Vauxhall powers into the future with the all-electric Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo concept

The Vauxhall Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo is a physical manifestation of the company’s rekindled desire to make compact performance cars. As one of the preeminent manufacturers of small cars – with models like the Corsa and Astra topping the sales charts for decades – Vauxhall now finds itself folded into the mighty Stellantis machine and in danger of losing the pragmatic simplicity that defined the brand for so many years.

Formerly known as General Motors’ European outpost (Vauxhall in the UK, Opel elsewhere), Vauxhall has carried some parochial elements of its approach through to the EV era. Cars like the Cavalier and Insignia never quite shook off their suburban image, favouring a functional and no-nonsense that also handily undercut the most label-conscious offerings from its German rivals.

Now Vauxhall (and Opel) want to spice things up a bit, using electrification as a springboard to re-launch one of its best-remembered heritage assets, the GSE performance sub-brand. Re-worked to stand for ‘Grand Sport Electric’, the first car to carry the badge will be the recently launched Mokka GSE. Accompanying this, and making its public debut at IAA Mobility in Munich, is this remarkably punchy little concept, the Vauxhall Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo (it’ll be badged as an Opel outside of the UK).

An all-electric race car, festooned with elaborate active aerodynamics and a bold colour scheme, the Corsa GSE VGT is described as ‘an extreme version of the brand’ by Mark Adams, Vice President Design at Opel/Vauxhall. ‘We used the Corsa name as this is a concept model – although it’s a bit wider,’ Adams says with impressive understatement. The GSE VGT looks ready to scoop up the road surface, with a tarmac-hugging front spoiler and huge flared wheel arches.

‘Bold and Pure’ is the shorthand for this new design approach, an aesthetic that relies on intersecting flat plains and the ‘New Compass’ lighting direction, which breaks the front and rear LED light arrangement into crosshair-style slashes. Yellow, white and black are used throughout, with the occasional detail picked out in bright red.

The chunky exterior has a hint of Lancia Delta, plus a dash of Tonka Toy, with the huge yellow diffuser at the rear capable of extending out to increase the length – and aerodynamic performance – of the car. It sits below an active rear spoiler. The yellow elements indicate technical components, while white delineates structure. The black elements might look like carbon fibre but they’re actually a new flax-derived material with far better sustainability.

Overall, the GSE VGT has the pugnacious, giant-killing attitude that defined so many of the cult hot hatches of the 80s and 90s, many of which sported outré owner modifications. The Astra in particular was favoured by participants in the mild 90s social panic of joyriding, and has carried a whiff of illicit, after-hours hooliganism with it ever since - according to UK government figures in 2005, three of the five most stolen cars were Vauxhalls, with the Astra Mk2 taking the number two spot.

Despite projected performance that includes a 199mph top speed and 2-second 0-60 time and the equivalent of 800hp delivered via twin electric motors, the only way anyone is going to get to experience this concept is via their games console. Each year a clutch of new concept cars arrive from studios around the world, lured by the promise of being transformed into drivable models in the realm of Polyphony Digital’s 90-million-selling PlayStation mainstay. These so-called Vision Gran Turismo cars range from hypothetical Bugattis to theoretical Hondas, and now Vauxhall is in on the act.

‘We’ve got a rich DNA of some really cool cars,’ says Adams, ‘but [this model] is about finding a new iteration of that DNA.’ Much of the interior has been derived from racing principles, including a fixed seat with moveable pedal box and steering column – the seat is structurally integrated into the tub itself.

‘Our interiors are about a ‘pure experience’ – making everything detoxed and decluttered and simple,’ Adams explains, pointing out the lights embedded in the dash and used to flash up warnings in the driver’s peripheral vision. There are no screens – ‘it’s all done to feed the reduction in cognitive load – you simply don’t need a screen in a race car.’ A little red boost button – labelled with a spaceship – gives you four seconds of power boost, whilst a more leisurely exploration of the interior reveals a basket’s worth of hidden design Easter eggs.

Away from the PlayStation, the GSE VGT is very unlikely to see production, although Adams claims the bodywork is ‘a good indication of where we’re taking our surfacing.' Small, swift EVs are making a comeback, meaning that Vauxhall could be well-placed to reclaim its crown. 'A core part of our philosophy is not overloading things,' says Adams, although we presume he's not referring to the senses.

Vauxhall Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo, concept only

Vauxhall Mokka GSE, more information at Vauxhall.co.uk, @Vauxhall