New Vauxhall Corsa GSE VGT is 800hp ‘beacon’

Even if you’ve no interest in video games whatsoever, you’ll more than likely be familiar with the Vision Gran Turismo car. Launched by the Gran Turismo series in 2013 as a means of getting even more chummy with manufacturers, the programme has seen all sorts of weird and wonderful creations from the gorgeous Citroen GT to the recently-revealed Corvette CX.R concept. Some have gone on to make production, too, namely the Solus-previewing McLaren VGT and the Bugatti’s ‘don’t call it a Chiron’ VGT. Let’s hope the latest addition to the roster follows suit – because it’s a Vauxhall Corsa with 800hp.

Or, to address it by its full name, the Vauxhall Corsa GSE VGT. Cool, isn’t it? Admittedly, it does seem a bit off that, in a digital world with no physical bounds, the brand chose to max out its supermini over conjuring up a space-age prototype like most manufacturers do with their VGTs – but there’s no denying that the Corsa is long overdue a hot derivative. Vauxhall’s vice president of design, Mark Adams, sees it as an opportunity to create a “beacon” for the firm’s electric GSE brand, which recently delivered a slightly warmer version of the Mokka crossover. Speaking of the VGT, Adams noted: “If you think about what’s the most agile car etc, it’s going to be a small car. What are we most well-known for? And it’s our highest-selling car – the best-selling B-car in the UK – which is the Corsa. So let’s do something Corsa-sized, but on super steroids.”

It may be an unorthodox approach to the VGT programme, but it’s certainly a welcome one. Stand far enough back, dim the lights and smear Vaseline over your glasses, and it does (slightly) resemble the humble Corsa, although that is as far as the connection to the real thing goes. It’s considerably wider, lower and meaner than anything VXR made, with blade-like vanes bolted onto the hugely blistered arches that work in tandem with a massive chin spoiler to turn as much air as possible into downforce. It looks like a condensed version of the Zakspeed-built Vauxhall/Opel Calibra DTM cars of the early ’90s, and even carries a similar white, yellow and grey colour scheme as a nod to the firm’s motorsport heritage. 

Things get even crazier at the back. Not only is there a huge diffuser and spoiler, but they’re both capable of extending back to create a long tail-like effect for high-speed stability. On a Corsa! And it can get quite the lick on, too, what with an electric motor at either end developing a combined 800hp. Amazing that Vauxhall’s had to take the Corsa into the virtual world to dial out the torque steer, and even the most seasoned of tuners would struggle to squeeze a 2-second-dead 0-60mph time from the supermini in the real-world, but there’ll be plenty of joy to be had giving digital Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Paganis a hard time in your DTM-ified hyper hatch.

To Vauxhall’s credit, the specs aren’t completely out of this world. Tucked behind those box arches, which Adams proudly admits are inspired by those on the Nova, are inboard Bilstein dampers that are on display for those using the chase-cam in the game (and they look superb on the life-size model Vauxhall’s cobbled together), and while a quoted kerb weight of 1,170kg seems a bit ambitious for a car lugging around a 82kWh battery, it’s not like there’s much in the way of interior trim to weigh it down. There’s a single seat, which is positioned a bit too high on the model I sat in, with a futuristic wheel featuring paddles that are used for regenerative braking. There’s a big red button for a four-second, 10 per cent power boost, while the controls next to the driver’s right knee contain toggles for the traction control, brake bias and map, like you get in the game.

That, sadly, is the only place you’ll be able to drive this wonderful thing. No word yet on when it’s due to arrive, but expect it to correlate with the car’s public debut in Munich next month. Regardless, the VGT is a significant and surprising statement of intent, even if the Mokka GSE, which we saw on the same day, neglected to copy the Corsa GSE’s homework. So we’re still waiting to see which models will draw from the concept, although even if they take just a fraction of inspiration from the VGT, they’ll comfortably be the most exciting Vauxhalls in decades. The good news is you can pick up a real, Bilstein-damped Corsa with lots of power for peanuts these days, as this VXR Nurburgring proves. Just remember there’s no restart button in the real world…