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Gran Turismo 7

The Vision Gran Turismo (Vision GT) project began 9 years ago when Polyphony Digital, the Japanese videogame developer famous for its Gran Turismo series, invited carmakers to design cars with no limits on technical specifications. The designers jumped at the opportunity and created some amazing cars which were close to fantasies and very futuristic. These cars were incorporated in the virtual world of Gran Turismo 6, which later became Gran Turismo Sport.

Since 2013, many carmakers have provided their designs and gamers around the world have chosen their favourite models to use in races. Jaguar has been among the participating companies, with two cars submitted – the original Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo Coupe and the extreme Vision Gran Turismo SV endurance racer.

Third Vision GT model
The British carmaker has now added its third all-electric virtual gaming sportscar – the Vision Gran Turismo Roadster. This is an all-electric single-seater which combines the race-proven powertrain from the Coupe with a taut, sculpted form inspired by the iconic, timeless Jaguar D-type.

The flowing surfaces, dramatic lines and perfect proportions of the first two Jaguar Gran Turismo Vision cars are instantly recognisable but, in place of a deployable canopy, the Roadster has a swept-back aero screen directly in front of the driver.

Behind, there’s a modern interpretation of the fin synonymous of the 3-time Le Mans-winning D-type, aerodynamically-optimised using the latest computational fluid dynamics tools to be deployable at speed for enhanced stability with minimal drag.

2022 Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo Roadster

The fin also features one of the beautiful details to be found throughout the Roadster, the form of a Union Jack etched – using the Jaguar monogram pattern – into the fin itself, and subtly illuminated by LEDs. The theme continues with the hand-crafted leather straps on the front fenders and iconic roundel lights in the front grille.

Open-cockpit racing experience
The dramatic, driver-focused interior combines lightweight, luxurious materials and finishes with stunningly intricate details. Looking out onto the gracefully long bonnet with the unmatched all-round visibility inherent to open-cockpit racers, gamers will be fully immersed in the action.

2022 Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo Roadster

The Roadster’s light, stiff monocoque body is expertly and meticulously crafted from carbon-fibre composites and advanced aluminium alloys. A state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery pack is packaged as low down in the structure as possible, contributing to the low centre of gravity, low roll centre and near 50:50 weight distribution that are fundamental to the car’s outstanding driving dynamics.

3 motors, 1,020 ps/1,200 Nm
The Roadster is designed to bring gamers the pure, visceral driving experience of an open-cockpit Jaguar sportscar. It is powered by 3 electric motors generating a total power output of more than 1,020 ps and instant, maximum torque of 1,200 Nm. Power from the battery is fed to the light, powerful and compact motors, developed using learnings from Jaguar Racing’s Formula E experience. Acceleration from 0 – 60 mph (96 km/h) is said to be under 2 seconds and a maximum speed in excess of 320 km/h is possible.

2022 Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo Roadster

“As a car designer, being part of the team that has delivered three virtual cars for the Gran Turismo series has been a dream project. Since the reveal of the Vision GT Coupe in 2019 and Vision GT SV in 2020, we wanted to curate the perfect way to present the full line-up of the three cars together when we revealed the Roadster,” said Oliver Cattell-Ford, Exterior Designer, Jaguar Advanced Design.

Available in Gran Turismo 7
The Vision Gran Turismo Roadster is now available in the new Gran Turismo 7 for PS4 and PS5 consoles. In recognition of Jaguar’s three versions of their Vision GT car, the design team created new bespoke liveries of these cars, which are not directly available in GT7. These new liveries feature specially developed black and grey paints and subtle graphics which emphasise the cars’ inherently dramatic, beautiful designs. In GT7, players can re-create these new liveries using the Livery Editor feature.

Today’s videogames have superior realism that they can even be used for global racing championships which thousands participate in. Even the FIA, the world motorsport governing body, has recognised simulation videogames, terming them as ‘digital motorsports’.

One of the companies that has been constantly pushing the edge of the simulation envelope further has been Polyphony Digital Inc., developer of the Gran Turismo series for Playstation (PS) consoles since 1997. The series has been constantly improved in all respects, especially realism, and will start its seventh version in March 2022 for PS4 and PS5 consoles.

Official technical partner
For Gran Turismo 7 (GT7), Polyphony Digital has chosen Brembo, a well known and leading designer and manufacturer of performance brake systems as an official technical partner. Brembo supplies brake systems to competition cars (including Formula 1) and motorcycles, as well as roadgoing cars.

In GT7, Brembo will appear in the Tuning Shop of the videogame where its UPGRADE products will be available to players. Like a real-world workshop, this virtual shop is where they can upgrade the performance of their cars.

Upgrading with different brake systems
In this environment, gamers will be able to replace their original brake discs with those from the Sport range and, as they progress through the game, to upgrade their car with different Brembo brake systems. The choice will range up to the highest performing and most distinctive products for road cars, including Carbon Ceramic brake discs and GT|BM calipers, available in 8 different colours.

Now part of Gran Turismo
“We are particularly proud to deliver the uniqueness of Brembo brake systems to the Gran Turismo series. This iconic driving simulation video game franchise has built a strong community of millions of gamers around the world since its creation almost 25 years ago,” said Daniele Schillaci, Brembo’s Chief Executive Officer. “For Brembo, this partnership represents an extraordinary opportunity to reach out to the younger generations, which is in line with our vision, ‘Turning Energy into Inspiration’. From the asphalt of the track, the performance and design of our systems have now become part of the virtual world of Gran Turismo 7. Our ambition is to further enhance the gaming experience, just as the driving experience does in reality.”

Kazunori Yamauchi, President of Polyphony Digital Inc. and Producer of the Gran Turismo series, has personal admiration for the brand. “Even before we released our first Gran Turismo, Brembo was a hero brand to me,“ he said. “As a street racer back then, I had often struggled with the brakes fading. This was because most production cars at the time, excluding a very select few, were not equipped with brakes that matched the power and weight of the car. I always found Brembo to be reliable on the circuit and, as a result, always had a connection with the brand. So it’s a pleasure to announce this partnership between Gran Turismo and Brembo, a true high performance brand.”

Brembo’s profile and values will be visible in the Gran Turismo 7 game’s Brand Central. The 60 years of the company’s history will be presented in the Brand Central Museum. In addition, Brembo will be visible with its branding on the tracks featured in the game as banners or billboards in the background.

Michelin is the Official Tyre Technology Partner for Gran Turismo

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