Developed by the HOLZER Group, the team behind Opel Motorsport’s hat-trick of ERC Junior titles, the HOLZER R5 Corsa will battle against rival machines such as the Citroën DS3 R5, Ford Fiesta R5, Hyundai i20 R5, Peugeot 208 T16 and ŠKODA Fabia R5 – once it is homologated for competition use, a process that requires manufacturer assistance.

“We believe in R5 as a very competitive and interesting rally category,” said Günther Holzer, CEO of the HOLZER Group. “The technology is affordable, so we decided to start a project to build the HOLZER R5 Corsa. I have to emphasise that this is a fully private initiative. Now we are looking forward to the feedback of the rally community.”

The HOLZER Group, established by brothers and former rally competitors Ronald and Günther Holzer, has a long association with Opel in both circuit racing and rallying. It is running Jari Huttunen, Chris Ingram and Tamara Molinaro in the FIA ERC Junior Under 27 Championship in 2017, as well as the hugely successful ADAC Opel Rallye Cup one-make series in Germany, which has produced several top drivers including ERC podium finisher Marijan Griebel and former ERC Junior champion Emil Bergkvist.

Once the HOLZER R5 Corsa is homologated for competition use, the expectation is it will be rallied in a number of national and international championships, including the European and world championships.