The Italian manufacturer has joined other car makers in preparing a bespoke concept machine for the Gran Turismo franchise, and it will be made available to play later this month.
The striking design includes a canopy, which opens to home a single driver who will sit in a reclined position.
It utilises in-game aerodynamic features seen elsewhere in the Ferrari line-up but turned up to extremes. The front features an S-duct, there are wheel arch air outlets and a flat floor made from carbon fibre.
Steering is in theory steer-by-wire, but, like a simulator, Ferrari will use haptic force feedback through the wheel. That makes it a video game car inspired by video game technology
Ferrari’s Design Director, Flavio Manzoni told Motorsport.com’s sister site Traxion.GG: “The Ferrari Vision Gran Turismo features a new [design] language that we will showcase for future years. You will want to caress it.
“[It was a] very long design process that started with several 3D models. But finally, we converge on the final solution that we believe to represent exactly what we meant
“The representation of the new futuristic design, this is the poetry of Ferrari.”
The rear end is derived from the recently introduced 499P, particularly the wing and diffuser. Ferrari has developed the VGT with vented wheel arches and a newly patented aerodynamic technique with two side channels routing front airflow around the cockpit and over the side pods.
Power is provided by the same twin-turbo 3.0-litre engine powering the 296 GTB / GTS as well as the GT3 and 499P race cars. By not having to comply with any regulations, the engineers were given complete freedom to take the 120-degree V6 to new heights.
It produces an impressive 1030 bhp at a screaming 9,000 rpm and 900 Newton metres (664 pound-feet) of torque at 5,500 rpm.
Linked to an eight-speed, dual-clutch gearbox borrowed from Formula 1, the ICE is accompanied by three electric motors, one mounted at the back and the other two powering the front wheels.
The hybrid part of the powertrain is good for another 326 bhp (240 kW) in a concept that has a combined torque at the rear alone of 1,100 Nm (809 lb-ft).
Despite its intricate powertrain, the Ferrari VGT is only slightly heavier than a Mazda MX-5, with a dry weight of just 1,250 kilograms (2,756 pounds) distributed 43.5 percent front / 56.5 percent rear.
Ferrari calculates its Vision Gran Turismo does 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in under two seconds and 0 to 124 mph (200 km/h) in under five seconds. Flat out, the race car created specifically for GT7 can reach over 217 mph (350 km/h). The fabled Italian brand has even released a hypothetical lap time around its Fiorano track of under 1 minute and 10 seconds.
A full-scale model of the car will be housed at Ferrari’s museum in Maranello.
Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi said: “It’s been several years since I went to Maranello to talk about this project. It’s really a dream come true.”
