Bugatti has transformed a virtual project into tangible reality. The virtual concept Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo, which it developed in cooperation with Polyphony Digital Inc., creator of the Gran Turismo video game franchise, as a real show car. The design of the virtual race car is celebrating Bugatti’s racing history and is based on state-of-the-art motor sport technology. The project is the brand’s tribute to its great racing tradition of the 1920s and 1930s and its victories in Le Mans 24-hour races.
“The Bugatti design team normally works only for the exclusive and very distinguished circle of the brand’s customers. Now Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo has given us the opportunity, for the first time, to do something special for our fans as well,” explained Achim Anscheidt, the head of Bugatti Design. “When the target group suddenly grows from 450 Veyron owners to several million fans, gamers and high performance aficionados, it is a very exciting matter. We had a lot of fun with this project.”
Bugatti design team
The designers drew their inspiration from the brand’s successful racing tradition. Bugatti enjoyed great success in racing in the 1920s and 1930s. The historical theme for the design of the Vision Gran Turismo virtual modern race car was, in particular, the Bugatti Type 57 Tank and its victories in the 24-hour Le Mans race in 1937 and 1939.
Consequently, the Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo makes its appearance in the classic blue two-tone finish of the Type 57 G Tank, the winning car in 1937, simultaneously evoking the colors of the historical French race cars of that period. Since then, blue has also been Bugatti’s brand color.
The designers have unmistakably transferred the most important characteristics of Bugatti’s design DNA into the styling of the virtual race car.
“We are taking Bugatti back to its roots,” Anscheidt added. The Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo’s expressive form language is dominated by large convex surfaces in contrast to concave transitions and strong lines. This lends the vehicle styling precision and surface tensions of the highest quality.
“In the Bugatti Veyron, we have developed a super sports car which unites two characteristics, the beauty and the beast,” explained Anscheidt. “The Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo embodies the performance beast. It has a more radical and extreme style. This is a thorough-bred Bugatti for the virtual race track, not for the street.”
An interesting detail on the roof is the NACA air intake, which, with its contrasting light blue finish, not only has a strikingly beautiful shape but also makes a crucial contribution to the control of the aerodynamic conditions on top of and at the rear of the car without compromising the effectiveness of the impressive rear wing.
Digital design rendering of the Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo: Top view showing the NACA air inlet which is both an essential aerodynamic element and iconic feature of the virtual Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo concept.
“We wanted to develop a virtual race car for our fans which is a genuine Bugatti down to the last detail and radiates the unrestricted values of the brand,” the designers said. “We hope that the gamers will have just as much fun racing the car as we did in developing it.”
The Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo show car will be on display at the Frankfurt Motor Show 9.17-9.27.