Gran Turismo's latest 800-horsepower concept is a Corsa

Vauxhall has just revealed a Corsa hatchback concept that has 800 horsepower, a top speed of almost 200 mph, and will soon be available in Gran Turismo.

Now there’s a sentence I didn’t expect to be typing today. To be revealed in person at the IAA Munich motor show on 8 September, the Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo is a concept that’s as wild as they come.

A hatchback with hugely muscular arches, a front splitter seemingly mottled on a ski jump, and a rear diffuser that you could practically walk through, this is not a quick preview of Vauxhall’s next Corsa. It is, however, a glimpse at the design language of future models from Vauxhall’s GSE performance brand, the company says.

Sticking well beyond the realms of fantasy for now, Vauxhall says the all-wheel-drive electric concept produces 800 horsepower, 800 Nm of torque and sprints to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.0 seconds. The car is also claimed to have a top speed of 199 mph and weigh just 1,170 kg, despite the fairly large 82 kWh battery pack. Vauxhall says the GSE has a similar footprint to the standard Corsa, but with a lower and wider stance. It measures 4.19m long, 1.87m wide and 1.4m tall, with a 2.65m wheelbase.

Being a Vision Gran Turismo concept, the single-seat car will be available to play in Gran Turismo 7 on the PlayStation 4 and 5 consoles this autumn.

Steve Catlin, managing director of Vauxhall, said the car “takes the GSE sub-brand to the next level. It not only shows what is possible on a small car platform, it also displays a clear view to the future.”

Although unlikely to ever go on sale in its current form, the car demonstrates what design direction future GSI models could take. The carmaker said: “While drawing on Vauxhall motorsport heritage, the concept car displays a new, more technical execution of the brand’s bold and pure design philosophy with sharp and precise body lines combined with technical and machined details.”

Aerodynamic features include deeply sculptured aero skirts at either side and wheels designed to reduce turbulence, while also nodding to the three-spoke alloys from hot Vauxhalls of old. The biggest aero features are the large active diffuser and spoiler at the rear, which move to increase or decrease drag as required, while the spoiler also raises to act as an airbrake.

Now, can we please arrange a way for this to take on the Renault 5 Turbo 3E?