Jaguar has joined the Vision Gran Turismo fray with its all-electric Vision GT Coupe. The marque describes it as the ultimate expression of Jaguar DNA, takeing inspiration from the C- and D-Type racers of the 1950s.
This is anything but a straight-six Le Mans racer, though. It packs 1,020hp courtesy of three electric motors, delivered to all four wheels. It can get to 62mph in under two seconds, and top out at over 200mph.
Of course, all of this ripsnorting performance is only accessible via the Gran Turismo racing game. It will be available to download for use on Gran Turismo Sport on the Playstation 4 by the end of November.
Don’t think that electric powertrain jars with Jaguar’s racing history, however. The days of straight sixes and V12s are long behind the British marque. Today, it runs electric racers in Formula E and the I-Pace eTrophy. The Vision GT Coupe pulls from all corners of Jaguar history.
Designing the ultimate Jaguar for Gran Turismo
The beauty of the Vision Gran Turismo project is, of course, that certain restraints you might encounter in the real world as a car designer don’t exist. The limits are the imagination of the designers.
There are elements of many of Jaguar’s timeless classics. From fenders inspired by the C-type, to a cabin that calls back to the Lightweight E-type.
There are even elements taken from more stately cars from Jaguar’s past. The rear haunches are inspired by the 1968 XJ, but carry charging sockets. We see bits of XJ13, XJR15, and even the stillborn C-X75 supercar. Dare we say, a bit of next-gen F-Type?
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“This was the dream project for a car designer, creating a futuristic sports car for Gran Turismo means our designs and ideas could be truly limitless,” said Oliver Cattell-Ford, Exterior Designer, Jaguar Advanced Design.
“It has to excite future generations and most importantly, look and feel unmistakably Jaguar.”
“The team have done an incredible job in creating something which is clearly identifiable as a Jaguar, inspired – but not constrained – by our iconic past,” added Julian Thomson, Jaguar Design Director.
Inside the Jaguar Vision GT – meet ‘KITT-E’
KITT-E – we see what they did there. The AI system that’s featured in the Vision GT Coupe’s cabin isn’t just an excuse for a play on words. It’s designed to be an interface with the driver, for the hum-drum of what’s displayed, including vehicle data and maps.
It’s also supposed to ‘interface between the driver and machine to enhance the emotional connection with the car’. It joins other futuristic tech like hologram displays and augmented reality.
The cabin is familiar-futuristic. It carries on the wrap-around driver-focused feel that Jaguar sports cars from the C-type, all the way to the F-Type, have featured.
Power of an I-Pace, voice of a D-type
In spite of being powered by electrons, the Vision GT Coupe will sound like Jaguar legends of old. The team responsible for developing the sound of the I-Pace, have taken brand new recordings of the 1957 Le Mans podium-finisher. The sound of its straight-six is woven into the artificial futuristic sound.
“We are delighted to today announce the Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo project,” said Kazunori Yamauchi, Gran Turismo creator, President of Polyphony Digital Inc.
“It was a great experience for us to work with Julian Thomson who is the new design director now at Jaguar. The design and performance of this car is a result of the team’s skill, craftmanship, and long years of collaborations together. We look forward to having drivers get behind the wheel next month.”
