Ferrari creates its first model for Gran Turismo video game
In a first for the Italian brand, Ferrari has introduced a concept car created specifically for the virtual motorsport world. The closed-wheel, single-seater concept known as the Ferrari Vision Gran Turismo was shown at the Gran Turismo World Finals in Monte Carlo.
The number 75 on its flanks and front marks the 75th anniversary celebrations of the marque’s first-ever racing car, the 125 S. The concept also represents a futuristic design direction for Ferrari’s road and racing cars, embodying the usual expressions of formal beauty and innovation.
It’s the work of the Ferrari Centro Stile under the direction of Flavio Manzoni, and takes its inspiration directly from the 1960s and 1970s 330 P3 and 512 S Ferrari Sports Prototypes, which competed in endurance races such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The Ferrari Vision Gran Turismo is powered by the same 3.0l turbo V6 architecture adopted on the 296 GTB, 296 GTS and 296 GT3. This motor also drives the firm’s new Ferrari 499P Le Mans Hyper car.
Because there were no technical regulation constraints to comply with, it was further honed to unleash 758kW at 9000rpm, with an additional 240kW available from three electric motors positioned on the rear axle, and one on each of the front wheels.
It uses an eight-speed F1 dual-clutch gearbox.
Some 1,100Nm of rear torque is produced from the combined ICE and MGU-K unit with electric boost and energy recovery developed in Formula 1. Acceleration from 0-100kmh is in 2.0 seconds and 5.0 seconds from standstill to 200km/h. Top speed is 350km/h.
Constantly balancing the state of charge of the battery allows the driver to make full use of the combined power available from the ICE and electric motors, so that maximum performance is available both during qualifying laps as well as over consecutive racing laps.
Ferrari worked with Gran Turismo to give the digital fighter an exhilarating engine sound to offer SIM racers an even more realistic racing experience. The car with a digital dry weight of 1,250kg and with a 43.5% front/56.5% weight distribution split is given suspension and cutting-edge electronic vehicle controls to faithfully replicate Ferrari’s in-car driving thrills, grip and agility.
The interior dashboard lines are clean and spare and, just like the see-through engine cover framing the hybrid V6 power train, incorporates transparent materials to reveal the mechanical components of the modern steering wheel.
The Ferrari Vision Gran Turismo will be available to all users of GT7 from December 23. On December 15 a full-scale design study will make its first public appearance at the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, where it will be displayed alongside the current exhibition dedicated to the marque’s exclusive one-off models until March 2023.