Gran Turismo->ke3689 6 is a car enthusiast's dream. What GT6, or any Gran Turismo for that matter, offers is a chance to get as close as possible to the cars we love that we can't drive in the real world. This is especially true for concept cars. Most concept cars never make it to production, and when they do, they usually end up resembling so little of the concept that it turns out to be a disappointment. Concept cars always look so much better than production cars because the design team has no boundaries or regulations to follow. The FT-1 is no different, as it simply looks fantastic. It was next to the Mercedes-Benz->ke187 stand at the NYIAS ->ke226 and it stole most of the show-goers away from the German automaker's. So when GT6 and Toyota->ke88 announced that they would be making an FT-1 for the new game new game, with a 30 second teaser video, it obviously got all of us excited. It's called the FT-1 Vision GT Concept, and it looks spectacular with it's scoops, louvers and all that exposed carbon fiber. Let's hope it drives as well as it looks, digitally of course.

Updated 08/14/2014: Toyota unveiled the official details and images on the FT-1 Vision Gran Turismo Concept set to be offered for Gran Turismo 6 users from September. Details after the jump.

Click past the jump to read more about the Toyota FT-1 Vision GT Concept.

2014 Toyota FT-1 Vision GT Concept

Specifications
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  • Model: 2014 Toyota FT-1 Vision GT Concept
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Why It Matters

As everyone salivated, over the FT-1 Concept when it debuted, Toyota said that it would not be announcing any real specs of the car and the gearhead world sighed with disappointment. Designed by the Calty Design Research team in California, the only morsels of information Toyota would give were that it would be front-engine and rear-wheel drive. That's a good start but we want more.

Naturally, this got gearheads' imaginations running wild. "Will it be the next Supra->ke355?!" or "Is this going to be developed with BMW->ke178?!" So many questions with no answers. I like this, though, it gives enthusiasts the chance to dream up their favorite ideas of what the car should be, and that's part of the fun of being a car enthusiast. Dreaming about cars is what keeps most of us up at night staring at the ceiling, wishing we were driving a Ferrari 458 Italia->ke3479 through the Almalfi Coast...or is that just me?

But now that the Vision GT Concept is coming to GT6, we just might be able to get some info on this awesome-looking car. This car can go so many ways; it could be a naturally aspirated V-10 like the LFA,->ke2181 or a twin-turbo V-8, or even some twin-turbo V-6 hybrid system to compete with the BMW i8->ke4622. Personally, what I would like to see is a howling V-8 or V-10, similar to the LFA's mighty engine, paired with a fast-shifting, dual-clutch gearbox. Balance that with 50:50 weight distribution and RWD, and the FT-1 would crush it's competition.

We'll find out a lot more as soon as the car becomes available to GT6. When it does launch, I'm also curious to see the class of car Toyota puts it in, whether it's in the Porsche 911/BMW i8 class or if it's higher like the Ferrari 458/McLaren 650s->ke4801. My guess is the Porsche 911->ke282 class, being that it's supposedly going to be front-engine, which would make it difficult to compete with those mid-engine exotics. However, a screaming, front-mounted V-8 could keep it in competition with the 911.

However they decide to make it, and regardless of whether or not they release any specs of the upcoming car, I'm sure we can all agree that we are excited to see it in GT6. Even if you don't play the game, the mere existence of the FT-1 Vision GT makes the car more of a possibility and brings us closer to the Toyota car kitchen, where the car is being cooked up. This way we can get a whiff of whatever Toyota is cooking up, and hopefully we'll get a taste too.

Competition

Nissan Concept 2020 Vision GT

The Nissan 2020 Vision GT, designed by Nissan Design in Europe, is a developmental exercise featuring many new technologies and ideas Nissan has been toying with. Made specifically for Gran Turismo 6 the 2020 Vision GT features a hybrid 4WD system with a twin-turbo, V-6 engine and three electric motors. Two electric motors in the front powering each front wheel for instantaneous 4WD torque vectoring, and one electric motor working in tandem with the twin-turbo V6.

The design isn't just pretty either, it's functional. The rear wing deploys according to speed and at 186 mph it pushes 881 pounds of downforce on to the differential block. This pairs with with upsweeps in the front that run under the body and outward towards the rear to create downforce akin to that of a racing car. All of these technologies and ideas are designed in game but inspired by real developments. Technologies on this concept, like the hybrid 4WD system, could make it into future Nissan products, such as the GT-R.

Aston Martin DP-100 Vision GT

The "Design Prototype -100" is a mid-engine, twin-turbo, V-12 supercar, making 800-plus horsepower and designed in-house by Aston Martin. The DP-100 is a different kind of animal compared to the Nissan 2020. Whereas the Nissan is a techno-powerhouse, the DP-100 is classic Aston.

It's been designed by the same Design Director, Marek Reichman, who designed all of the latest AM greats: One-77->ke3246, Vanquish and Rapide. It comes as no surprise then that, just like the others, it's absolutely gorgeous. That low slung roofline, the windshield that seems to extend all the way to the rear glass to show the glorious V-12, and all of those aerodynamic bits make this a true Aston Martin.