After a few cryptic teaser shots of wings, engine covers and some objects we weren’t quite sure about, Bugatti has unveiled its contribution to the Gran Turismo 6 Vision GT project. The Bugatti Vision GT is the virtual expression of how a real quasi-racing Bugatti could look. It also provides us with a preview of Bugatti’s next Veyron replacement, working-titled 2018 Bugatti Chiron.
As outrageous as it looks, the Bugatti Vision GT isn’t quite as extreme as some other cars in the Vision GT garage -- the 2,590-horsepower 2015 SRT Tomahawk Vision Gran Turismo for instance -- but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Bugatti designers and engineers wanted keep things in the realm of what’s possible now. That said, Bugattis by their very nature are extreme cars. “We wanted to create a project as realistic as possible for our fans and put a real Bugatti in the virtual world of the PlayStation video game franchise,” explained head Bugatti designer Frank Heyl. “Every design characteristic is defined by its function. Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo is the perfect symbiosis of engineering and aesthetics.”
If you’re not familiar with it, the Vision Gran Turismo project allows designers and engineers from real-world car companies to create cars for the virtual world without the limitations created by regulations, budgets, and in some cases, even reality. The results are then uploaded to Gran Turismo 6 on PlayStation 3, where they can be enjoyed by gamers everywhere. Several other car companies have already made contributions, and it’s always fascinating to see what they come up with. It also functions as a preview of what might be next for some of these companies.
In addition to its digital form, Bugatti will also reveal a full-size show car at the 2015 Frankfurt International Motor Show, at which point it will simultaneously be added to Gran Turismo 6. But until then, let’s take a closer look at the Bugatti Vision GT.
Updated 08/22/2016: Created exclusively for the PlayStation videogame series Gran Turismo Sport, BUgarri Vision Gran Turismo made its American debut at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Check the picture gallery for a series of images taken during the event.
Continue reading to learn more about the Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo.
2016 Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo
- Make: Array
- Model: 2016 Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo
- Engine/Motor: W-16
- Horsepower: 1500
- Torque: 1100
- [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Exterior
Even if it weren’t bathed in two shades of French racing blue, the Bugatti Vision GT would still be instantly recognizable as a Bugatti. There are definite shades of the Veyron here. Aesthetically, the car consists of two overlapping elements: the lighter blue front section and the darker blue rear that envelops the front. Bugatti says it’s the same color scheme used by the 1937 Le Mans-winning Type 57 G Tank.
From the side, the rear element’s shape forms the distinctive Bugatti curve, which now arcs over the side windows, forming a huge air intake. You can really see this two-element idea at work from the top too. The darker blue of the two sections also forms the greenhouse, which dives into the vented hood (though it doesn’t appear to have a traditional hood). The lighter blue element stretches around the front of the car and forms the doors before disappearing into the air intakes on either side.
Around the front, the Bugatti Vision GT has two angry-looking headlight banks, each with four rectangular lights, that flank Bugatti’s hallmark horseshoe grill. The grill also functions as an F1->ke190-style mount for the enormous carbon-fiber front splitter, which also has two end plates that channel air toward two dive planes at front corners.
A huge LM P1-style rear wing, complete with dorsal fin, dominates the rear. Like the 2014 McLaren P1, the rear appears to be open for the most part, and four central exhaust exits sit just above a huge rear diffuser. But the coolest part here has got to be the Cylon-like LED light strip that functions as the taillights.
I don’t think it’s much of a leap in logic to say the Bugatti Vision GT’s styling is more or less what we can expect from the Chiron. If you strip away most of the racy add-ons, you’re left with a car that looks very similar to what we’ve seen in Chiron spy shots.
Interior
The Bugatti Vision GT’s interior is a bit racier than the high-luxury interiors we’re used to seeing from Bugatti. A blue carbon-fiber racing bucket sits behind a multi-function steering wheel and a high-resolution display that looks like it’s showing footage from the 1982 Tron arcade game. The Bugatti curves on the exterior are echoed inside with an exposed carbon-fiber spine that forms the center console, flows through the middle of the cabin and arcs into the ceiling.
The interior is also covered in bespoke suede that is normally found on high-end driving shoes for Formula One. The suede is extremely lightweight yet durable, and is great for gripping surfaces. As such, the suede is used on the steering controls and headrest. It is also used on the dashboard.
Drivetrain
Bugatti might have built an actual version of its Vision Gran Turismo racer, but the automaker doesn’t divulge much information on the car’s powerplant. Here’s what we know: the Vision GT is powered by a W-16 engine that powers all four wheels and utilizes a rather unique radiator design and an aerodynamically efficient air inlet for the engine’s massive intake.
Not much is known beyond that. Still, Bugatti could pull out all the stops for its next production vehicle and include a hybrid system that supplements the W-16’s tremendous power. Like we’ve reported before, a hybrid system could power the front wheels, eliminating the need to send mechanical power to the front. This would also help increase the car’s 0-to-60 mph performance thanks to the instant torque found on electric motors.
Rumors suggest the entire powertrain system could produce 1,500 horsepower and 1,100 pound-feet of torque, allowing the lightweight racer to hit 60 mph in two seconds on its way to a top speed of 290 mph.
Competition
2015 SRT Tomahawk Vision Gran Turismo
The SRT Tomahawk represents SRT’s vision of how a supercar might look and perform 20 years from now. It comes in three flavors of ridiculousness: S, GTR-S and X, but for our purposes, we’ll be talking about the fastest of the three. The Tomahawk X is so violently (and virtually) fast that drivers are required to wear a fighter pilot-style g suit to keep from blacking out under heavy cornering and braking. I’m not sure how enjoyable that sounds, but there you go.
Power is supplied by a wide-angle, 7.0-liter V-10 that produces 2,168 horsepower, and a pneumatic system that provides another 422 horsepower, for a combined output of 2,590 horsepower. Performance is predictably stratospheric. The sprint to 60 mph may as well be instantaneous and it tops out at 404 mph. It also has active-aero body panels that articulate to benefit braking, cornering and acceleration. It seriously looks like an angry hedgehog when the panels explode off the car under heavy braking.
Unlike the Bugatti, it only exists in the world of Gran Turismo 6, so you’ll have to settle for a 2015 Dodge Challenger Hellcat for now.
Read our full review here.
2015 Chevrolet Chaparral 2X Vision GT
Though it’s not quite as fast, Chevrolet->ke199 and Chaparral’s 2X Vision Gran Turismo is arguably even more insane than the SRT Tomahawk. Living up to the Texas-based Chaparral racing team’s reputation for pushing limits and bending rules, the 2X is propelled by a pulsing 671-kW laser that continuously creates shockwaves behind the car. Obliterating tailgating competitors by mistake is a real possibility in this thing.
Instead of a traditional bucket seat, the driver sits in a prone position and manages propulsion, braking and the four-wheel steering system with his entire body. GM->ke1024 compares it to skydiving with a wingsuit. With 900 horsepower, this bizarre open wheeler does 0-60 in 1.5 seconds and has a top speed of 240 mph. The wait for laser-powered cars has begun.
Read our full review here.
Conclusion
Did you know Bugatti as a company has never generated even the smallest amount of profit for the Volkswagen->ke94 Auto Group? A 2013 study concluded that, after research and development costs were taken into account, Bugatti lost a staggering €4.6 million (about $5.16 million by today’s exchange rates) for each of the 450 Veyrons it sold. So, why bother with this type of cash black hole?
For the same reason Bugatti decided to join the Vision GT project: because it’s awesome. Contrary to what others might tell you, Bugatti’s aren’t just exclusive hypercars for billionaires, they’re for everyone. As a halo company, its creations are meant to be seen and talked about. They’re supposed to push the boundaries of what we believe cars are capable of and highlight the engineering prowess within the rest of Volkswagen AG. Putting them in video games allows everyone to enjoy them, which is the entire point of Bugatti’s existence.
Updated History
Updated 10/06/2015: Bugatti dropped a new video in which it highlights the making of its latest Vision Gran Turismo concept. Enjoy!
Updated 09/24/2015: We've added a series of new images we took at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. Find the new images in the "Pictures" tab.
Updated 09/18/2015: The new Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo concept made its virtual race debut in Gran Turismo 6. Check out the new video to see how fast it can go.
Updated 09/14/2015: The new Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo made its world debut at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show.