► All-electric, all-wheel drive Vauxhall racing car
► Weighs 1,170kg, does 0-62mph in 2.0 seconds
► Available to drive in Gran Turismo video game
In things you weren’t expecting to see today, an 800bhp take on the humble Vauxhall Corsa was probably up there with Bugatti unveiling a B-seg compact crossover, but welcome to the automotive world in 2025. Granted, the Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo is a concept car, but Vauxhall itself calls it a statement of intent on where the GSE brand will go.
We’ll get onto what that means in a bit but first here’s our best attempt at explaining what on earth is going on here.
The Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo (we’ll call it the Corsa GSE to save some keyboard strokes) won’t be available to drive in real life, however you will be able to get behind the controller on Gran Turismo 7 when it’s introduced to the popular video game.
And it should be pretty handy given it weighs just 1,170kg yet delivers 789bhp via two electric motors – one on the front axle, one on the rear thus making electric all-wheel drive. It’s got a single-speed transmission and 0-62mph takes 2.0 seconds, with top speed at 199mph. Meanwhile, the battery is 82kWh.
It’s also worth highlighting that, in order to get the full 789bhp, the red ‘rocket’ button on the steering wheel must be depressed. This unlocks the final 79bhp for four seconds with a regen cycle taking 20 seconds.
As for the styling, it does bear some resemblance to a regular Corsa. Sort of. There’s a triangle theme running throughout the car (such as on the roll cage and roof) while the grill takes inspiration from the Opel Manta Rally car of the 1980s. What’s more, the design can be split between the white parts of the car (visual DNA of the brand) and yellow parts of the car (aero elements).
Some of those aero elements are active with the rear diffuser and spoiler able to increase or decrease downforce at the touch of a button. In fact, it’s the rear of the car that’s arguably the most striking – that diffusor really is huge – with the Bilstein coilover suspension (visible through the rear window) a nice touch.
Inside, a suspended driver’s seat (there’s no passenger seat) with six-point harness dominates the cabin, while the removable steering wheel and pedals marked + and – add to the effect. Also, the electrochromic fibres that cover the dash light up when a vehicle enters the blindspots while also displaying key info such as the race position and team messages.
A fire extinguisher in the footwell, sockets for engineers’ laptops and hidden shark motifs around the cabin all add to the level of detail.
One final detail about the Corsa GSE that’s worth noting is the size – 4.19m x 1.87m x 1.4m. It’s much smaller than most concept cars and it’s curious that Vauxhall chooses to present the future of its high-performance GSE brand using a type of car that many manufacturers are backing away from. Could Vauxhall be cooking up more pocket-size performance cars?
James heads up our automotive video activities in the UK and is responsible for video on CAR magazine. Usually found in front of camera, he is also an amateur race driver and has tested most of the supercars that matter over the last few years. James also contributes reviews, videos, news and advice across our sister website Parkers.co.uk.
By James Dennison
Head of automotive video for CAR magazine, its sister website Parkers.co.uk and Motorcyle News.