Tag Archives: Paris Motor Show

NEW CARS

Opel GSE 27FE Revealed in Final Formula E Livery Ahead of 2026 Debut

Opel has officially unveiled the final race livery of the Opel GSE 27FE, marking another major milestone in the German manufacturer’s preparations for its debut in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. The all-electric GEN4 race car will make its public appearance in its definitive colours at the Paris Motor Show on October 12, 2026, just weeks before Opel begins its first Formula E campaign.

The new livery transforms the aggressive prototype design used during testing into a distinctive visual statement for Opel’s return to top-level electric motorsport. Finished in a combination of black, metallic silver and Opel GSE Yellow, the GSE 27FE combines references to Opel’s motorsport heritage with a design language intended to communicate speed, energy and efficiency.

Alongside factory drivers Mitch Evans and Théo Pourchaire, Opel will use the Paris reveal to introduce its Formula E challenger to the public for the first time in final specification. Test and development driver Sophia Flörsch will also play a role in the programme.

Opel Takes GSE Performance Into Formula E

The GSE 27FE represents the beginning of a new chapter for Opel’s performance brand. GSE, which has increasingly become associated with Opel’s high-performance electric models, is now being transferred from road cars to the highly competitive world of Formula E.

“GSE stands for performance born in motorsport, engineered for the road and experienced far beyond it,” said Opel Vice President Marketing Rebecca Reinermann. “With Formula E, our performance brand is now entering the world’s fastest all-electric racing championship, at precisely the moment a new era begins with the GEN4 generation.”

For Opel, the timing is significant. The manufacturer is entering Formula E as the championship moves into its GEN4 era, bringing a new generation of electric racing technology and an opportunity for the brand to establish itself from the beginning of a new technical cycle.

The company says the final GSE 27FE livery reflects its ambition to become an important competitor rather than simply participating in the championship.

Black, Silver and Yellow Define the Opel GSE 27FE

Designed by Opel’s Global Brand Design team in Rüsselsheim, the GSE 27FE’s final appearance is based around three principal colours: black, silver and yellow.

The combination deliberately recalls some of Opel’s most recognisable historic motorsport designs, while giving those visual cues a distinctly modern and electric interpretation.

The graphics are not simply decorative. Opel says the design was created to represent three fundamental elements of Formula E: airflow, energy and efficiency.

“Airflow becomes linework, energy becomes colour and efficiency becomes precision,” explained Pierre-Olivier Garcia, Opel Global Brand Design Manager.

The result is a series of flowing graphic elements that follow the contours of the GEN4 car. Rather than covering the aerodynamic surfaces with excessive graphics, the design uses lines and colour blocks to emphasise the car’s proportions.

That should also make the GSE 27FE highly recognisable at speed, whether viewed from trackside, in the pit lane or through television and digital coverage.

New Silver Spine Becomes a Signature Element

One of the most significant additions to the final Formula E livery is a metallic silver spine running along the centre of the car.

Opel describes the feature as the visual backbone of the GSE 27FE. Beyond its aesthetic purpose, the silver element is intended to symbolise the relationship between driver and machine — combining human instinct with the precision of electric racing technology.

The philosophy extends to the smallest details.

A discreet “Designed in Germany” signature reinforces Opel’s German engineering identity, while the “Opel GSE 27FE” designation identifies the manufacturer’s first Formula E machine.

According to Garcia, every element has been deliberately positioned rather than added simply for visual effect.

“Every graphic element has a clear position, a clear function and a clear reason to exist,” he said.

That philosophy fits particularly well with Formula E, where aerodynamic efficiency, energy management, software and data are just as important as outright power.

GSE Yellow Represents Electric Energy

The most dramatic element of the design is undoubtedly Opel GSE Yellow.

The bright yellow graphic sections cut through areas of exposed carbon fibre, giving the GSE 27FE a strong visual identity while connecting it directly to Opel’s growing GSE performance family.

“In Formula E, energy decides the race – and for Opel, energy has a colour: GSE Yellow,” Garcia said.

The colour is intended to communicate movement and energy without making the car look unnecessarily aggressive. Opel’s designers have instead used yellow as a precise visual accent against the darker carbon and metallic surfaces.

The effect is particularly important for a Formula E car, where distinctive liveries need to remain recognisable despite the high speed of racing and extensive television coverage.

Lightspeed Stripes Bring Electric Technology to Life

Another important part of the design is Opel’s Pixelated Lightspeed Stripes.

The stripes sweep across the bodywork and are intended to visualise something that normally remains invisible: the movement of energy, data and software through an electric racing car.

The concept builds on the design language Opel introduced with the Mokka GSE Rally in 2025, but the Formula E application takes the idea into a much more technologically advanced environment.

In this interpretation, the pixelated graphics represent the instantaneous response of an electric powertrain and the digital character of modern motorsport.

It is a fitting visual theme for a championship where success increasingly depends on software, energy strategy and sophisticated control systems as much as traditional mechanical engineering.

Mitch Evans Says the Opel GSE 27FE “Looks Fast”

Opel’s factory drivers have already seen the car extensively during its testing programme, but the final livery has made a strong impression.

Mitch Evans, one of Formula E’s most accomplished drivers, believes the finished car successfully develops the prototype design.

“I think the final design looks fantastic,” Evans said. “It builds on our concept and testing livery in a more refined way, while still feeling unmistakably Opel.”

The addition of silver is particularly important to the overall appearance, according to the New Zealander.

“The additional silver gives it a sharp and sophisticated appearance – and, most importantly, it looks fast.”

That is no small endorsement from Evans. With 16 Formula E victories, he is the most successful driver in the championship’s history and brings considerable experience to Opel’s new factory programme.

Evans will share the Opel GSE Formula E Team’s race seat with French driver Théo Pourchaire, while Sophia Flörsch takes on the role of test and development driver.

Opel Connects Formula E With Its Road Cars

The Formula E programme is not being presented as an isolated motorsport project.

At the Paris Motor Show, Opel will place the GSE 27FE alongside the new Opel Corsa GSE, which is already available to order. The pairing is designed to demonstrate the relationship between Opel’s electric racing programme and its growing range of high-performance road cars.

The Corsa GSE effectively brings the GSE philosophy to the road, while the GSE 27FE demonstrates how that performance identity can be expressed at the highest level of electric competition.

Opel is also using the same design language throughout its Paris Motor Show stand. The Lightspeed Stripes and broader GSE visual identity will influence the exhibition design, creating a direct connection between the race car and production models.

Opel Formula E Debut Set for December 2026

The unveiling of the final livery comes as Opel moves into the final stages of preparation for its first Formula E season.

Since announcing its Formula E entry in March 2026, the team has conducted private testing alongside extensive simulator and test-bench development. The programme will intensify with the official Formula E test week scheduled for mid-November at Jarama in Spain.

The real test comes shortly afterwards.

Opel will make its competitive Formula E debut at a double-header in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on December 18 and 19, 2026.

Its first World Championship campaign will consist of 21 races across 13 cities and four continents, providing the new Opel GSE Formula E Team with an extensive international test of its car, drivers and technical operation.

The team’s home event will come later in the season, with the Berlin E-Prix scheduled for May 8 and 9, 2027.

For Opel, that race should carry particular significance as the German manufacturer competes in front of its home fans.

A New Motorsport Identity for Opel

The GSE 27FE is more than Opel’s first Formula E car. It is the clearest expression yet of where the company’s performance strategy is heading in the electric era.

The black, silver and yellow livery deliberately combines Opel’s motorsport heritage with a futuristic interpretation of electric racing. The Lightspeed Stripes, silver spine and GSE Yellow accents all serve the same purpose: making energy, speed and precision visible.

Opel’s Formula E debut will ultimately be judged by results rather than graphics, but the manufacturer has made its intentions clear. Entering Formula E at the beginning of the GEN4 era gives Opel the opportunity to build its programme around the latest generation of electric racing technology from day one.

With Mitch Evans and Théo Pourchaire behind the wheel, Sophia Flörsch supporting development, and 21 races ahead, the Opel GSE 27FE is about to move from design statement to genuine championship contender.

The first chapter begins in Jeddah in December.

Source: Opel

NEW CARS

Alpine PS1 Concept Teased Ahead of Paris Motor Show

Alpine is preparing to unveil a mysterious new concept at next week’s Paris Motor Show, and the Alpine PS1 could provide an early glimpse of one of the French performance brand’s most ambitious future models.

Known internally as Projet Spécial 1, or PS1, the new concept is being positioned outside Alpine’s conventional model range. The company says the name reflects the car’s status beyond its “everyday” models, including the A290 and A390, as well as the iconic A110 sports car.

Alpine has released only a single teaser image so far, but it is enough to trigger plenty of speculation about what the PS1 could preview.

Alpine PS1 Teaser Hints at a Dramatic New Sports Car

The teaser focuses on an extremely narrow headlight illuminated in the colours of the French flag. While the image reveals very little of the vehicle itself, the visible bodywork suggests that the PS1 could be significantly more aggressive than Alpine’s current production cars.

Perhaps the most intriguing detail is the dark silhouette behind the illuminated headlight. It appears to reveal a large rear spoiler, suggesting that the PS1 could be more than a purely design-focused concept.

The shape of the front end also appears to feature a straight-edged front wing, a detail that could be an intentional reference to Alpine’s sporting heritage.

The company has yet to confirm whether the PS1 previews a production model or simply represents an experimental design study.

Could the PS1 Preview Alpine’s Ferrari SF90 Rival?

One of the most exciting possibilities is that the Alpine PS1 could offer an early indication of the design direction for the company’s upcoming flagship performance car.

Alpine is expected to launch a new high-performance model in 2028 that will sit above the A110 and target cars such as the Ferrari SF90.

The forthcoming Alpine flagship is expected to use a turbocharged V6 hybrid powertrain, with total system output reportedly exceeding 1,000bhp.

If that connection proves correct, the PS1 could be particularly significant. Rather than being simply a styling exercise, the concept could preview the visual identity of Alpine’s first genuine supercar-class contender.

The teaser’s apparent rear wing would certainly fit that theory, suggesting a car developed with aerodynamics and high-speed performance in mind.

However, Alpine has not confirmed that the PS1 is directly related to the future V6 hybrid flagship.

Alpine A310 Successor Is Another Possibility

There is another intriguing possibility: the PS1 could preview the long-awaited return of the Alpine A310.

The original A310 was produced from 1971 until 1984 and was positioned as a larger, more practical sports car than the A110. Unlike the two-seat A110, the A310 offered a 2+2 configuration, making it a potential rival to cars such as the Porsche 911.

The teaser contains a design detail that makes the A310 theory particularly interesting.

The narrow headlight appears to sit next to a sharply defined, straight-edged wing. That treatment could be interpreted as a modern interpretation of the lightweight A310’s distinctive front-end design.

According to previous reports, Alpine is planning to introduce a new A310 in 2028, giving the brand a 2+2 sports car positioned directly against the Porsche 911.

If the PS1 is indeed connected to that project, the Paris concept could provide the first meaningful indication of how Alpine intends to reinterpret one of its most historically important models.

The PS1 Is Not the Next-Generation A110

Alpine has also made it clear that the PS1 should not be confused with the company’s next-generation A110.

The new A110 is expected to continue Alpine’s lightweight sports-car philosophy, but its design has already been previewed in a different form. A sculpture showing elements of the next-generation A110 will also be displayed at the Paris Motor Show.

That effectively leaves the PS1 occupying a different position within Alpine’s future product strategy.

The distinction is important because Alpine is rapidly expanding beyond the traditional A110 formula. The A290 and A390 have already broadened the brand into electric hatchback and crossover territory, while future models are expected to push Alpine further into higher-performance and more luxurious segments.

Alpine’s Future Is Expanding Beyond the A110

For decades, Alpine was primarily associated with lightweight sports cars, particularly the A110. Renault’s modern revival of the brand initially followed that philosophy, but the company now has much broader ambitions.

The A290 represents Alpine’s entry into the hot-hatch segment, while the A390 expands the brand into the performance crossover market.

A potential A310 would give Alpine a larger 2+2 grand touring-style sports car, while the expected 1,000bhp-plus hybrid flagship would take the brand into an entirely different performance category.

The PS1 could therefore be an important piece of this transformation.

Its name – Projet Spécial 1 – suggests that Alpine itself views the project as something different from its regular model portfolio. That could mean an ultra-low-volume special, a design manifesto, or a preview of an entirely new flagship.

Paris Motor Show Could Reveal Alpine’s Next Big Move

The upcoming Paris Motor Show should provide considerably more answers.

Alpine is expected to reveal the PS1 concept alongside the design sculpture previewing the next-generation A110. Seeing both projects together could offer valuable insight into the future visual language of the brand.

For now, the teaser leaves Alpine fans with two particularly compelling possibilities.

The PS1 could be an early preview of Alpine’s forthcoming 1,000bhp-plus V6 hybrid flagship, potentially positioning the French marque against the Ferrari SF90 and other high-performance hybrid supercars.

Alternatively, it could point toward the return of the Alpine A310, a 2+2 sports car expected to challenge the Porsche 911 while reviving one of the company’s most recognizable historic nameplates.

Either way, the PS1 appears to represent something considerably more ambitious than another Alpine concept.

With its French-flag lighting signature, ultra-slim headlight and apparent rear spoiler, the mysterious prototype looks set to become one of the most closely watched premieres at the Paris Motor Show.

Source: Alpine

CONCEPT CARS

Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso: New Concept Car to Debut at the 2026 Paris Motor Show

Alfa Romeo is preparing to put emotion back at the center of the automotive conversation with a new concept car called the Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso, set to take the spotlight at the 2026 Paris Motor Show.

The name itself is a statement of intent. Cuorerosso combines two ideas deeply embedded in Alfa Romeo’s identity: “cuore,” the Italian word for heart, and “rosso,” the red associated with the brand’s racing heritage, passion and unmistakable visual identity. Together, they form a name designed to capture what Alfa Romeo believes should define the cars of its future: emotion first, explanation second.

While Alfa Romeo has not yet revealed the full technical specification or production plans for the Cuorerosso, the concept is clearly positioned as much more than a styling exercise. It is being presented as a vision of the future shaped around the emotional connection between a car and its driver.

Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso puts emotion first

For Alfa Romeo, choosing a car has traditionally been about more than comparing specifications, equipment levels or prices. The brand argues that its strongest appeal begins with an instinctive reaction — an emotional connection that is only later rationalized.

That philosophy is at the heart of the Cuorerosso concept.

Developed by the people who create Alfa Romeo vehicles every day, the concept has been designed with the global community of Alfisti in mind. These enthusiasts share a belief that driving should be experienced rather than simply measured, and that the relationship between driver and automobile remains an essential part of the Alfa Romeo formula.

The Cuorerosso therefore represents an attempt to translate that philosophy into a vision of the future.

The meaning behind the name

The choice of Cuorerosso is deliberately symbolic.

Red has been inseparable from Alfa Romeo for generations. It evokes Italian motorsport, competition, performance and the passion traditionally associated with the marque. The heart, meanwhile, represents the emotional bond between Alfa Romeo and its customers.

Bringing the two together creates a name that effectively describes the concept’s mission: a future Alfa Romeo designed to stir emotions.

The message is particularly significant as the automotive industry undergoes one of its biggest transformations in decades. Electrification, software, autonomous-driving technology and increasingly digital interiors are changing how cars are engineered and experienced.

Alfa Romeo’s Cuorerosso suggests that, despite those changes, the emotional character of a car should not disappear.

Designed for the Alfisti

Alfa Romeo describes the Cuorerosso as a concept created for Alfisti around the world — the passionate owners and enthusiasts who have helped turn the brand into what it calls an authentic “love brand.”

That relationship goes beyond individual products. Alfa Romeo’s history is filled with cars that have become cultural and automotive icons, creating an emotional connection that often survives long after a particular model has disappeared from production.

The Cuorerosso is intended to build on that tradition while looking toward the future.

Rather than presenting technology as the primary attraction, Alfa Romeo’s message is that technology should ultimately serve the experience of driving. The concept therefore appears to be built around a simple question: how can a future car remain emotionally engaging in an increasingly digital automotive world?

A future Alfa Romeo with a human character

The philosophy behind the Cuorerosso can be summarized by the contrast between reason and emotion.

Specifications can explain acceleration. Data can describe efficiency. Technology can demonstrate capability. But none of those measurements fully explains why a particular car can create an emotional response.

That distinction has long been central to Alfa Romeo’s identity, and the Cuorerosso appears designed to preserve it as the brand moves into its next chapter.

The concept’s name is therefore more than a marketing exercise. It serves as a reminder of what Alfa Romeo believes should remain constant regardless of how automotive technology evolves.

The car may become more sophisticated, more connected and potentially more electrified, but the relationship between the driver and the machine is still supposed to matter.

Source: Alfa Romeo