Porsche has, like so many others before it, created a one-off concept racing car for the Gran Turismo racing game of PlayStation fame.
Taycan-like styling
Designed alongside the gaming team at Polyphony Digital Inc, which makes the Gran Turismo game for Sony, the Vision Gran Turismo "features future-oriented versions of familiar Porsche design elements" according to Porsche. Basically, it looks like a Taycan that someone's lowered, chopped the wheelbase, turned it into a convertible, and then stuck some race stickers on. It's epic, and Porsche should just go ahead and build it right now.
"A vehicle designed purely for the virtual world opens up exciting possibilities for us that are otherwise heavily regimented in a regular design process for a series production car," says Michael Mauer, Vice President Style Porsche. "Projects such as the Porsche Vision Gran Turismo are particularly valuable for us in the creative process. Further developing our clearly defined Porsche Design DNA and exchanging with designers from other industries is an important part of our work."
Actually, there's a bit more than just Taycan styling in the Vision Gran Turismo. The full-width rear light bar is a nod to the 911 (and arguably a gentle indication of the all-electric future of that model) while the black line across the back of the roof canopy is reminiscent of the 911 Targa. Inside, the narrow driver's compartment, where the dashboard wraps almost completely around the seat, looks very like that of both the 918 Spyder and the Carrera GT. "We spent a long time considering the right material design consisting of carbon and titanium. The aim was to reduce weight while increasing performance," says Markus Auerbach, Head of Interior Design at Porsche. "In addition, sustainable aspects also play a role in forward-looking projects. For example, we only used entirely vegan materials in the concept car."
Engineering expertise
"The appeal of a Porsche comes from its purist design," says Kazunori Yamauchi, President, Polyphony Digital. "And in terms of engineering expertise, both we and Porsche follow the same perfectionist philosophy. We share the same passion for racing and are looking to the future of the car."
There's also Porsche-specific haptic feedback for the gaming controller so that those playing with the Porsche on Gran Turismo can have "fast and direct feedback which is reminiscent of a real racing car."
Serious business of gaming
It could be all just a bit of fun, but Porsche is also rather serious about breaking into the digital space for business reasons. After all, as cars become more and more digital in how they function, so business opportunities open up. "We can engage young and digital target groups in the place where their automotive dreams are born: the world of gaming," says Robert Ader, Vice President Marketing at Porsche AG. "The partnership with Polyphony Digital and 'Gran Turismo' is a perfect fit for Porsche, because motorsport - whether real or virtual - is part of our DNA." So the collaboration with Polyphony and Sony isn't just a way to make a video game more fun, it's also very much a strategic partnership for Porsche. "For this reason, the brand has been cooperating with various companies from the gaming industry for several years and these activities are now an integral part of the marketing mix. The overriding goal is to create a lasting brand experience" said a company spokesperson.