Video game concept car previews future hot hatch

Hot hatches are going through something of a renaissance period, and a new contender could launch in the near future.

The Opel Corsa is set to enter its seventh generation in the coming years, with the small city hatch – previously sold in Australia as the Holden Barina – being previewed by a radical new concept.

Dubbed the Opel Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo, it’s a concept car which will make its public debut both in the real world and online, with plans to show it off at the upcoming Munich motor show in September, as well as in the Gran Turismo 7 Playstation game.

It’s not uncommon for carmakers to launch Gran Turismo-exclusive concepts which stay in the game, however with a new Corsa around the corner and a new platform set to debut from its parent company Stellantis, this could preview the model’s performance flagship.

Stellantis has recently reignited its love of hot hatches, launching two near-identical EVs on the same platform: the Lancia Ypsilon HF and Peugeot e-208 GTi.

Conceived by Opel’s Grand Sport Electric division – the successor to its OPC performance arm, the brand’s equivalent of Holden Special Vehicles – the Corsa Vision Gran Turismo is claimed to produce 588kW and 800Nm, with a claimed top speed of 320km/h.

Fed by a 82kWh battery pack, Opel says it only weighs 1170kg, however remember this isn’t a production car, with “the use of lightweight material throughout” said to be the reason why it’s so comparatively light.

While the Corsa concept is nowhere near making it to production, Opel says it’s based on the upcoming STLA Small platform, expected to underpin the more affordable and toned-down version of the hatchback.

Its exterior makes it look like one of the most aggressive hatchbacks in recent memory, with a massive splitter, wide wheel arches, a huge diffuser and integrated rear spoiler helping to keep it pinned to the ground.

The interior is just as wild, featuring a single seat which is moulded around the driver, who is kept in place thanks to a six-point racing harness.

“The Opel Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo takes our GSE sub-brand to the next level,” said Opel CEO Florian Huettl.

“It not only shows what is possible on a small car platform, it also displays a clear view to the future and appeals to all kinds of car enthusiasts. For the first time ever, an Opel concept can not only be admired from afar.

“The result of the combination of the iconic Corsa nameplate with high-performance GSE traits speaks for itself.”