Corsa S2000 Breaks Cover - First picture

The Corsa S2000 is about to begin a rigorous tarmac and gravel testing programme in readiness for its 1 October 2008 FIA homologation date and competition launch immediately thereafter. Teams, drivers and Opel national sales offices are already looking at running programmes in 2009.

"We are delighted with the car, it has come together exceptionally well", said David Whitehead, Managing Director of MSD, the company charged with the development and support of the Corsa S2000.

"We have drawn heavily on our extensive World Rally Car experience running the Hyundai WRC programmes, plus our more recent experience developing the MG S2000 Sport, to create what we believe will be a very competitive Super 2000 car that can challenge the Peugeot and Fiat equivalents. We have some good experience with Super 2000 having now developed two cars for two different manufacturers."

"The level of interest in the Corsa S2000 has been overwhelming, as I guess would be expected from GM Opel, part of the world’s biggest car maker", continued Whitehead.

"We are in advanced discussions with several teams for programmes with backing of various national Opel sales offices. Despite there being no official Opel presence in the WRC in recent years, the brand still has a strong rally culture. Super 2000 is the rally car category of the future and we are delighted to have produced a Super 2000 car based on one of the most popular cars on sales today."

MSD has a long and prosperous history with Opel having been created when Opel Motorsport spun off its rally activities in the late eighties to form GM Eurosport. MSD developed and ran Opel Kadetts, Astras and Calibres in the FIA World Rally Championship and national rally championships to much success, including winning the WRC for women with Louise Aitken Walker.

MSD was also one of the first to develop a Super Touring Car in the Astra which went on to win South African and Portuguese Touring Car Championships.

- Willy Weyens also photo