BMW Vision Gran Turismo virtual racer is a 3.0CSL for the 21st century

By Stephen Edelstein Published May 14, 2014

Following the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept unveiled last fall, BMW has created its own virtual racer for Gran Turismo 6.

The BMW Vision Gran Turismo is the latest in a planned series of cars designed specifically for the game. Like the Mercedes, it leverages the fact that it will never turn a wheel in the real world on a provocative design.

The car takes styling cues from recent BMWs – particularly the M4 coupe – to the extreme. Massive front fenders emphasize its scowling face, and there’s all of the scoops, ducts, spoilers, and diffusers one would expect of a race car.

However, the best part may be the paint job, which is reminiscent of 1970s BMW touring cars like the 3.0CSL “Batmobile”. In a scientific twist, the tricolor striping actually traces the airflow around the car.

Power comes from a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, which produces 549 horsepower and is connected to a six-speed, paddle-shifted transmission.

Thanks to carbon-fiber bodywork, BMW says the Vision Gran Turismo weighs just 2,601 pounds, and it features a perfect 50:50 front-rear weight distribution. At least, in the game, it does.

After all, it’s only a virtual car. This racy BMW is the latest in a series of concept cars from different manufacturers planned to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Gran Turismo franchise.

So while you’ll never be able to physically get behind the wheel of one, you will be able to drive it. The BMW Vision Gran Turismo and the other cars will gradually be added to Gran Turismo 6 through online updates.

Stephen Edelstein

Former Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Topics

Cars

Plug-in hybrids are becoming more popular. Why? And will it continue?

Kia Niro EV Charging Port

There's a lot of talk about the idea that the growth in electric car sales has kind of slowed a little. It's not all that surprising -- EVs are still expensive, early adopters all have one by now, and they're still new enough to where there aren't too many ultra-affordable used EVs available. But plenty of people still want a greener vehicle, and that has given rise to an explosion in hybrid vehicle sales.

That's especially true of plug-in hybrid vehicles, which can be charged like an EV and driven in all-electric mode for short distances, and have a gas engine as a backup for longer distances or to be used in combination with electric mode for more efficient driving.

Cars

EV drivers are not going back to gas cars, global survey says

ev drivers are not going back to gas cars global survey says screenshot

Nearly all current owners of electric vehicles (EVs) are either satisfied or very satisfied with the experience, and 92% of them plan to buy another EV, according to a survey by the Global EV Drivers Alliance.

The survey of 23,000 EV drivers worldwide found that only 1% would return to a petrol or diesel car, while 4% would opt for a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) if they had to replace their car.

Cars

Trump team in sync with Tesla on ending crash-reporting requirements, report says

Beta of Tesla's FSD in a car.

The transition team of President-elect Donald Trump is planning to end existing car-crash reporting requirements to safety regulators, according to a Reuters report.

The report cites a document obtained by Reuters that lays out the transition team’s 100-day strategy for automotive policy. In the document, the team says the crash-reporting requirement leads to “excessive” data collection, Reuters says.