Suzuki has whipped the digital covers from its Vision Gran Turismo concept, though you’ll need a PlayStation to get behind the wheel of this sleek roadster.
With considerable experience in producing cars and motorbikes, Suzuki aims to blend both with its new Suzuki Vision Gran Turismo Concept – a digital car you can drive in popular racing game Gran Turismo 7.
The digital concept takes the form of a roof-less roadster, much like the million-dollar Ferrari Monza SP2 and Aston Martin Speedster production cars.
But whereas those cars fit gargantuan V12 engines under their elongated bonnets, the Suzuki Vision GT Concept uses the comparatively-miniscule 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine from the Suzuki Hayabusa superbike.
This theoretical power is bolstered by a trio of electric motors – one at the rear and two up front – for combined outputs of 318kW and 610Nm. You can bet the Hayabusa engine will scream toward its 11,000rpm rev limit, with a full-noise experience facilitated by the open-air cabin.
Elements of the current Suzuki Swift Sport hot hatch are seen in the Vision GT Concept’s front fascia, most notably through the gaping grille, angular headlights and lower intakes. The large-diameter wheels also borrow design cues from the pint-sized hot hatch sold in Australia.
Designers of the virtual roadster also said they were inspired by the Suzuki Cappucino convertible of the 1990s, though little resemblance is observed aside from the body style.
Suzuki claims lightweight racing components have been used to keep the Vision GT Concept’s weight to a lithe 970kg – though in the digital world, there’s nothing stopping Suzuki reducing the car’s weight with a single line of code.
“Inside” the cabin Suzuki adopted a minimalist approach with a simple centre console and uncluttered dash. Integrated alongside a yoke-style steering wheel is a pair of digital side mirrors, while a see-through graphic display is positioned atop the steering wheel to show pertinent drive information.
The Suzuki Vision GT Concept isn’t the first time the Japanese car maker has put the Hayabusa engine inside a sports car. Suzuki built the 2001 GSX-R/4 Concept as a technology showcase, and it too featured in Gran Turismo as a driveable car.
Sadly, that car was destined to remain a prototype, much like this digital roadster 20 years later.
The Suzuki Vision Gran Turismo Concept is now available to drive in Gran Turismo 7.
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