Even though the racing-focused Alpine->ke4966 brand is yet to return to production and a 2016 unveil of the troublesome project confirmed, Renault's->ke72 marketing for the sports car->ke506 manufacturer soldiers on with the help of Polyphony Digital's Vision Gran Turismo->ke3689 program. Gran Turismo 6 players will be happy to find out that they'll be getting the first drive of a new Alpine sports car in March 2015. Called simply Alpine Vision Gran Turismo, the virtual model certainly looks the part of a GT concept, but with hints of classic Alpine racers here and there.

With a history that started six decades ago but sadly ended in 1995, the Alpine brand has always been connected with Renault – the French brand bought the small sports car maker back in 1973. Since then, the former Alpine headquarters in Dieppe had been home to Renault's motorsport endeavors, including Formula One.->ke190 As it happens, Alpine is preparing for a comeback in 2016, but until then, the A450 prototype has already collected European endurance racing titles in 2013 and 2014, not to mention a podium finish in the LMP2 class at the 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours. Naturally, only professional racing car drivers can enjoy the A450, so Renault/Alpine got together with Sony's Polyphony Digital back in 2013 and started working on a virtual Alpine model to feature in the Gran Turismo franchise, as part of the now-famous Vision Gran Turismo line of [supercars.

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The result looks pretty fantastic, and Alpine made the very wise choice of also building a full-scale mock-up of the virtual car. Unfortunately, only a select group of Frenchmen got to see the scale model in the flesh on January 27, when it was presented at a Concept Cars exhibition in Paris. I do suspect that will not be the only place the car will be shown though. Until then, Gran Turismo 6 owners are probably dying to fire up their PlayStations and check out the virtual handling of this rather gorgeous concept car.

Click past the jump to read more about the Alpine GT6 Vision GT Sports Car.

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Exterior

While the front end certainly brings back some fond memories of the rear-engined Alpine A110, it is the rear that will probably polarize the most, especially with the "open zipper" effect when seen from above and the side air brakes with incorporated taillights. Not that pretty much every other design details isn't completely bonkers, though. At first glance and from certain angles, it looks like a modern variant of the Speed Racer Mach 5, if it had been designed by Daniel Simon.

Naturally, thinking that some of the features you see on the Alpine VGT may end up on next year's road-going model would be a bit of stretch, but those A110-reminiscent headlights are bound to end up in production. There are some obvious design cues from the LMP2 race car on the sides as well, but overall, the Alpine Vision Gran Turismo is clearly in a class of its own when it comes to its looks. I Dare say it is actually in my top-three best-looking Vision Gran Turismo cars to date. In the beginning, only three colors will be available in the game, two of which will be two-tone: white and blue, orange and blue, and matte black.

Interior

The off-center driving position is clearly borrowed from open-top endurance cars, while the positioning on the right-hand side is not to please fans from the UK; rather, this will allow the car to handle better on clockwise circuits, where most corners are obviously to the right. I'm not sure how that will influence handling on virtual tracks in Gran Turismo 6 though.

The bucket seat has visible stitching, and doesn't leave much room for much else, while the almost square steering wheel is accompanied by an instrument cluster inspired by jet fighters.

Drivetrain

Weighing just under 2,000 pounds, the Alpine Vision Gran Turismo is apparently powered by a naturally aspirated V-8 with a total displacement of 4.5 liters. With 450 horsepower and 428 pound-feet of torque at its disposal, the mill is paired with a seven-speed sequential transmission that is also derived from motorsport. This combination can catapult the lightweight racer to a top speed of 199 mph.

The chassis is a carbon-fiber monocoque, while the fully adjustable suspension consists of double wishbones and pushrods like in any other modern Le Mans prototype. A real-life version of the model would probably be a hoot to drive, considering the power-to-weight ratio. Speaking of which, the weight distribution is 47 percent on the front axle and 57 percent on the rear, which should make it rather compliant in the corners at full throttle.

Drivetrain Specifications

Competitors

Toyota FT-1 Vision GT Concept

To date, quite a large number of automakers have revealed Vision Gran Turismo Concepts of their own. More are expected to arrive, but from the models unveiled so far, two have arguably generated the most attention. One is the Toyota FT-1 Vision Gran Turismo Concept, which GT 6 players have been "driving" since 2014.

The virtual concept was actually inspired by the real-life FT-1 Concept that Toyota introduced at the 2014 New York International Auto Show, which tricked many fans into believing that a new Supra may be on the way. The FT-1 Vision GT Concept retained a bunch of the design characteristics of its real-life counterpart, including the dramatic hood scoops and louvers, and all the exposed carbon fiber, but sprinkled everything with a bit more "insanity." Despite that, it looks a bit mellower -- some would say classic -- than the Alpine model from some points of view.

Mercedes-Benz Vision GT Concept

The other Vision GT Concept that received a lot of attention was the first one to be unveiled back in 2013, soon after the sixth iteration of the Gran Turismo franchise hit stores around the world. From some perspectives, Mercedes-Benz set the bar extremely high for the rest of the Vision concepts that followed suit. Its otherworldly design still resonates with some, mainly thanks to the fact that it blended retro motifs with a futuristic look.

Its aggressive but also elegant design language was sprinkled with elements inspired by the 1952 300 SL race car, while the model’s interior featured enough gizmos and gadgets to make Formula One cars blush with envy. The Mercedes Vision GT Concept was powered by an AMG-sourced, V-8, twin-turbocharged engine that delivered a total of 585 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. Combining those numbers with the concept’s 3,053 pounds weight gave it a power-to-weight ratio of just 5.3 pounds per horsepower, more than enough to go as fast as it looks.

Conclusion

With the Alpine car brand celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2015, there was no better time to introduce the Vision Gran Turismo concept into the hearts and minds of PlayStation gamers around the world. Sure, it would have been nicer if the long-awaited, road-going Alpine had been unveiled this year, but sadly that will not happen.

Nevertheless, despite having been closed down since 1995, the sports car brand in Dieppe is still making a name for itself in endurance racing, while Renault has been using its famed headquarters to work on Formula 1 projects and limited-edition sports cars. Look for the Alpine to make a lot of fans when it hits PlayStations following an update sometime in March 2015, the Alpine Vision GT is not real, but nobody will complain about it.. Unfortunately, the car is not real, but I doubt anyone will be complaining.