Zap Me Sideways… Stellantis Built an Electric Rally Car
Image Credit: Stellantis.
Sparky people! The electric revolution has just stormed another bastion of glorious internal combustion noise: the rally stage. Opel, those Germans now under the vast Stellantis umbrella, have decided that what the world really needs is an electric compact SUV that thinks it's a Group B hero. And honestly, even if my eyebrows are currently trying to escape my forehead, I'm kinda liking it.
Opel is calling it the Mokka GSE Rally, and if you're wondering what GSE stands for, well, they've plastered "OMG! GSE" on the side. I kid you not. "Oh My Goodness! Grand Sport Electric." Or perhaps "Oh, Man! Gone Slightly Eccentric." Whatever it is, it's certainly a statement, probably designed by someone whose primary form of communication is interpretive dance with a can of luminous yellow spray paint.
Image Credit: Stellantis.
Before you choke on your organically sourced, fair-trade, artisanal coffee, this isn't just some marketing fluff built for a motor show. Opel is deadly serious. This Mokka GSE Rally is built to meet the FIA's brand-spanking-new eRally5 regulations, and it's ready to replace the plucky little Corsa Electric Rally car. That Corsa has apparently been buzzing around European rally stages since 2019, proving that electric rallying is a "winning success," according to the Opel bigwigs. They've even created an "ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup," which they proudly claim is the "world's only all-electric one-make cup." I guess they're not new to this rodeo, even if the horse is powered by lightning.
Visually, this Mokka looks like it's been ram-raiding a motorsports catalogue. It's got the obligatory aggressive bumpers, a roof scoop that probably inhales small birds, and wheels that are far too cool for a car that usually ferries little Timmy to oboe practice. The black, gray, and lurid yellow livery screams "Look at me!" which, in rallying, is half the battle. Some of these go-faster bits, like the angrier body kit, might even trickle down to a roadgoing Mokka GSE. Imagine that, a performance electric SUV from Opel, likely sharing its underpinnings with spicy Italian cousins like the Abarth 600e and Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce. That could be interesting. Or an affront to nature. Probably both.
Image Credit: Stellantis.
Underneath all that visual shouting is a single electric motor pushing a rather healthy 280 horsepower and a very useful 255 pound-feet of instant torque. All that electric urgency is sent, rather traditionally, to the front wheels. But, to stop it from just spinning one wheel like a deranged washing machine, there's a proper multi-plate limited-slip differential and a racing transmission. This isn't just a Mokka with bigger batteries. This really is a proper rally hero.
The battery is the standard 54 kWh pack, the same as the one in the Mokka Electric you might (or might not) see on the street. However, for rally abuse, it's been given extra underbody armor and a special encapsulation - rocks and jumps tend to be unkind to expensive electrons. Opel says the software for the powertrain and battery management has been tweaked for "maximum efficiency, driveability under competitive conditions and performance." Translation: they've told the computer to let its hair down and have a bit of fun.
Image Credit: Stellantis.
But the bit that makes my inner hooligan grin like a Cheshire cat that's found the cream, the catnip, and the keys to the liquor cabinet? The chassis has been thoroughly beefed up with rally-spec suspension from Bilstein. The fluorescent Mokka gets reinforced McPherson struts at the front and a modified rigid rear axle. But, more importantly, the ABS, ESP, and traction control systems went in the bin! Yes! Full freedom for the driver to exploit the car's limits, or, more likely in my case, to explore the local scenery backwards and on fire. It's a proper driver's car, then. Or a one-way ticket to an insurance claim.
Inside, it's as spartan as a monk's lunchbox. Stripped out, FIA-certified roll cage, bucket seats that hug you tighter than your grandma after a year apart, and six-point harnesses to ensure you remain part of the car, even if the car decides to become part of the landscape. Safety isn't entirely forgotten, though. The 400-volt system will shut itself down if you have a significant "oopsie," and there's a fire extinguishing system with a special agent that won't conduct electricity. Handy, that, when you're sitting on a giant battery.
Image Credit: Stellantis.
What is the point of all this electric, mud-slinging madness? It turns out that Opel wants to offer the Mokka GSE Rally to privateer teams starting in the 2026 rally season. Before that, you can catch the prototype making its debut at the ELE Rally Eindhoven in the Netherlands, which is happening right about now actually – May 23rd-24th. This thing is the first vehicle to be developed according to those new FIA eRally5 regulations, so Opel is positioning itself as a pioneer. Again.
The big boss, Florian Huettl, says they're offering a "glimpse of a fully electric next-generation rally car." And Rebecca Reinermann, the VP of Marketing, promises "OMG!" moments. I'm still chuckling at that. But behind the slightly goofy acronyms and the electric whine where a four-pot screamer should be, there's a serious attempt to make electric motorsport exciting. And you know what? A crossover, even a compact one, isn't the daftest base for a rally car. They've got the ground clearance to start with.
Image Credit: Stellantis.
The question that lingers at the back of my mind: Will it sound as good as a Lancia Stratos or an Audi Quattro? Of course not. Will it slide around corners with the same flamboyant drama? With no electronic nannies and a proper diff, it just might. The thought of silent, tyre-shredding action through a forest stage is both deeply weird and strangely compelling. And if this is the future of entry-level rallying? It's certainly going to be quieter.
