Škoda cars can be found not only on ordinary roads or on rally stages, but also in the world of virtual games. Computer racing enthusiasts have already had the chance to try out rally specials, but now a new opportunity is coming. The Vision Gran Turismo concept opens the door to the world of the popular Gran Turismo game series for PlayStation consoles.
In the world of esports, Škoda has traditionally appeared in rally-themed games. Players could test their speed with rally cars compared to professional drivers, for example, in the DiRT Rally 2.0 game, and currently Škoda Motorsport supports the EA Sports WRC competition as part of its own Škoda Motorsport eChallenge (https://racenet.com/ea_sports_wrc/clubs/4273).
Players can now also get behind the wheel of a Škoda car in Gran Turismo 7 on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. On Wednesday, April 24th, the carmaker unveiled the Vision Gran Turismo, a virtual concept electric car.
The premiere was as spectacular as when a car manufacturer presents its real production or racing cars. Kazunori Yamauchi, head of Polyphony Digital and author of the Gran Turismo series, was also among the distinguished guests. "I want to congratulate Škoda on a great car. I am happy that we have established cooperation. Škoda has one of the richest histories in the automotive world, and I've long wanted Gran Turismo players to be able to get to know and experience it," he said at the premiere.
Past and future
The inspiration for the virtual racing special was the beautiful Škoda 1100 OHC from 1957, which unfortunately never lived to see a racing career. However, the Vision Gran Turismo combines classic morphology with the brand's current Modern Solid design language and cutting-edge technology. As Gran Turismo 7 is a game that prides itself on a faithful simulation of racing, the car in the game describes several technical parameters that directly affect its behaviour on the track.
In this way, the designers designed the car not only to look good, but also to perform well. That's why the Vision Gran Turismo is an unusually lightweight electric car, with a carbon fibre construction helping to achieve a weight of 1,300 kilograms, among other things. The car received a racing push-rod suspension, active aerodynamics in the form of an aerodynamic brake and other functional details. The drive is provided by four electric motors, one in each wheel. Their total power is 800 kW.
"The car looks fast, and it indeed is very fast. I think I could beat WRC cars on smooth asphalt with it. It's great to handle, you just need to tame the huge power a bit," says Czech rally driver Erik Cais, who has a lot of experience with Škoda racing cars.
And it is certain that he will now be able to collect them more intensively in the virtual world. As the carmaker itself suggests, and as the author of the Yamauchi game series has also stated, the Škoda Vision Gran Turismo is just the first step of Czech cars in this game series. So, in the future, other cars will follow this concept. Which ones? We'll keep that to ourselves for now, but it's certain that Eric will like them.
