By SEMA News Editors

2026 International Drag Racing Hall of Fame Ceremony Honors Seven

The Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing in Ocala, Florida, recently hosted the 2026 International Drag Racing Hall of Fame ceremony.
 

This year's honorees--who were celebrated at the Museum on Thursday, March 5--included:

• Steve Boggs (crew chief and tuner)
• Bob Frey (race commentator)
• Anita Mäkelä (multi-race winner and season champion based in Europe)
• David Reher and Buddy Morrison (founders of Reher‑Morrison Racing Engines)
• Rahn Tobler (crew chief and tuner)

In addition, Arlene Johnson was recognized as the Pat Garlits Memorial Award recipient. Johnson is the wife of the six-time NHRA Pro Stock champion Warren Johnson.
 

The Pat Garlits Memorial Award, which began in 2014, honors the life and legacy of Pat Garlits, the wife of Don Garlits. The award is given to a woman who contributed to the success of a spouse involved in the sport, or contributed to the success of the sport by their actions both on and off the drag strip.
 

The annual event celebrates individuals who have made significant contributions to the sport of drag racing.

Freedom 250 Grand Prix Unveils Historic Track Design for D.C. Race

Charting the course of racing history, officials have unveiled the unique race track design and layout for this summer's Freedom 250 Grand Prix of Washington, D.C., featuring the cars and stars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES.
 

Set for August 22-23, 2026, the Freedom 250 Grand Prix will mark the first‑ever auto race held on the National Mall and the historic city streets of Washington, D.C., to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The landmark weekend will be free and open to the public.
 

The Freedom 250 Grand Prix street circuit will feature a 1.7‑mile, seven‑turn layout, blending the high‑speed demands of INDYCAR racing with the historic character and stunning visuals of the nation's capital. The racing circuit will wind around the National Mall, incorporating some of America's most historic and iconic landmarks.
 

Designed with fan accessibility, breathtaking views and safety at its core, the Freedom 250 Grand Prix street circuit will feature the high-powered open-wheel cars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES racing on a sweeping .4-mile frontstretch along Pennsylvania Avenue, framed by the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol. The pit lane area of the track will be adjacent to the track, on Pennsylvania Avenue, between Turns 1 and 2, on the circuit design. The ultra-competitive INDYCAR field will also race by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the National Gallery of Art and the National Archives on the challenging and picturesque course layout.

"This circuit is unlike any other street race we've seen," said two‑time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion and back‑to‑back Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden, who had the opportunity to tour the circuit on Monday morning. "You've got a high‑speed section down Pennsylvania Avenue that will reward commitment and precision, mixed with technical corners around 9th Street that will demand respect. Racing through the heart of American history, with those amazing landmarks lining the course, is going to be incredibly powerful. I can't wait to be back here to race and celebrate America's birthday at the Freedom 250 Grand Prix."
 

The Freedom 250 Grand Prix was formalized through an Executive Order signed earlier this year by President Donald J. Trump entitled "Celebrating American Greatness with American Motor Racing." The first-ever street race around the National Mall enjoys key support from the Chief of Protocol of the United States, Ambassador Monica Crowley, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.
 

Read more about this story and the event on the INDYCAR website here.

Images courtesy of INDYCAR

Petersen Automotive Museum Partners With WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca

The Petersen Automotive Museum and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca have formed a new partnership aimed at amplifying their impact in the automotive and motorsports industries.
 

As part of the partnership, the Petersen Automotive Museum and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will work together to further their shared missions of preserving automotive history and engaging the public, while delivering meaningful experiences for enthusiasts and supporters, representatives of each organization said.
 

The museum will partner with the raceway on specific events, including the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion and NTT INDYCAR SERIES season finale, to expand the event's reach and impact, host member events and provide cars for display. In addition, the museum will incorporate Laguna Seca into museum-organized rallies, tours and special events.
 

"While our exhibits and displays are among the best in the world, there is nothing like seeing cars in their element on the road and track," said Terry L. Karges, executive director for the Petersen Automotive Museum. "Working with Laguna Seca is the ideal way to bring our museum to life and engage with the automotive community in an entirely new way."
 

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will serve as an official destination and partner with the museum, hosting museum vehicles and collaborative events. It will also offer VIP access, unique experiences and exclusives for museum members. The organizations will also collaborate on co-branded merchandise. 
 

"This partnership is a wonderful way to build immersive experiences that connect automotive history with performance," said Mel Harder, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca president and general manager. "We're excited to work with the Petersen team as we continue on our mission to restore and revitalize this historic facility."
 

For more information about the Petersen Automotive Museum, visit petersen.org. To learn more about WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and its upcoming events, visit weathertechraceway.com.

Image courtesy of Petersen Automotive Museum

By Ashley Reyes

The SEMA Professional Restylers Organization (PRO) has named Savannah Cranford, general manager at Motion Marine Customs, as the council's newest spotlight member. Get to know Cranford in her interview with SEMA News below. 
 

SEMA News: What inspired you to pursue a career in restyling?  

Savannah Cranford: I've always loved creating, no matter what it is. I didn't know how to put it to use until I met my boss and his daughter, Shane Coulter and Hannah Coulter Neal. They believed in me, gave me the tools I needed and watched me run. Without them, I wouldn't have been able to pursue and enjoy the huge world of restyling/manufacturing. They inspired me to pursue this career and still inspire me every day to go further in it.

SN: Why did you decide to volunteer for PRO?  

SC: My mentor and best friend, Hannah Neal, brought me to my first SEMA show with her in 2024. Until that show, I had never been around so many people with a 'go-get-em' mentality. Every person at the PRO booth was inspiring in their own way and I felt the drive and devotion before I even stepped foot in the booth. I learned many things from that first experience with the PRO group, but for the first time in my life I realized just how possible anything was if you work hard and take the right steps.

SN: What advice do you have for someone pursuing a career in the automotive aftermarket?  

SC: Talk more and listen most. Learning shouldn't be overlooked, especially in the automotive aftermarket, where there is so much to learn and so many people to learn from.

SN: What is your dream vehicle?  

SC: Porsche 911 Sally Carrera Model. You'd find me at Radiator Springs or at work.

SN: What is the best advice you have ever received?  

SC: Nothing is 'un-f-upable.' It's true and I wouldn't be where I am today otherwise. Starting something new or unknown shouldn't be scary. Even if you make a mistake, you can fix it. The worst thing you can do is not start something new out of fear of messing it up.

SN: What keeps you in the industry?  

SC: The unlimitedness of it. You really can just try anything if you have a team like mine who is willing.

SN: Where can you be found on a Saturday?  

SC: In my sunroom with my plants!

Fill out a PRO member spotlight form to highlight how you or your company are contributing to the automotive restyling industry. Selected candidates are eligible to be featured on PRO's social media, SEMA News and future PRO-member updates. 

Story and photos by Andreas Conradt, Automedia
 

Porsche Cayenne Retaining ICE Power

The Cayenne was Porsche's best-selling model in 2023, accounting for 87,553 of the 320,201 cars the firm sold across the globe. And the Cayenne is only going to become more popular when it finally gets an electric-vehicle (EV) variant in 2026, but these pictures prove that it's far from the end of the road for the ICE-powered SUV.
 

Porsche facelifted the Cayenne three years ago--its first refresh in seven model years--and the overhaul was not the usual bumper massage and DRL tweak, as it included new powertrains, new chassis tech and improved driver assistance gadgets. But since Porsche hopes to keep the ICE Cayenne on the road beyond the end of the decade, only a serious overhaul like that would cut it.
 

But it looks like Porsche hasn't given the ICE Cayenne its final update yet. The quad exhaust setup and huge front air intakes tell us it's not a mule for the upcoming EV, which we know from previous spy shots is already testing wearing production sheetmetal.

Porsche has said that it wants 80% of its output to be EVs by 2030, and since we already know that the 911 isn't going electric before that date, it's logical to assume that most of the 20% that isn't an EV is a 911. Given this, it doesn't make sense that Porsche would go to the trouble of engineering an all-new ICE Cayenne for 2030 and then stick around for the eight years needed to recover the investment despite legislation in California and Europe outlawing the sale of combustion cars starting in 2035.
 

It doesn't make sense, or it didn't, until stories about a slowdown in EV adoption and a rise in demand for hybrids started appearing last year. And it's also worth remembering that the Audi Q7, which has traditionally shared the Cayenne's platform, will get one final ICE generation around 2026 or 2027. Porsche has led us to believe that the 2023 facelift car was meant to last years in the market, but maybe it's due to be retired sooner than we thought, leaving space for an ICE encore in 2028.
 

More likely, however, is that the current-generation Cayenne will receive yet another facelift in 2026--when the all-electric Cayenne hits the market--and stays with us until 2030 or longer for those who prefer ICE over EV.

True Facelift Coming for BMW X1, iX1

BMW introduced the current X1 in June 2022 for the '23 model year. In the latter part of 2026 or early 2027, the smallest utility vehicle in the automaker's lineup will undergo a makeover that clearly leverages the Neue Klasse design language of the all-new iX3.
 

Spied under heavy camouflage in the form of a full-electric iX1 prototype, the makeover includes thin kidneys and completely new headlights. The kidneys and headlight clusters are connected by two contrasting panels that may be offered with backlighting for extra visual pizzazz.
 

The front grille is understandably closed, yet the lower part of the bumper integrates an intake for the adaptive cruise control sensor and cooling purposes. Look closer and you will notice a flat underbody that extends all the way to the rear bumper.
 

Equipped with low rolling-resistance tires, the camouflaged electric utility vehicle also flaunts a slightly different rear bumper from the pre-facelift iX1. The final piece of the puzzle comes in the form of new taillights, although these clusters appear to be placeholders rather than production lights.

Although the next iterations of the X1 and its electric sibling will retain the UKL2 front-biased platform, their cabins will also integrate a number of Neue Klasse features from the iX3 and the forthcoming i3. From the dash-spanning BMW Panoramic iDrive system to a strange-looking steering wheel and fewer physical controls, a lot will change inside.
 

The iX1 is also certain to benefit from Neue Klasse battery-electric technology, and Neue Klasse components should also help BMW develop stronger hybrid setups for the 48-volt and plug-in hybrid powertrains of the surprisingly popular X1.
 

Twinned with the X2 and 2 Series Active Tourer as well as the MINI brand's Countryman, the X1 is available in Germany with three- and four-cylinder engines from the B38, B48 and B47 families. The B47 turbo diesel of the xDrive23d is particularly notable, as it produces 295 lb.-ft. of torque.
 

Its 48-volt system contributes a further 41 lb.-ft. whenever necessary at low engine speeds for improved fuel economy. The X1 can also be had in M Performance trim. In the M35i, the B48-series engine produces diesel-rivaling torque and 296 hp.

There is, however, an even punchier X1 available in Germany. That X1 is the plug-in hybrid xDrive30e, whose maximum system output is estimated at 322 hp by the Munich-based automaker. The iX1, meanwhile, tops 309 hp for the xDrive30.
 

Given that Mercedes-Benz AG is considering BMW AG four-cylinder engines for certain models, most of the X1's current engines will surely be updated to comply with Euro 7 regulations. We also imagine that BMW will continue offering the X1 with two plug-in hybrid and two fully electric powertrain choices.

By SEMA News Editors

Registration is now open for the SEMA Show Exhibitor Summit, which returns to Las Vegas in June, at the Las Vegas Convention Center South Hall Skybridge. View the agenda and register at semashow.com/exhibitor-summit.
 

The Exhibitor Summit--which takes place Wednesday, June 10 and Thursday, June 11, with hotel check-out Friday, June 12--is an exhibitor's strategic head start. Whether a company is a first-timer or a seasoned exhibitor, this event is where exhibitors can refine their plan, cut unnecessary costs and unlock true SEMA Show success. The program will cover how to:
 

• Boost ROI: Work directly with experts to plan, budget and optimize SEMA Show investments.
• Drive Traffic: Learn proven strategies to attract buyers and generate leads.
• Save Money: Learn insider strategies to cut costs on drayage, electrical and rigging.
• Perfect Your Launch: Get a step-by-step roadmap for product launches and media engagement.
• Promote Your Brand: Explore sponsorship and marketing opportunities to increase brand visibility.
• Network: Build direct relationships with the SEMA team and fellow industry leaders.

Preview the New LVCC

In addition, this year's Summit delivers an all-access preview of the newly remodeled Las Vegas Convention Center, now featuring a modernized campus designed to elevate the exhibitor and attendee experience with:
 

• A reimagined Central Hall Grand Lobby that features a striking glass curtain wall and abundant natural light.
• New digital signage creating high-visibility branding opportunities in the Grand Lobby.
• A climate-controlled concourse that connects the North and South Halls.
• A new East entrance, state-of-the-art boardroom and modern administrative offices redefine the South Hall.
• The extended West Hall ribbon roof brings bold cohesion across the campus.

Register to join this event in Las Vegas this June, and the SEMA team will have the rest covered. Exhibitors enjoy complimentary event registration, a two-night hotel stay (for up to two representatives from each exhibiting company) and select meals--all courtesy of SEMA.

View the agenda and register at semashow.com/exhibitor-summit.

Have questions about the Exhibitor Summit? Contact SEMA Show Management at 909-396-0289 or email regmgr@sema.org.

In related news, SEMA has launched a new customer management system ahead of this year's SEMA Show, November 3-6, 2026, in Las Vegas. Read more about that here, or visit semashow.com/exhibitor.

To improve how SEMA engages with exhibitors and serves the industry year-round, the association has migrated to a new customer management system powered by Salesforce.

By SEMA News Editors

Are you hunting for a new job? The SEMA Career Center has a comprehensive listing of automotive-related job openings nationwide. Below are some of the latest postings:

EV Sportline

Lead Engineer/Engineering Manager in Atlanta, Georgia

EV Sportline seeks someone to generate original designs, act as a sounding board for other team engineers and collaborate with external vendors and design teams, among additional duties.

VIEW LISTING HERE

Speedway Motors

Engine Shot Machinist in Lincoln, Nebraska

Speedway Motors describes this role as perfect for someone who enjoys working with their hands, understands the mechanics behind performance engines and wants to be part of a team that supports racers and enthusiasts across the country.

VIEW LISTING HERE

Race Winning Brands

Automotive Product Manager in Mentor, Ohio

Race Winning Brands' new product manager role will combine technical insight, commercial acumen and strong cross-functional leadership to ensure that product lines meet customer needs, achieve financial targets and more.

VIEW LISTING HERE

Employers looking to join the SEMA Career Center can do so at semajobs.com/employers/register/.

Feed image courtesy of Shutterstock | Andrey_Popov

From the SEMA Washington, D.C., office

SEMA and PRI are leading a national effort to protect race tracks from "Not In My Backyard"-generated nuisance lawsuits. Here’s the latest:  
 

In a win for the racing industry, the Oklahoma Senate Judiciary Committee has voted unanimously to advance the Racing Facility and Racetrack Qualified Defense Act (SB1195), a measure establishing nuisance protections for long‑standing racing facilities operating in compliance with federal, state and local laws. The bill, authored by Sen. Kendal Sacchieri with Rep. Eric Roberts, now moves to the full Senate for consideration. 
 

SEMA and PRI support SB 1195 as part of the organizations' broader Right‑to‑Race campaign. Across the country, motorsports facilities serve as anchors for local economies, small businesses and community traditions. 
 

This strong bipartisan committee vote reflects growing statewide recognition of the economic and cultural importance of Oklahoma's motorsports venues. SB 1195 protects long-standing facilities from being litigated out of existence simply because the neighborhood changed around them. 

Industry supporters applauded the vote. 
 

"Oklahoma's race tracks have supported families like mine for generations," said Gerald Brand of Brand Racing. "I'm grateful to Sen. Sacchieri for standing up for our racing community and championing a bill that helps ensure these facilities can continue operating responsibly for years to come."
 

SEMA and PRI continue to push for state-level "Right to Race" protections that help ensure properly established racing facilities can continue operating responsibly while communities retain the local traditions, weekend commerce and small-business activity that racing venues often anchor. 
 

Learn more about the Right to Race campaign at SEMA.org/right-to-race. 
 

For more information, contact Victor Muñoz, senior manager for state government affairs for SEMA and PRI, at victorm@sema.org. 
 

Lead image courtesy of Shutterstock | zmotions

From the SEMA Washington, D.C., office

SEMA and PRI are leading a national effort to protect race tracks from "Not In My Backyard"-generated nuisance lawsuits. Here’s the latest:  
 

In a win for the racing industry, the Oklahoma Senate Judiciary Committee has voted unanimously to advance the Racing Facility and Racetrack Qualified Defense Act (SB1195), a measure establishing nuisance protections for long‑standing racing facilities operating in compliance with federal, state and local laws. The bill, authored by Sen. Kendal Sacchieri with Rep. Eric Roberts, now moves to the full Senate for consideration. 
 

SEMA and PRI support SB 1195 as part of the organizations' broader Right‑to‑Race campaign. Across the country, motorsports facilities serve as anchors for local economies, small businesses and community traditions. 
 

This strong bipartisan committee vote reflects growing statewide recognition of the economic and cultural importance of Oklahoma's motorsports venues. SB 1195 protects long-standing facilities from being litigated out of existence simply because the neighborhood changed around them. 

Industry supporters applauded the vote. 
 

"Oklahoma's race tracks have supported families like mine for generations," said Gerald Brand of Brand Racing. "I'm grateful to Sen. Sacchieri for standing up for our racing community and championing a bill that helps ensure these facilities can continue operating responsibly for years to come."
 

SEMA and PRI continue to push for state-level "Right to Race" protections that help ensure properly established racing facilities can continue operating responsibly while communities retain the local traditions, weekend commerce and small-business activity that racing venues often anchor. 
 

Learn more about the Right to Race campaign at SEMA.org/right-to-race. 
 

For more information, contact Victor Muñoz, senior manager for state government affairs for SEMA and PRI, at victorm@sema.org. 
 

Lead image courtesy of Shutterstock | zmotions

From the SEMA Washington, D.C., office

SEMA and PRI members are invited to participate in a free webinar on March 19 that will examine the rapidly evolving situation surrounding refunds for tariffs collected by the U.S. government under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

• The session will provide a timely overview of what the U.S. Supreme Court's order means for importers and businesses that have paid IEEPA tariffs.

The webinar is hosted by the Small Business Legislative Council, of which SEMA is a member. It comes after significant legal developments following the Supreme Court's ruling on President Trump's IEEPA tariffs, as well as the recent U.S. Court of International Trade order that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) must begin automatically refunding IEEPA duties.
 

During the webinar, legal experts from Barnes & Thornburg LLP will discuss how refunds may be processed for unliquidated entries and for entries whose liquidation status is "not final," an area where significant uncertainty remains. The presenters will address practical questions businesses are asking right now, including how companies can determine liquidation status and what mechanisms CBP plans to use to issue refunds.
 

The webinar will also examine the government's expected appeal and how ongoing litigation and administrative actions could impact refunds tied to entries from early 2025.
 

Rather than a technical deep dive into tariff law, the program is designed to give companies a practical, business-focused overview of the refund process and the key issues that could affect recovery in the months ahead.
 

Title: IEEPA Tariff Refunds: CIT Orders Action, Questions Remain

Who Should Attend: Importers, manufacturers, distributors and businesses impacted by IEEPA tariffs

Cost: Free

Registration: CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
 

• You can help shape the discussion! Submit your questions when you register.
   

For more information, contact Juan Mejia, SEMA senior manager for federal government affairs, at juanm@sema.org.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock | Robert V Schwemmer

From the SEMA Washington, D.C., office

SEMA and PRI members are invited to participate in a free webinar on March 19 that will examine the rapidly evolving situation surrounding refunds for tariffs collected by the U.S. government under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

• The session will provide a timely overview of what the U.S. Supreme Court's order means for importers and businesses that have paid IEEPA tariffs.

The webinar is hosted by the Small Business Legislative Council, of which SEMA is a member. It comes after significant legal developments following the Supreme Court's ruling on President Trump's IEEPA tariffs, as well as the recent U.S. Court of International Trade order that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) must begin automatically refunding IEEPA duties.
 

During the webinar, legal experts from Barnes & Thornburg LLP will discuss how refunds may be processed for unliquidated entries and for entries whose liquidation status is "not final," an area where significant uncertainty remains. The presenters will address practical questions businesses are asking right now, including how companies can determine liquidation status and what mechanisms CBP plans to use to issue refunds.
 

The webinar will also examine the government's expected appeal and how ongoing litigation and administrative actions could impact refunds tied to entries from early 2025.
 

Rather than a technical deep dive into tariff law, the program is designed to give companies a practical, business-focused overview of the refund process and the key issues that could affect recovery in the months ahead.
 

Title: IEEPA Tariff Refunds: CIT Orders Action, Questions Remain

Who Should Attend: Importers, manufacturers, distributors and businesses impacted by IEEPA tariffs

Cost: Free

Registration: CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
 

• You can help shape the discussion! Submit your questions when you register.
   

For more information, contact Juan Mejia, SEMA senior manager for federal government affairs, at juanm@sema.org.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock | Robert V Schwemmer

Story and photos by Andreas Conradt, Automedia
 

Range Rover Velar Sheds Camouflage

A rather handsome sport utility vehicle (SUV) with genuine corner-carving capabilities, the Range Rover Velar is many things to many people. Starting with the '27 model year, it will undergo a radical switchover from combustion to electric-only power.
 

Whether this change will result in greater commercial success and profit margins or not, it’s far too early to formulate an educated guess, especially when you also remember that electric-vehicle (EV) sales lean heavily toward affordable EVs. In any case, this zero-emissions transition will result in the sleekest Range Rover Velar to date.
 

Based on the completely new Electrified Modular Architecture, the SUV that will succeed the internal combustion Range Rover Velar is a fastback-style affair with a coupe-like profile. A swoopy design that may lack a rear window, the Range Rover Velar Electric shows very slim lighting signatures for the front and rear ends.

Apparently longer than its forerunner, the all-electric redesign further stands out by means of a shorter front overhang and large wheels mounted with low-profile rubber. Flush glazing and razor-thin shutlines are featured as well along with little in the way of rear quarter windows. The bold exterior design should be complemented by a reassuringly minimalist interior. Touch-sensitive interfaces will surely outnumber physical controls.
 

Technologically speaking, Jaguar Land Rover is certain to surprise with next-gen connectivity features powered by the Tata Communications MOVE platform. Expect much improved diagnostics, over-the-air updates, media streaming and everything in between these realities of modern-day motoring.
 

Rumored to be Jaguar Land Rover's first EV to ride on the aforementioned EMA platform, the Range Rover Velar Electric is rocking a cell-to-pack battery architecture. Instead of traditional modules, the cells are packed directly into the battery tray to fit more of them into the same physical footprint as a modular battery.

By eliminating the module-level hardware, Jaguar Land Rover also intends to reduce the vehicle's overall mass. A subsidiary of the Tata Group has been contracted to design and supply the prismatic cells of EMA models. It goes without saying that 800V are on the menu as well for extremely fast charging.
 

JLR's drive units for EMA models are supposedly different from the drive units of the Range Rover Sport Electric and Range Rover Electric, which are both underpinned by the MLA-Flex platform. On the subject of straight-line thrills, a tri-motor powertrain with more than 1,000 hp may be in development for the most exciting version of the Range Rover Velar Electric.
 

Jaguar is already validating such a setup, and the grand tourer previewed by the Type 00 concept further promises around 479 miles of WLTP range on a full charge. Being a taller vehicle with off-road credentials, the Range Rover Velar Electric may not match the Jaguar-targeted range of the Type 00.

All-Electric and All-Sporty: The Opel Corsa GSE

The previous performance version of the Opel Corsa, the Corsa OPC, was still powered by a 1.6L turbo gasoline engine--complete with a throaty sound from the sports exhaust system. The future top-of-the-range model of the compact car, on the other hand, is set to accelerate silently.
 

According to Stellantis, the first orders will be possible before the end of this year. The Corsa GSE follows the Opel Mokka GSE, with which it shares some technical components. The compact sports car is based on the current Corsa and thus on the CMP platform. The new-generation Corsa is not expected to arrive until 2027.

Visually, the Corsa GSE could clearly stand out from the production model. The first teaser image showed a distinctive and expressive wheel design, and now our photographer has managed to snap a few shots in early-morning twilight. The colorful camouflage makes the whole car appear more dynamic, but of course this is only a clever disguise. If, on the other hand, the manufacturer continues to take its cue from the Mokka GSE, a new color scheme could play a role.
 

Stellantis has not yet released any specific technical data. However, if the Mokka is used as a benchmark here, the Corsa GSE could have similar performance figures. The Mokka GSE has 281 hp and accelerates to 62 mph in 5.9 seconds. Eurig Druce, group managing director at Stellantis in the UK, says the Corsa GSE is designed to combine everyday practicality with performance and dynamism.
 

The GSE logo originally dates back to the '70s. One of the first models was the Opel Commodore A GS/E. At that time, the three letters stood for Grand Sport Einspritzer (German for injection).

In 2022, Opel reintroduced the GSE label. Since then, however, it has stood for Grand Sport Electric and has been used to distinguish plug-in hybrid models in the Astra, Astra Sports Tourer and previous Grandland generations. The next stage of evolution followed in 2025. In the future, the GSE emblem will only be found on purely electric Opel models. All models also combine a sporty look with more dynamic chassis tuning. The Opel Mokka GSE is the first model under this label.
 

In addition, the Rüsselsheim-based company presented the Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo concept car in 2025. The show car was displayed in person at the IAA in Munich. It also made its way into the PlayStation game Gran Turismo 7 in fall 2025. Virtually, the Corsa GSE has 800 hp. These performance figures are unlikely to make it into the production model. Nevertheless, it remains interesting to see whether the production GSE will bear any similarities to this concept car.