TheVauxhall Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo concept marks a significant addition to the 35 Vision GranTurismo concepts that have debuted since 2013, notably being the first Vauxhall entry. Set to launch in Gran Turismo 7 this autumn, this concept is not merely a piece of high-end conceptual lunacy for a video game; it also subtly hints at the future direction of Vauxhall's performance sub-brand, GSE, for the electric era, and even elements of the next Corsa production car expected around 2027.

Underpinning this magnificently deranged concept is the group’s new STLA global BEV platform. It boasts a formidable powertrain featuring two electric motors, delivering a total of 800bhp and 590lb ft of torque. This enables frankly barmy acceleration, achieving 0-62mph in just two seconds, and a top speed of 199mph. The vehicle weighs a mere 1,170kg and is equipped with an 82kWh battery. It also features an on-demand "rocket" boost mode, providing an additional 80bhp for up to four seconds, rechargeable in four 20-second segments.

Photo Credit: Arnold Clark

The design of theCorsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo brilliantly fuses Eighties Group B WRCvibes with Gran Turismo techno aesthetics, while playing fast and loose with Vauxhall (and Opel’s) ‘bold and pure’ design philosophy. The exterior showcases interlocking forms with audacious yellow sections scything through pearl white areas. The front features an ingenious shovel-nosed reimagining of a car’s form, capitalising on the absence of an engine (with batteries under the floor), and culminates the 'visor nose' treatment. An illuminated Griffin emblem sits at the centre of the 'Compass' design signature, which emanates out and provides the car’s visual backbone, echoed at the rear in the Vauxhall badge and brake light.

Prominent active aerodynamics include a giant yellow diffuser and rear spoiler, which extend 25cm to increase downforce on long straights and double as an airbrake when slowing for a corner. Triangular elements are profusely used, including a wheel design that echoes the alloys on the Eighties Nova SRi, with 21-inch wheels upfront (black and yellow) and 22-inch rears (white over yellow), designed to be aero wheels without fully fairing in to preserve brake performance. Further callbacks to older Nova/Corsa models include blistered arches made from a 40% more sustainable flax material supplied by composites specialist Bcomp.

Long-standing design chief Mark Adams explained the design philosophy: "We didn’t want to go completely over the top with the video game stuff. We wanted to blend the technical with beauty, and keep some softer shapes and forms, not get too brutal. It’s about finding sharp, meaningful transitions between the surfaces." He noted that parts of the white bodywork could be lifted off while the sharp chassis beneath would still allow the car to be driven. The design process, initiated about 12 months prior, involved encouraging the design team to express themselves before narrowing down concepts for CAD modeling. Adams stated, "This isn’t just about the next Corsa, we’re hinting at other things in the future portfolio. We’ll bring some of the surfacing you can see on this car and the graphic elements into future models." He also highlighted that research showed UK and Germany are Europe's biggest gamers, making this Vision Gran Turismo car a way of connecting to a younger audience and bringing them into the brand, while keeping it within a "Corsa footprint" given Corsa is their best-selling car.

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The interior is unapologetically racy and powerful. Drivers climb over fat sills and drop into a fixed seat, whose upper part is attached to the roll cage. Information is projected onto a head-up display through an oblong wheel, and onto illuminated fabrics covering the dashboard and door inserts, a technique its creators call ‘painting with light’. Given the fixed seat, the pedals are adjustable. Exposed screw heads and visible structural elements inside mirror the exterior's approach. The dash and door panels also light up to warn of blindspot racers or flash pit crew messages like "BOX, BOX."

This concept underscores Vauxhall's intent to switch its GSE performance sub-brand towards "hard-edge performance," departing from the "nice" but less extreme current GSE cars like the Mokka GSE.While the Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo is an extreme digital manifestation, its underlying platform and design cues provide a glimpse into Vauxhall's electrified and performance-oriented future.