The mystique of the GSi nameplate goes back to the mid-1980s, when Opel was embarking on a massive motorsport program here in South Africa. The GSi versions of the Kadett did battle against Golf GTis at Kyalami, Killarney, Aldo Scribante and at the East London Grand Prix circuit. Some say there was never a better time to be a petrol-head.
In May this year Opel reintroduced the GSi badge to headline its Corsa small hatch range, and the car comes with some serious eye candy in the way of special large-diameter wheels, body kit, special suspension, and a racy interior with full connectivity.
However, there are some unusual aspects to the GSi that need plugging in. Hence our Top 4 list of special items pertaining to the Opel Corsa GSi.
Top 4 things to know about the Opel Corsa GSi
- The engine is a small-capacity four-cylinder of 1,4-litres, and for a performance car power is quite modest at 110 kW, while torque is impressive at 220 Nm. The 0-100 km/h sprint time is claimed at 8,9 seconds, with the top speed a shade under 210 km/h.
- The GSi has a sporting exterior dominated by 18-inch alloy wheels and low-profile rubber, and in the cockpit there are niceties like Recaro sports seats and leather steering wheel and gear knob coverings.
- The suspension was apparently developed at the Nurburgring and contains lots of special OPC bits (OPC is Opel’s performance division).
- The price at R365 900 is reasonable, but it has to be seen in the context of the benchmark car, the Volkswagen Polo GTi, at R398 400. Sure the GSi is over 30k cheaper, but the GTi comes with 37 more kW.
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