McLaren

McLaren

McLaren

McLaren

McLaren

Way back in the mists of time—OK, it was 2013—Polyphony Digital's Kazunori Yamauchi challenged the automotive world to think outside the box for Gran Turismo 6. Kaz wanted some unique concept cars for the game, and a bunch of car companies (as well as a few design studios and even Nike) signed on to the project, called Vision GT.

I must confess, I thought the idea dead and buried what with GT6 being four years old and yesterday's news. The Vision GT website hasn't been updated since 2015, and there are plenty of placeholders for concepts that never materialized (including one from Tesla that I'd love to see). But it seems the project is still alive, and in the lead-up to the next installment of the franchise—allegedly due this October—McLaren has created the Ultimate Vision Gran Turismo.

The design brief from Kaz to the car companies was to design "visionary GT cars" of the future, and that's certainly what McLaren has delivered. Looking nothing like anything in McLaren's current line-up, the McLaren Ultimate Vision Gran Turismo is powered by a 4.0L twin-turbo V8—these presumably haven't been banned in 2030—combined with electric motors for the front wheels. It should be pretty fast, what with 1,134hp (845kW) and 940ft-lbs (1275Nm), plus a (virtual) curb weight of just 2,204lbs (1,000kg).

McLaren says the car uses an advanced active aerodynamic technology that involves lots of little apertures on the body, which open or close during cornering to create downforce and drag. McLaren design boss Rob Melville says the car should feel pretty special in the game, thanks to the car's seating position: "From the game player’s point of view, the driving experience in this car will be like nothing else: the amazing glass cockpit and the motorcycle-like driving position—with your head far forward, almost right above the front axle—combine to allow you to see exactly where the apex of the corner is so you can shave vital milliseconds off each lap."

Some of the other concepts in the series, like Bugatti's Vision Gran Turismo and Lexus' LF-LC GT "Vision Gran Turismo," were very thinly disguised digital versions of real cars actually in the pipeline. Others, like those from Hyundai, Dodge, and Chevrolet, were complete flights of fancy, although physical models have shown up at auto shows.

Whether McLaren will whip up a real Ultimate Vision Gran Turismo show car remains to be seen, but you should be able to try the virtual version when Gran Turismo Sport comes out for the PS4 next month. Assuming it's not horrendously delayed like every previous installment...

Listing image by McLaren