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McLaren has teamed up with Sony PlayStation 4 and the legendary Gran Turismo video game to create a digital supercar. It looks forward to a post-2030 vision of how the next generations of McLaren cars will look, and how they'll go...
Created for the forthcoming Gran Turismo Sport game, the McLaren Ultimate Vision Gran Turismo was created at the request of Kazunori Yamauchi, the almost-mythical man who created the Gran Turismo franchise in the first place. He wanted car makers to create 'visionary GT cars': futuristic but grounded in reality, that gamers could experience.
"I created the Vision Gran Turismo project to give car manufacturers the opportunity to design something that has all of the characteristics of their brand, and will live on as a playable vehicle in Gran Turismo" said Yamauchi. "Many of the cars have become legendary in their own right, continuing to shine for years and attracting players from different eras.
"For me, a car needs to be an extension of the driver; I am focused not just on the appearance, but on the handling, the sound of the engine, and the feeling you get when you are racing. So, it was an honour to work with McLaren to bring the Ultimate Vision Gran Turismo to life, and to put such a car on the circuits of Gran Turismo Sport for players to enjoy driving at the limit."
In a bit of a surprise twist, the 'driver' of the car doesn't just sit in the centre, but actually lies down on their front in a prone position to drive the car. That's either a nod to 1960s aircraft studies that showed pilots lying down were better able to cope with high G-forces, or just an admission that most people 'driving' this McLaren will do so lying on their beds.
Players will be able to choose from three liveries: Performance, Ulterior and Noir, and McLaren claims that thanks to the computer-modelled carbon-fibre structure, the Ultimate Vision has a notional kerb weight of just 1,100kg. As well as the fighter jet-style teardrop canopy, there's also fully-active aerodynamics, where the whole body is covered with tiny flaps that open and close to allow air in or out, depending on where and when the car needs downforce or to reduce drag. The carbon brake discs are mounted inboard, so as to reduce unsprung weight.
And the engine? It only exists in lines of digital code, but it's like McLaren's road cars as it's a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8, driving the rear wheels. There are also electric motors mounted in each individual wheel for torque vectoring and four-wheel hybrid drive. McLaren claims a virtual 1,150hp and 1,275Nm of torque. Phew.
"We wanted to break new ground and to innovate and the McLaren Ultimate Vision Gran Turismo does exactly that," said Rob Melville, Design Director, McLaren Automotive. "It puts the driver absolutely at the centre of the action, delivering a sensory overload with incredible sound and awe-inspiring acceleration.
"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.
"More than anything though, the McLaren Ultimate Vision Gran Turismo is a stunning looking car. The design form communicates exactly what the car's mission is and what its intentions are: it's the ultimate expression of the McLaren design pillars and principles we have already established, futured into the 2030s."
The game, and the McLaren, will be available to gamers from the 17th of October.