What model is this? I don’t know that at all.” Peter Junghanns smiles. It is precisely for these moments that the Opel Manager for Brand Strategy is at the XS CARNIGHT Wörthersee Edition. In front of the visitor is a compact Opel in an extravagant camouflage dress. “The upcoming Corsa GSE,” Junghanns answers. The next question follows immediately: „And what can it do?“
281 hp, 345 Newton meters of torque and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.5 seconds. The reaction: raised eyebrows. “Crazy – a sleeper.” In the community, this is the term used to describe vehicles that offer significantly more power than you would expect at first glance – a real wolf in sheep’s clothing. It is precisely such encounters that make the event so special for Junghanns. „This is where enthusiasts come together to share their passion for cars.“
“At XS CARNIGHT, enthusiasts come together to share their passion for cars.”
– Peter Junghanns, Opel Manager for Brand Strategy –
And for this, Opel is putting GSE on centre stage at the XS CARNIGHT: In addition to the prototype of the upcoming Corsa GSE, the Rüsselsheim-based car manufacturer is showing the battery-electric Mokka GSE and the high-performance study Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo. For the appearance at Lake Wörthersee, the all-electric show car has been given a new dark grey-black wrap for the first time – instead of the previous white-yellow-grey look.
And the show car is in good company. Right next door is Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 car. But even in the environment of the premier class of motorsport, the Opel is often the focus of attention for smartphones and cameras. Visitors stop, walk around the vehicle, photograph details and point their lenses at the Opel model conspicuously often. Under the motto ‘GSE – Goosebumps, Speed and Electric Emotions’, the manufacturer impressively shows how emotional electromobility can be today.
AUTOMOTIVE FESTIVAL AT THE LAKE
The XS CARNIGHT Wörthersee Edition has long been one of the most spectacular automotive events in Europe. In mid-May, Carinthia once again became the meeting place of the international scene for six days. Around 30,000 visitors from over 30 countries came to Lake Wörthersee to celebrate automotive individualisation, performance and community.
Whether on Neuer Platz in Klagenfurt, at the XS CARNIGHT Classic at Mageregg Castle or on the exhibition grounds: Everywhere extraordinary vehicles took centre stage. Around 100 cars were presented at Neuer Platz alone. The event at Mageregg Castle was sold out within a very short time. The main event at the Klagenfurt Exhibition Centre brought together around 700 exhibition vehicles.
The XS CARNIGHT itself has long since ceased to be just a classic tuning event. The focus is on individuality, style and the love of the automobile. Between OEM+ vehicles with a subtly refined series look and spectacular track tools with a focus on lap times, it quickly becomes clear that every conversion tells its own story. Some vehicles impress as elaborately constructed show cars, others look more like a dyno queen – with impressive test bench values, but little practical relevance.
Outside on the squares around Klagenfurt’s city centre, on Rathausplatz or at the XS CARNIGHT Classic at Mageregg Castle, modern performance meets lovingly maintained classics, rare restomods and unique automotive pieces. It is precisely this mixture that creates the special atmosphere of the event: less volume, more passion. Or, as the organisers put it: atmosphere instead of noise.
The fact that the XS CARNIGHT now has international appeal is also shown by a special guest: Jeffery Li from China covered around 8,000 kilometres in his vehicle, crossed eight countries and was on the road for twelve days just to be at Lake Wörthersee.
For organiser Andreas Füllborn, this is exactly the idea behind the XS CARNIGHT: „It’s about benevolent cooperation, community and enthusiasm for automobiles.“ Austria is only one of seven countries in which the organiser has already implemented its events. But the car week at Lake Wörthersee has long been one of the big highlights in the international calendar of the scene.
May 2026