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”.