Irmscher treated Opel Corsa becoming reality soon

A surprise showing at the Kyalami Festival of Motoring last year, Opel has quietly confirmed the introduction of the Corsa Irmscher via a “register your interest” tab and single image on its website.

Sportier than GS

Shown alongside the Mokka Irmscher at Kyalami, the Corsa Irmscher sported the same dual-tone exterior as the flagship GS Line, but with gloss black doors, a black lip spoiler underneath its front bumper, a sports exhaust system, 18-inch gloss black Irmscher alloy wheels and a 30 mm ride height drop.

No further details were communicated, with the same applying to the online teaser that only shows a blacked-out image of the Irmscher’s front facia with its Matrix IntelliLux LED headlights lite.

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One of the first Opel models produced under Stellantis’ ownership after the Blitz’s acquisition from long-time former parent company, General Motors, in 2017, the Irmscher’s arrival will likely complete the Corsa range that underwent a line-up reshuffle last year as part of its first facelift introduced in Europe in 2023.

Set to be positioned above the GS Line, the Irmscher is not expected to serve as the spiritual successor to the Corsa OPC or even the GSI that briefly returned in 2018 as a celebration of 25 years of the Vauxhall Corsa nameplate in the United Kingdom.

As such, it will be similar in concept to the Volkswagen Polo R-Line and continue to derive motivation from the venerable 1.2-litre three-cylinder PureTech turbocharged petrol engine that makes 96kW/230Nm.

Irmscher in South Africa

Associated with the Rüsselsheim brand for over four decades, the debut of the Irmscher will mark the tuner’s return to South Africa for the first time since 2004 when the Astra offered an Irmscher version as a special edition.

Placed below the GSI and the OPC, the Irmscher sported a model specific bodykit, revised suspension and springs, but remained mechanically unchanged from the “standard” Astra Sport with outputs of 92kW/170Nm from its normally aspirated 1.8-litre engine.

By comparison, the bigger 2.2-litre unit in the GSI made 108kW/203Nm and the 2.0-litre turbo in the OPC 147kW/250Nm.

Before the Astra, the Irmscher badge also featured on a long short-lived version of the Rekord that sported different front and rear bumpers, a body coloured insert between the taillights instead of the numberplate cavity, and Irmscher alloy wheels.  

Stay tuned

For the moment, nothing else is known, with the same applying to the Irmscher’s launch date listed only as “coming soon” on Opel South Africa’s website.

As a reminder, current Corsa pricing starts at R379 500 for the Lite and ends at R469 500 for the GS Line.

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