Doesn’t seem so long ago that having any kind of Ferrari in Gran Turismo seemed far-fetched. Now, at last, as well as having road and race cars in the GT franchise, there’s a Vision Gran Turismo creation. Better late than never at all - the first Vision Gran Turismo, from Mercedes-AMG, was launched for Gran Turismo 6 almost a decade ago. Perhaps it was Lamborghini and Porsche releasing VGT cars for GT7 that finally twisted Ferrari’s arm…
Whatever, it’s great to see another wild concept for the game, especially one with the Prancing Horse on its flanks. Hopefully Scuderia shields aren’t an optional extra in the game as well. Interestingly, and not like every Vision car out there, the Ferrari does have a link to a production car, as it’s powered by the 296’s wonderful 120-degree V6. In fact, it's related to the wonderful 3.0-litre unit that will power the 499P racer. Only without race rules or road regulations to adhere to, the Gran Turismo car has been unleashed, with 1,030hp developed at 9,000rpm. Which bodes well for some kind of 296 Pista in time. In addition to the V6, as in every previous installation, there’s electrical assistance; the VGT gets an extra 326hp from three electric motors, one on the rear axle and one on each front wheel. Ferrari says that ‘peerless performance’ is the result, with 811lb ft alongside all that power as well as the ‘unrivalled cornering agility and handling balance that Ferrari’s road and racing have long been renowned for. Which does sound pretty entertaining. Ferrari’s press release adds that GT7 representation is ‘designed to faithfully replicate Ferrari’s in car driving thrills, conveying an accurate feeling of the limits achievable and enhancing the car’s performance.’
This may be a virtual car, but it’s also a Ferrari, and therefore no detail has been ignored in the pursuit of performance. The stunning design, while paying homage to the classic sportscar racers of the 60s and 70s, has also been inspired by the new 499P. Both rear diffuser and wing are heavily influenced by the latest Le Mans Hypercar. At the front, an S Duct and wheelarch vents are familiar from road car installations. Ferrari say the design of this car ‘was conceived around the idea of a speed form with very geometric, sharp, angular lines that nevertheless underlie a very organic shape.’ Even by VGT standards this is a jaw dropping bit of design, as futuristic and ambitious as we’ve come to expect from these vehicles but with just enough cues to its identity as well. It’s easy to imagine a Ferrari racer of the 2030s resembling this car.
Under the canopy and inside the Ferrari Vision Gran Turismo, the driver sits centrally. Naturally, there’s plenty of red in there, and a feast of information for the driver straight ahead, albeit this time incorporated into the steering wheel. With the buttons and rotary wheels organised so neatly and logically, the VGT interior again feels like a feature that could have real world applicability and doesn’t just represent a gaming flight of fancy.
The announcement of the Vision Gran Turismo ends Ferrari’s celebratory year, 2022 marking 75 years since its first racing car - the 125 S - left the factory gates. Having been unveiled at the Gran Turismo World Finals, the Ferrari will be available to all GT7 users from December 23rd. There’ll be a real thing, too, a full-size design study of the Vision Gran Turismo to be on public view at the Ferrari Museum from that day until March 2023. In case there was any doubt as to just how seriously Ferrari is taking Vision Gran Turismo. And if there was any further excuse required to make a Maranello pilgrimage early in the new year…
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