WATCH | Opel set to return GSE badge as sporty EVs with own logo

Back to the future: what was once a symbol of mid-tier models will become an electric car line-up for Opel enthusiasts

16 May 2025 - 09:29
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Opel promises fanatics the new sub-brand will be an electrifying drive.
Opel promises fanatics the new sub-brand will be an electrifying drive.
Image: SUPPLIED

German brand Opel, founded by German entrepreneur Adam Opel, has hinted at a return of the GSE nameplate as a full-electric car sub-brand with a separate logo through a new promo GSE film titled “Three Letters”.     

Younger enthusiasts may not be aware the GSE badge has been in the Opel lexicon for decades, and proudly stamped on a few models in the past, including 1980s mid-tier and executive Opel Kadette E hatchbacks equipped with carburettors, and also built in SA. Sportier and faster versions of the 40-year-old model wore the GSI moniker.

For the future, the company has rejigged the meaning to Grand Sport Electric (GSE). As early as 2022, Opel heralded the return of the “GSE” abbreviation.

The Opel GSE nameplate is set to return as a separate and fully-electric sub-brand.

“The GSE sub-brand stands for particularly dynamic, exhilarating and emotional Opel models. In 2025, we will take the next important step. The new GSE models will be fully electric. This demonstrates how powerful, exciting and inspiring battery-electric mobility can be,” said Opel CEO Florian Huettl.

Opel presented the Manta GSE, a modern take on the Manta, from 1970. The company promises future GSE customers can look forward to a chassis set-up that directly integrates the driver and offers exciting driving pleasure.


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