Building a virtual supercar to appear in a video game is easy; it just involves a load of bits and bytes, right? Building a real world version of that virtual car: more complicated, but if it is only going to appear as a static display (á la Mercedes-Benz Vision GT) not as complicated as it might first seem. Building a real world version of a virtual supercar that will be driven, under its own power, onto stage in front of legions of your harshest critics is a whole different level of complicated, yet that is exactly what Volkswagen has done with the GTI Roadster Vision Gran Turismo. Set to be unveiled at the annual GTI meet at Wörthersee in Austria, the GTI Roadster is a 503hp, four-wheel drive, two-seat virtual car become reality. You hardly thought Volkswagen was going to let Audi, SEAT or Skoda grab all the attention at the event now did you?
What started out as a request from Gran Turismo creator, Kazunori Yamauchi, for Volkswagen to get involved with the Vision GT project of producing a unique car for play within GT6 has become real after extensive work from the design and engineering teams within Volkswagen. An in-house competition was launched with young Volkswagen designers asked to submit their ideas. The submissions were judged by Klaus Bischoff, Head of Design for the Volkswagen Brand, and Yamauchi-san (a GTI owner in his own right) himself.
Exterior
With the design team free to overlook such constraints as production and selling price they were able to get a little bit wild with the design of the GTI Roadster - think of all the doodling you used to do of your dream car and you might be along the right lines. Similarities between the Gran Turismo car and the Design Vision GTI (unveiled at Wörthersee last year) include the carried over independent C-pillars and side sills. The flared pillars feed air to the rear brakes in much the same way as the ducts on an F1 car do while also serving as a roll-over hoop should the worst happen.
The mention of motorsport is not a flippant one as Volkswagen envisages the GTI Roadster as a track car with the entire body wind tunnel tested to ensure optimum aerodynamic efficiency. Well to an extent; anything that rolls on custom built 20-inch alloy wheels is probably not going to be battling with Lotus Elises on a circuit, but the concept does roll on a significantly revised platform that is shorter than a regular GTI's yet with a much wider track. This, along with an overall height of under a metre and a half, gives the car a very squat look, yet one with an unmistakably GTI front end. A front end that would appear to have been force-fed steroids with vertical LEDs framing the traditional GTI honeycomb grille. That is offset by a carbon fibre splitter at the bottom and a vented bonnet up top.
Interior
For all the hype and drama promised by the exterior the inside seems remarkably reserved with all creature comforts and decorative elements omitted. Instead there are two race seats fitted to a carbon fibre monocoque, a fire extinguisher that can be reached by both driver and passenger - and not a lot else. The seats themselves are fitted very low down mimicking the seating position of a race car and are covered in Alcantara for extra grip. As too is the four-spoke steering wheel. The column of the steering wheel has been left exposed (as is the way in race cars) and fitted to a V-shaped wing where you would expect to find a dashboard.
Mechanicals
What would a race car inspired concept be without a great big lumping engine? And that is exactly what the GTI Roadster has - a bi-turbo 3.0-litre V6 unit to be exact churning out 503hp and 560Nm of torque. Mated to a seven-speed DSG transmission and Volkswagen's 4Motion four-wheel drive system, the GTI Roadster is said to be capable of hitting 100km/h in 3.6 seconds and has a top speed of 309km/h. With all that power it is a good thing the engineers fitted proper stoppers in the guise of ceramic brake discs measuring 380mm up front and 356mm out back.
Anything else?
Like the rest of the GT Vision cars the GTI Roadster was built to commemorate the 15th anniversary of Gran Turismo and come mid-June you will be able to drive the car yourself when the DLC becomes available on GT6 for Playstation 3. Meanwhile we'll be pestering Volkswagen for a go in the real thing...