The Opel Corsa-e Rally Is An Adorable Electric Shredder Of Dirt
Given that the sound of modern rallying is all about angry inline-four turbo engines and machine gun-like anti-lag noises, this could take a little getting used to. It’s the Opel e-Corsa rally, and as you might have deduced from the name, it’s an all-electric rally car.
Based on the new e-Corsa road car, it develops the equivalent of 134bhp and 191lb ft of torque from a 50kWh battery powering a single motor. A decent output, although that powertrain will have 1400kg of EV to work against.
The e-Corsa rally’s body-in-white features an integrated roll cage, and there’s new underbody protection for when the driver is particularly committed on jumps. The suspension has been significantly upgraded (Opel hasn’t gone into specifics), and it’s now possible to adjust the rear brake pressure. The latter system is “especially adapted for [energy] recuperation,” Vauxhall says.
On the subject of stoppers, the e-Corsa Rally gets four-piston calipers. Discs measure in at 232mm up front and 264mm at the rear. For tricky hairpin turns, there’s a hydraulic handbrake.
The standard instrument cluster has been ditched for a proper motorsport-spec display with a data logger system. ESP and traction control have been retained, but the car no longer has ABS.
Opel is pitching this thing at young, up-and-coming rally drivers. 15 e-Corsa Rally machines will compete in the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup, a replacement for the ADAC Opel Rallye Cup. Each car will cost “less than €50,000”.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
That’s so freaking cool, I can’t wait for EV hot hatches fo become mainstream
Hopefully also including a good hydraulic e-brake though… for obvious… emergency.. reasons.
EVs accelerate fast. I see them being succesfull in Rally
But the weight and constant huge amount of torque might make snow and dirt alot harder to deal with
I really don’t like this
A rally car without the pops and bangs? yawn
Looks interesting
I guess Peugeot is also going to make 208 an EV rally car, since Corsa is a rebadged 208?
A rally car where the only noise you hear is the dirt against the car does not sound fun at all
of course the comments are full of people hating on it but look at it like this, Opel is actually trying to keep rally going, you dont see any other EV rally cars, and we all know that EV’s are going to be mainstream in the near future, so good job Opel
That’s what they want you to think. Old School marketing strategy. They could not care less about rally.
Ford revives focus rs, car becomes electric? No thx.