“Cor, I’d like to take that for a spin.” It's what most of us think when looking at concept cars, but the chances of that ever happening are usually less than slim. The Nissan Concept 2020 Vision Gran Turismo is an exception to the rule – at least, it's a virtual exception. That’s because next month, the just revealed supercar concept becomes available for download for Polyphony Digital’s Gran Turismo 6 video game for the Playstation console.
For those of us of a certain age, concept cars are things that are rolled out at car shows with great fanfare, grace the pages of glossy magazines like the petrolhead’s equivalent of a pin-up, or get leaked on the internet to the consternation of the car maker’s marketing department. These days, thanks to improved graphics and more sophisticated algorithms, video games have been added to the list of venues where designer fantasies get an airing before (perhaps) becoming realities.
Nissan isn't the first car company to go this route, but that doesn;t mean the company isn't taking the unveiling of the Concept 2020 Vision GT seriously. The avatar vehicle was created by Nissan Design Europe in London, in close cooperation with the makers of the video game, as well as an advanced engineering team at Nissan Technical Centre in Japan. According to Nissan, the designers were let off the leash to create their idea of the Nissan supercar of the future.
The result is a car with lines so aggressive they look they’re bullying the pixels. There are definite echoes of the Nissan GT-R, but there’s also a heavy dollop of American muscle cars of the 1970s, and it’s all wrapped up in bodywork that’s very heavy on the aerodynamics. The front is dominated by massive air scoops feeding into lines that flow straight to a spoiler that speaks of a lot of downforce. Overall, it’s a design that hints of a lot of power and some interesting track days.
How all of this will translates into real-world performance remains to be seen, but Nissan says that Gran Turismo 6 players will at least be able to put the Concept 2020 Vision GT through its digital paces on a virtual track.
The video below gives a glimpse of the Nissan Concept 2020 Vision Gran Turismo in virtual action.
Source: Nissan
