Set to premiere at the IAA in Frankfurt next month, the e-Corsa Rally is the first battery-electric vehicle developed for customer rallying. Also set to compete in the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup in 2020, the newcomer features a limited-slip differential and a 50-kWh battery.
Coupled to a front-mounted electric motor capable of churning out 136 PS (134 horsepower) and 260 Nm (191 pound-feet) of torque, the Corsa-e Rally further serves as a replacement of the Adam R2. Opel stopped production of the road-going Adam in May 2019, and no direct successor has been announced under the leadership of Groupe PSA.
Electric power steering, four-piston brake calipers, a hydraulic handbrake, and an integrated roll cage are also included, along with a motorsport display, data logger, electric fire extinguisher, and a dry battery in the engine compartment. Even though it’s lighter and therefore quicker than the road-going car, Opel hasn’t provided the zero-to-100 time for the Corsa-e Rally.
“The Corsa-e is the electric car for everyone – fully suited to everyday use and absolutely affordable, attributes that equally apply to motorsport,” declared chief executive officer Michael Lohscheller. “The new Corsa is also fun to drive and particularly dynamic.”
ADAC and the German automaker are planning at least ten qualifying rounds through 2021, forming a Super Season as it’s also the case in World Endurance Racing. The first round is scheduled for the summer of 2020, and 15 examples of the breed are planned for production at this point.
Care to guess how much the Corsa-e Rally will cost? “Significantly less than €50,000 net” according to Opel, which is unbelievable value for money given the price of other rally cars from other automakers. The entry-level Selection trim of the road-going Corsa-e is €29,900 in Germany.
Given that Opel has won seven European and one WRC title, there’s no denying that the motorsports division in Rüsselsheim won’t stop here. The World Rally Championship is going hybrid in 2022, and that should be an interesting proposition for Opel or another brand in the Groupe PSA portfolio.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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