► Wild Ferrari Vision Gran Turismo unveiled
► Virtual concept car for video game franchise
► Available to race in GT7 from 23 December
The newly unveiled Ferrari Vision Gran Turismo concept car is proof that it was only a matter of time before Maranello jumped onboard the video game bandwagon – embracing sim culture to launch the Prancing Horse to the joystick generation.
It’s a bespoke virtual Ferrari available to race in popular driving game GT7 from 23 December 2022. Other car brands have already designed virtual super- and hypercars for the franchise and now the Prancing Horse has thrown its hat in the ring, too.
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Why? Because in this digital age there is perhaps no better way of influencing a generation of gamers – of positing your physical brand deep in the digital world. Gran Turismo was launched in 1997 by gaming great Kazunori Yamauchi and has established itself as a favourite of petrolheads around the world.
One of the first: Mercedes AMG Vision Gran Turismo back in 2013
Ferrari Vision Gran Turismo: the lowdown
This is a sleek single-seater that has all the hallmarks of a prototype racer. It’s petrol-electric, mixing a highly tuned V6 from the recently-launched Ferrari 499P with three electric motors (one on the rear axle and two up front).
Take the spec sheet with a pinch of salt (it’s all pie-in-the-sky virtual reality), but it’s a mouthwatering specification nonetheless:
- Engine: 3.0-litre 120deg V6, twin turbos
- Power: 1016bhp @ 9000rpm
- Torque: 664lb ft @5500rpm
- Hybrid boost: 322bhp extra from electric motors
- Drivetrain: All-wheel drive, eight-speed dual-clutch F1 gearbox
- Kerbweight: 1250kg (dry)
- 0-62mph: Less than 2.0sec
- 0-124mph: Less than 5.0sec
- Top speed: More than 217mph
It’s not all made-up dreamscapes, Maranello vows. The Ferrari Vision Gran Turismo ‘not only signifies an important step for Ferrari in the virtual environment, where it will inspire new generations of passionate drivers and enthusiasts, but also redefines the company’s stylistic language,’ the company says. ‘It represents a futuristic design manifesto for Ferrari’s road and racing cars, embodying the maximum expression of formal beauty and innovation, and providing a stimulus for both the engineers and drivers (real and virtual) of tomorrow.’
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Bringing Ferrari’s 75th anniversary to a conclusion
The Ferrari Vision Gran Turismo’s launch at the end of 2022 brings to a close a year of celebrating Ferrari’s 75th anniversary, three quarters of a century after the 125 S racing car rolled out of the factory in 1947. Hence the 75 racing number on its flanks.
The sim racer was designed at Ferrari Centro Stile by design chief Flavio Manzoni’s team and takes inspiration from the company’s 1960s and 70s sports prototypes at Le Mans and Daytona. Consider the 330 P3 and 512 S, remix them with a dose of twenty-first century aero and stir in some digital delight.
Although the Ferrari Vision Gran Turismo is a virtual racing blueprint, you can see the full-scale design model at the Ferrari Museum in Maranello from 15 December 2022 to March 2023.
Browse our reviews of real Ferraris here