Born to Turn Heads: New Opel Corsa GSE in Sporty Camouflage

• Striped and chequered decals: Modern tribute to the sporty Corsa A of the 1980s
• Camouflaged and concealed: Electrifying design details of the new Corsa GSE still remain a secret
• Hot prospects: Sporty new Corsa top-of-the-range model available to order this year

“OMG! What a stunning car is that?” This is probably what many Opel fans asked themselves when they saw the first spy shots of the new Opel Corsa GSE. Because Opel will soon be expanding its range of GSE models, as the manufacturer announced recently. The new Opel Corsa GSE will be available to order later this year.

However, there is still some time to go before the high-performance version of Germany’s best-selling small car is officially unveiled. This is why the new Opel Corsa GSE is currently still camouflaged; after all, not all of its hot design details are to be revealed in advance. At the same time, the sporty-looking wrap on the exterior is much more than just a practical disguise – it pays homage to the sporty Corsa A variants of the 1980s, thus, with a modern twist.

“With the camouflage for the new Corsa GSE, we’re combining classic design with an exciting, forward-looking look that highlights the spirit of our GSE models,” said Andreas Kubis, who, as ‘Technical Lead Confidentiality’, is responsible for camouflaging Opel’s prototypes and pre-production vehicles. “Of course, the primary purpose of the camouflage is to prevent all the details of the upcoming model from being revealed too early,” explained the prototype protection expert. “With the Corsa GSE, however, it was immediately clear to us that this ‘disguise’ should convey a message. Its sporty design with black, white and yellow accents whets the appetite for this hot hatch, whilst also paying homage to Opel’s motorsport heritage.”

At Opel, GSE stands for goosebumps, speed and electric emotions. The new Corsa GSE was designed to embody all of this not just in its final production version, but right from the first glance as a prototype. Andreas Kubis and his team have done a sterling job here. Even the matt black base colour of the wrap conveys the vehicle’s performance character. The large yellow and white stripes, complete with GSE lettering, unmistakably herald the new hot hatch. The stripes have been arranged to resemble a sporty chequered pattern, complemented by white and yellow dotted double lines that look like finely stitched seams.

Opel fans will find all this familiar. The sports seats in the first Corsa GSi, back in the late 1980s, already featured a very distinctive striped pattern. And the yellow and white stripes on the bodywork of the new Corsa GSE, now arranged at different angles to one another, deliberately draw inspiration from the chequered design of the seat covers, which is inextricably linked to the Corsa SR and Corsa GT of the first generation of this best-selling small car.

The new Corsa GSE is already whetting the appetite for powerful performance in its matching hot GSE styling. Opel will soon reveal which design details will make the new high-performance model even more striking. Visitors of this year’s Paris Motor Show (12 to 18 October) can already look forward to seeing the Opel Corsa GSE in the flesh as the hot hatch will celebrate it exhibition premiere in the French capital.