If you’re anything like our resident virtual hot shoe Ciprian Florea, you should know all about the Gran Turismo 6 Vision project. But for those of you drawing a blank right now, I’ll be happy to inform you. Dreamed up by GT game designer and pro race car driver Kazunori Yamauchi, Vision is an open proposal laid at the door of every major auto manufacturer. Essentially, it’s an invitation for designers to invent their idea of a two-door sports car->ke506 for the friggin laser->ke3689 game world. The project has spawned some truly incredible creations, like the Toyota FT-1, Subaru Viziv, and Chevrolet Chaparral 2X (which, as Ciprian likes to point out, is powered by a Click past the jump to read more about the Infiniti Vision GT Supercar Concept.). Now, Infiniti->ke36 is jumping into the fun with its own supercar->ke177 concept.
Drawing inspiration from Formula 1 and design cues found in Infiniti’s road cars, the supercar concept you see here was plucked from the minds of the company’s design team in Beijing. “Part beauty, part beast, its shape is powerful, sensational and audacious -- a mix of a track machine and the dream of our Chinese design team to create an ambitious racing language for Infiniti,” says the automaker in a press release. We agree, and would like to add that it looks totally sweet, as well.
Although the concept saw major aesthetic massaging, it also proved to be an extensive technical exercise, with real attention paid to the actual performance capabilities that a real-world version could possess. Details on these specs are available after the jump.
Update 05/19/2016: It's been a long time coming, but the Infiniti Vision GT Supercar Concept has hit virtual showrooms and is now ready to be downloaded for Gran Turismo 6 on Playstation 3. Let's race!
Click past the jump to read more about the Infiniti Vision GT Supercar Concept.
2015 Infiniti Vision GT Supercar Concept
- Make: Array
- Model: 2015 Infiniti Vision GT Supercar Concept
- Engine/Motor: V8
- [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Exterior
One look at the front end on this thing, and you know it’s an Infiniti. It’s like a Q50 hit the sheets with a hammerhead shark, then put the progeny through 10 years of race school. As we all know, a concept is supposed to look good. However, despite the virtual nature of its availability, Infiniti actually took it upon itself to pour technical analysis and number crunching into the concept, calculating stuff like aerodynamics: “the under-floor airflow control, front and back diffusers, and uniquely shaped rear spoiler enables this car to demonstrate high performance without compromising the impact of the body design.” It’s sleek, stylish, and functional, which makes for one helluva combo.
Interior
This car features the most customized, luxurious interior that your rent check can buy. We’re imagining ample seating, lots of headroom, plenty of lighting, oodles of storage, solid plumbing, and a kitchen. That’s because the interior is basically wherever you happen to be playing Gran Tursimo 6. As for details in-game; use your imagination. We’re thinking bucket seats, six-point harnesses, and acres of carbon.
Drivetrain
In addition to technical development for the aero, Infiniti put numbers to the engine and suspension as well. The Vision concept uses a naturally aspirated, 4.5-liter, V-8 engine paired with an electric motor to create a front mid-ship/trans-axle powertrain, with every ounce of juice sent directly to the rear wheels. The electric motor is great for torque at low speeds, while the V-8 practically revs forever. Weight distribution is designed 45:55 front to back, which “fills users with the joy of driving by actively drifting the rear.” As for the handling characteristics, Infiniti put several “young engineers with great driving skills” to task completing countless virtual test laps while refining the on-track behavior of the Vision concept. Sounds like a good day at the office.
Competitors
Read our full review on the Subaru Viziv here.1
Hard angles and incredibly aggressive aero are the hallmark traits of this super Subaru. Under all those carbon-fiber lines is the traditional 2.0-liter, flat-four, turbo powerplant, which has been beefed up with two electric motors. That’s good enough for 591 horsepower and 593 pound-feet of torque, which makes the 3,042-pound curb weight simply fly around the track. Using torque-vectoring technology, the output of each of the three engines is controlled independently, which should make this hybrid’s handling simply phenomenal.
Read our full review on the Chevrolet Chaparral 2X here.
Chevrolet Chaparral 2X
Definitely the most outrageous car of the group, the Chaparral is a wearable racer that can propel itself to 60 mph in 1.5 seconds, with a top speed of 240 mph. The drivetrain making such numbers possible is a 671-kW laser beam that creates a 900 horsepower shockwave, which somehow forces the wheels to turn. Apparently, it’s real technology, but don’t ask us how it works. The body is all composites, with fenders that encapsulate each wheel for reduced drag, and a split nose that produces downforce and cools whatever it is a laser-powered race car needs to keep cool (probably the laser?). The lack of wings mean this thing slips through the air like a banana peel over ice. When it comes to imagination, Chevy certainly gets top marks from us.
Read our full review on the Chevrolet Chaparral 2X here.
Conclusion
Infiniti says it has a desire to make this concept a reality. However, it remains to be seen exactly how serious it is about such a claim. Overall, though, we think the Visions program is fantastic. It engages automakers to dream big, and gives us gamers a chance to try out the epitome of each company’s vision, without the nuisance of government regulations, accountants, track fees, or any of the other drawbacks of the real world. The more time that carmakers spend in the clouds, the better it is for all of us, because maybe, just maybe, they’ll end up making one of those dreams come true.