the electric motor, inverter and battery, effortlessly masters the extreme demands of rallying. The same applies to the innovative charging infrastructure, with which Opel always reliably supplies the nimble electric rally cars on site with sustainable energy.

Acceptance and interest in the world's first electric one-make rally cup has been growing from year to year since the beginning. Since the debut season in 2021, a total of 63 drivers from 13 nations have taken part in one of the 33 Cup races in six countries so far. The next round of the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup ‘powered by GSE’ 2025 will take place on May 23/24 as part of the ELE Rally in Eindhoven. Visitors of the Opel Motorsport service park can take a closer look at the Opel Mokka GSE Rally prototype which will celebrate its rally premiere in the Netherlands.

!NEW! VAUXHALL TEAM PUNCHES ABOVE WEIGHT IN MOTORSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP

Vauxhall’s Hillclimb Team leads class as season reaches final stages

Vauxhall Astra VXR debuts at Prescott Hill Climb

Vauxhall’s assault on the 2013 British Leaders Hillclimb Championship in a completely standard Astra VXR road car is reaping huge rewards for the company, with its drivers running first and second in their class with just three rounds to go.

David Finlay and Alisdair Suttie with Vauxhall Astra VXR

David Finlay and Alisdair Suttie, both motoring journalists from southern Scotland, have campaigned the stock 280PS Astra at hillclimb venues throughout England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, fighting off more powerful – and often highly modified – competition.

Vauxhall Astra VXR at the start line of Prescott Hill Climb

The object of their extended press loan was to prove that grass-roots motorsport was accessible to drivers on very tight budgets, and how well a standard car could perform in competition, yet still be durable and comfortable enough for the daily commute.

Highlights of the championship so far have included not only a class win, but taking the overall class record at the challenging Harewood course in appalling weather conditions. There have also been notable successes at Gurston Down, Burbon and David and Alisdair’s local track at Doune.

The Vauxhall Astra has never had it easy, either. The only cars that have beaten it have been modified, such as an Audi Quattro with 400bhp and a Sierra Cosworth with over 500bhp – but the differences in times have often been into the fractions of a second.

And the cars that the Scottish duo has beaten have included a variety of Porsche 911s, a race-prepared Porsche Boxster, a Nissan 350Z and a TVR Griffith. Not bad for a factory-standard hot-hatch.

‘The Astra has performed brilliantly,’ said David. ‘For a completely standard car it’s punched well above its weight, often to the great surprise of both spectators and rivals.’

And the VXR has also racked over 10,000 miles since David and Alisdair took on the car in April, with the far-from gentle running-in miles not affecting its performance at all. ‘The Astra has been a superbly comfortable and easy-going long distance cruiser for getting to hillclimbs,’ said Alisdair. ‘It hasn’t used a drop of oil, despite the hard racing, and makes the ideal everyday hot hatch to live with. I’m always amazed at the attention the car gets at events, and on the road it’s definitely one the enthusiasts seem to take to heart.’

Vauxhall Astra VXR was launched last year, its 2.0 litre turbocharged engine producing 280PS and 400Nm of torque. Unlike many of its rivals, the VXR uses a sophisticated mechanical limited-slip differential, which provides class-leading traction for a front-wheel drive car, and also offers significant benefits for drivers competing in hillclimbs. Vauxhall Astra VXR costs £27,010.