More than ten years ago, the Vision Gran Turismo program kicked off a novel approach to the aesthetics and performance of cars in a video game. However, they've never been acclaimed for their vision of innovative nameplates – and the latest entry into the field won't change that perception.
The first VGT car was introduced in late 2013 by Mercedes-Benz, simply named Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo, and it started a rather unwelcome tradition where many automakers just added Vision Gran Turismo alongside their name for their concepts. Of course, some dared to perform a leap of faith and also came up with an original name along with the mandatory branding. Notable recent exceptions include the Italdesign Exeneo VGT, Genesis X Gran Berlinetta VGT, and Bvlgari Aluminum VGT concepts.
However, the latest entry into the field comes from Skoda – one of the most boring automakers in the world (alongside Audi, which, coincidence or not, is also a member of VW AG). Feel free to disagree with me because everyone is entitled to an opinion, but I bet few gamers will cherish this moment as a very important one in the history of Gran Turismo 7 and the Vision Gran Turismo program. Anyway, our duty is to chronicle, not to judge, so here's the all-new first-ever exclusive Skoda Vision Gran Turismo design concept for the ultra-popular video game series.
It is an all-electric single-seater designed exclusively for PlayStation's (4 and 5) Gran Turismo 7 racing simulation video game, of course, and its styling was inspired by the "legendary" 1957 Skoda 1100 OHC Spider as well as the company's current Modern Solid design language. This is a fully electric AWD racer and is equipped with four electric motors for a combined system output of 800 kW or 1,073 horsepower. Torque is also great – 1,020 Nm or 752 lb-ft of twist, while the battery pack has a capacity you could easily see in real life – just 87 kWh.
Back in 1957, the Skoda 1100 OHC Spider was developed to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, so at least the inspiration has some great pedigree. Besides that, the concept car has modern features like a split rear wing, T‑shaped headlights, AWD, or a matte Explorer Green body color. The latter is "emblematic of the Škoda Vision 7S concept car, which introduced the brand's new Modern Solid design language." However, suppose the gamers don't favor it. In that case, the Czech automaker offers the option to switch to another paint finish reminiscent of the famous Skoda 130 RS, which took a double class victory at the 1977 Monte Carlo Rally.
Inside the cockpit, the driver takes center stage and has a (virtually) adjustable sports bucket seat featuring a six-point Red Orange harness, a futuristic carbon fiber steering wheel, plus "a crystal stone serves as a power meter." Dimensionally, the concept vehicle is 4.41 meters (173.6 inches) long, almost 1.95 meters (76.77 in.) wide, and doesn't stand tall at all because of its height of just 94.9 centimeters (34.36 in.) – while the assembly, complete with batteries, weighs only 1,300 kilograms (2,866 pounds).
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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