VAUXHALL RETURNS TO MOTORSPORT WITH NEW MOKKA GSE RALLY
- Vauxhall to return to motorsport for 2026 ADAC GSE Rally Cup – the world’s first electric one-make European rally championship
- A full works entry with the all-electric Vauxhall Mokka GSE Rally, driven by talented young British driver, Ioan Lloyd
- New Mokka GSE Rally replaces Corsa Rally Electric as the series’ competition car with twice the power output at 281hp and 345Nm torque
- Mokka GSE Rally is the first car developed to FIA’s eRally5 regulations
- Shared DNA with the roadgoing Mokka GSE, the fastest EV in Vauxhall’s range
- ADAC GSE Rally Cup showcases the performance and potential of electric vehicle technology within a competitive motorsport environment
Vauxhall will mark a new era in its rich motorsport history with the announcement of its return to the rally circuit as it enters the 2026 ADAC GSE Rally Cup with the all-electric Vauxhall Mokka GSE Rally, driven by young British rallying talent, Ioan Lloyd.
For the first time, Vauxhall will grace the stages of the world's first electric one-make European rally championship which Vauxhall’s sister brand Opel presents in partnership with ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club), the largest automobile club in Europe, and has been competing in it since its inception in 2021.
Through five seasons, each driver in the Championship has raced using the Corsa Rally Electric, impressively demonstrating the success of sustainable motorsport. The series aims to promote young rallying talent, with the championship winner promoted to the ADAC Opel Rally Junior Team, where they can compete in the Junior European Rally Championship (ERC) behind the wheel of a Corsa Rally4.
Starting from the 2026 season, the Cup will be taken to the next level with the shift to a brand-new competition vehicle in the form of the Mokka GSE Rally. The championship, formerly known as the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup, has also been rebranded for 2026 as the ADAC GSE Rally Cup, highlighting the connection to Opel and Vauxhall’s fully electric performance sub-brand.
The Mokka GSE Rally is the first car currently being developed according to the FIA’s new eRally5 regulations, and with a peak power output of 281hp, it is more than twice as powerful as the Corsa Rally Electric (136hp). Backed up with 345Nm of torque and sophisticated motorsport technology, it promises performance on a par with a Rally4 car.
The rally car is closely related to the roadgoing Vauxhall Mokka GSE, sharing key components such as the motor (which produces an identical 281hp), inverter, battery and wiring harness. The Mokka GSE is the fastest electric vehicle in the Vauxhall range, achieving 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds, and is available to order now for £35,495 (after the Electric Car Grant).
To make the Championship the most exciting series yet, Vauxhall will be mobilising its great British motorsport pedigree by fielding a full works car, driven by exciting young British rally driver, Ioan Lloyd. Vauxhall boasts a legendary heritage in rallying with iconic nameplates such as the British Rally Championship-winning Chevette HS/R and the pin-up Nova Sport being formidable competition throughout the early to mid-1980s.
Whilst Vauxhall’s involvement in motorsport can be traced back as far as the 1910s, with the historic Prince Henry model competing in hill climbs and time trials, it is perhaps better known for dominating the British Touring Car Championship scene during the 1990s and 2000s. A familiar sight on the circuit, the Vauxhall Cavalier GSi was driven to victory by John Cleland in 1995, then later the Vauxhall Astra Coupe won four consecutive driver and manufacturer championships between 2001-2004. Further podiums were claimed in 2007-2008 with the Vauxhall Vectra VXR winning back-to-back manufacturer titles and a driver’s title until it left the sport after the 2009 season.
23-year-old Ioan Lloyd, from Llandysul in West Wales, has been rallying since he was 14 and is one of the country’s most talented up-and-coming drivers. Ioan began his rallying career in junior-1000cc events and progressed rapidly through UK forest and national rally championships.
In 2024, Lloyd and co‐driver Sion Williams clinched the Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup Championship title after a strong season, securing a prize campaign in European rallying.
He finished runner-up in the 2025 Junior European Rally Championship and will look to bring motorsport success to Vauxhall as he takes the wheel of the new Mokka GSE Rally.
Ioan Lloyd, Vauxhall GSE Rally Driver, said: “Joining the ADAC GSE Rally Cup is an exciting new challenge for me, and I’m really looking forward to it. The all-new car brings a fresh edge to the competition as it’s faster, more powerful, and will be incredible to drive, both for the drivers behind the wheel and for the fans watching. Vauxhall’s history in motorsport has helped create legends like Colin McRae, and I’m excited to carry that legacy forward. I can’t wait for the new season to begin and to see what the Mokka GSE Rally can do.”
Steve Catlin, Managing Director, Vauxhall, said: “It’s a privilege to be able to announce Vauxhall’s return to its motorsport roots, not to mention representing a British entry with one of the most exciting young drivers in Ioan Lloyd. The ADAC GSE Rally Cup has proven the success of electric motorsport, and next season it’s going up a level with the new Mokka GSE Rally. With many components shared with the new Mokka GSE road car, Vauxhall customers can experience exhilarating rally-inspired performance and dynamics in their daily driving when it arrives in the UK early next year.”
Jörg Schrott, Head of Opel-Vauxhall Motorsport, said: “I’m thrilled to welcome Vauxhall into the ADAC GSE Rally Cup as we look forward to the 2026 season with the new Mokka GSE Rally. Our young drivers and their thrilling battles have been crucial to the success of our cup over the past five years, while showcasing the technological maturity of the Corsa Rally Electric. With this championship, we’ve proved that electric mobility is suitable for everyday use and electrifying and reliable for motorsport alike. With more than twice the power, the Mokka GSE Rally is sure to provide an exhilarating spectacle, and the addition of Vauxhall and Ioan Lloyd to the championship will provide even stronger competition.”
Based on the serial production Vauxhall Mokka GSE, the Mokka GSE Rally retains the same striking design and even employs the same 54kWh battery; however, through motorsport engineering and experience from the Corsa Rally Electric, the software tuning for the powertrain and battery management has been designed for maximum efficiency, driveability under competitive conditions and performance.
A multi-plate limited-slip differential and a racing gearbox, together with reinforced drive shafts and wheel hubs, provide powerful propulsion. The specifically designed lightweight chassis combines specifically tuned rally suspension from Bilstein, consisting of reinforced McPherson struts and uniball mounts on the front axle, as well as a rigid rear axle with modified springs and dampers.
As with the Corsa Rally Electric, the Mokka GSE Rally adheres to extremely high safety standards. It includes a roll cage (certified by the FIA), rally seats with six-point harnesses, a special encapsulation of the battery and an additional underride guard. The 400V system is continuously monitored by the proven Master Alarm Indicator. In the unlikely event of an insulation issue, a visual and acoustic warning system immediately reports a malfunction. In the event of a sudden deceleration (such as in a collision), a sophisticated sensor system completely shuts down the high-voltage system in just a few tenths of a second. In addition, the Mokka GSE Rally has a special extinguishing system with an electrically non-conductive extinguishing agent.
The Mokka GSE Rally represents the next step in the development of all-electric one-make rallying. The Corsa Rally Electric has proven to be a fast, reliable and safe electric rally car with the near-production technology, particularly the high-voltage components such as the electric motor, inverter and battery, effortlessly mastering the extreme demands of rallying.
The 2026 season of the ADAC GSE Rally Cup is set to take place across seven rounds in six different European countries and will begin in May with the ELE Rally in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The full championship programme will be announced before the end of the year.
