Front-running World Rallycross team GC Kompetition is known for running modern Renault machinery, whether it’s the Prodrive-built Mégane or the in-house developed Clio R.S. But the ambitious and comparatively young outfit is mashing up old and new by entering the world of restomodded electrified classic cars.
While electric conversions of classics are nothing new, GCK’s venture does mark the first time a top-level racing team has offered such a service and the first time one of the current crop of World RX privateers has broken into the road car market.
“A lot of technology has been created by our racing industry experts actually, and transferred to the customer’s cars,” GCK founder Guerlain Chicherit told DirtFish.
“The car’s electrification will follow the same way, our experts have been working in this field for a long time and are packing all their electric knowledge into creating a limited number of the coolest, unique and innovative cars that align with all the findings in racing.”
Based on iconic models such as the Lancia Delta Integrale, the limited selection of cars will be handpicked by the French squad, before being converted to an electric drivetrain using a kit developed in-house at the team’s technical centre. The whole car, including the conversion and the necessary hardware, will be sold as one complete package.
Photo: World RX Media
The move into offering road cars is the natural next step for GCK, which has affirmed its commitment to eco-friendly racing. As well as aiming to switch all of its racing efforts over to electric competition in the coming years, the team is also providing the charging infrastructure for the new-for-2020 Projekt E series, and has developed a green way of charging electrified road cars using solar power as well.
“GCK is making a big step towards eco-conscious racing and will be directly involved in racing only with electrified cars over the coming years,” Chicherit said. “But using zero emission cars can only make sense if you are using renewable energy for it.
“That’s why we created GCK Energy with our partners in order to create an innovative way of charging cars.
“I want to show that it’s possible to create exciting, financially viable and desirable projects that truly respect our ecosystem. All of GCK’s initiatives across all businesses are aligning with this. We have put a lot of resources into finding racing solutions already, so producing select road car conversions based on absolutely iconic car models to share some of the excitement made sense to me.”
Order books for the E-Retrofit Premium series will open in October.
