Mercedes AMG Vision Gran Turismo is ready for Gran Turismo 6
Sun, 17 Nov 2013
Mercedes-Benz just unveiled its latest supercar (which was teased yesterday), the AMG Vision Gran Turismo, but we'll never have the chance to see it on the road. That's because it's a virtual supercar that was designed for the world of Gran Turismo 6, the latest installment in Sony's premier racing game for the Playstation 3. However, it was made into a 1:1-scale model to celebrate the opening of Mercedes-Benz Research & Development Center in Sunnyvale, Calif. on Nov. 19, so the car isn't totally bound to the virtual world.
The AMG Vision GT has 577 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque courtesy of an AMG V8 mounted well behind the front axle for ideal weight distribution - a front-mid layout. The chassis is composed of an aluminum spaceframe with components in carbon fiber, which helps the big GT keep its weight down to 3,053 pounds.
The front-engine, rear-wheel-drive Mercedes features classic GT proportions with modern details, such as the LED radiator grille and a muscular body that looks stretched over the bulging fenders. Like the old 300 SL and the new AMG SLS, the Vision GT also has Gullwing doors. "The design of this concept car reflects to extreme effect the perfect symbiosis between emotional, sensuous contours and intelligently presented high tech," says Gorden Wagener, vice president of design at Daimler AG.
Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi asked the world's leading auto manufacturers to create future vehicle concepts for the game to mark the series' 15th birthday this year, and the AMG Vision GT, which you can read more about below, is Mercedes' entry. The concepts are designed around the theme "Vision Gran Turismo," and they'll gradually make their way into the game as drivable vehicles through a series of online updates.
But what we really want is a real AMG Vision GT to drive on real roads because it's just so damn sexy - please Mercedes!
Exquisite virtual reality: Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo
Stuttgart. For the new PlayStation® 3 racing game Gran Turismo® 6, the Mercedes-Benz designers have developed the visionary concept of a super sports car – the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo. Extreme proportions, sensual contours and intelligently implemented high tech blend to form a body that visually brings to life the breathtaking performance of 577 hp (430 kW) and 590 lb-ft of torque. As a 1:1-scale model, the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo is celebrating its world premiere on November 19, 2013 at the opening of the new Mercedes-Benz Research & Development Center in Sunnyvale, California. The super sports car with its hallmark Mercedes gullwing doors will be taking to the virtual racetrack when the new racing game goes on sale in December 2013 – as the first of the "Vision Gran Turismo" series of vehicles.
To mark the 15th birthday of the popular Gran Turismo® series this year, Kazunori Yamauchi, Producer of Gran Turismo series and President of Polyphony Digital Inc., called upon the world's leading automotive manufacturers and design studios to look forward into the future. Using the theme "Vision Gran Turismo", these creative teams were to develop concept models which give a unique insight into the further development of the automobile. As virtual vehicles that nonetheless function just like a real car, the visionary concepts will be gradually unveiled in and integrated into the new game Gran Turismo® 6 through online updates.
Extreme proportions and variable LED radiator grille
"By virtue of its proportions and expressive appearance, the Mercedes-Benz AMG
Vision Gran Turismo embodies the brand's defining design philosophy of
sensuous purity in a unique way. The design of this concept car reflects to
extreme effect the perfect symbiosis between emotional, sensuous contours and
intelligently presented high tech," says Gorden Wagener, Vice President Design
Daimler AG.
The sports car proportions that are a typical Mercedes feature have been
reinterpreted: the long hood has a flowing transition into a compact greenhouse
offset to the rear, which takes the form of an aerodynamically efficient water
drop to descend slightly at the rear, where it rests on the rear end with broad
shoulder contours. The dynamic aura is accentuated by an extended, dramatic
side contour and a pronounced bulge to the wheel arches, which blend into the
low-slung, muscular bodyshell. The angled headlights, with their color scheme
and determined look, convey a sense of sportiness and readiness to leap forward.
This impression is reinforced by the hood with its expressive forms and
motorsport details, such as the release catches on the hood and the fuel cap, for
example. The red-glowing contour lines on the lower part of the vehicle create an
effect similar to that of exterior ambient lighting and stand out from the silverpainted
bodywork. This makes the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo
look even more aggressive.
Another eye-catching feature is the radiator grille – a reinterpretation of the wide
Mercedes-Benz sports car grille with central star. Its shape is reminiscent of the
legendary 300SL racing car of 1952. However, instead of classic louvres the
grille of the show car features exclusively LEDs. The variable LED grille with
different light patterns is a further development of the diamond grille introduced
with the new CLA-Class.
Purist interior dedicated to speed
The exterior design, which is systematically and passionately geared to motor
racing, is congenially mirrored in the interior of the two-seater. Inspired by the
Formula 1 cockpit, the red integral sports seats blend into the black flooring of the footwell to form a protective shell. The form of this flowing, sculptured shell suggests enormous forward thrust. The dashboard also creates an equally dynamic effect. It has been designed in the form of two gullwing doors which are positioned on each side of the steering column. As a result the actual doors themselves appear to be an extension of the instrument panel.
The central display is optimally positioned in the driver's field of vision: it takes the form of a glass surface floating directly above the racing steering wheel with its shift paddles, and shows all the relevant information such as road speed, engine speed and operating temperature as required. Operation is by rocker switches in the center of the dashboard and in an overhead console, like in a jet. The steering column visibly penetrates the firewall to the engine compartment, creating a visual connection between the driver and the heart of this super sports car, the AMG V8 front-mid engine.
Intelligent lightweight construction and authentic racing car sound
The AMG V8 biturbo engine delivers an exceptionally agile response to even the smallest movements of the accelerator. It develops 577 hp (430 kW) and a maximum torque of 590 lb-ft. With an aluminium spaceframe body and components in carbon fiber, the material of choice in motor racing, the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo tips the scales at only 3053 pounds. That amounts to around 5.2 lbs per hp – an unrivalled figure in the super sports car segment, and one that guarantees exceptionally dynamic performance. Excellent deceleration values and fade resistance at the highest level are ensured by the AMG ceramic high-performance composite braking system. The AMG sports exhaust system with eight tailpipes integrated into the rear end provides a powerful accompaniment whenever the car accelerates, and ensures an unrivalled motorsports sound experience. For fans of Gran Turismo® 6, the Mercedes-AMG sound specialists have created a powerful, sonorous exhaust note that authentically celebrates the V8's love of high engine speeds.
By Damon Lowney