► Playable on GT Sport from today
► 804bhp from three electric motors
► Makes debut at Rome Formula E race
For the last few years, car manufacturers have made exclusive, virtual concepts for the GT Sport racing game – and now it’s Audi’s turn. Called the e-tron Vision Gran Turismo, Audi’s effort is an all-new racing car that’ll be coming to GT Sport today – but also to a real racing track soon enough.
As you’d expect in 2018, the new e-tron is all electric, and powered by three motors in total – each with 200kW of power. Two drive the rear wheels, while the third takes care of the front axle, making the car all-wheel drive.
Confused by Audi’s naming convention for electric cars? So are we: don’t confuse this with the forthcoming E-tron electric crossover, due later in 2018.
Read about the new Audi E-tron electric production SUV here
Audi says the car is good for a total combined output of 804bhp, and with a kerbweight of just 1450kg it’ll be quick off the mark. The new racing concept can get from 0 to 62mph in less than 2.5 seconds, says Ingolstadt.
Despite the challenges of packaging heavy batteries and electrical components, Audi has managed to nail the weight distribution to a perfect 50:50, so it should be finely poised – on GT Sport when gaming and in reality.
Wait, they’re actually going to build one?
GT Vision cars often shed light on the design direction of brands, but because they’re virtual, it’s hard to get excited about them. And that’s why Audi has actually built an e-tron Vision Gran Turismo.
‘This is what we are particularly proud of,’ says Audi’s chief designer Marc Lichte. ‘Although the design of a virtual vehicle allows much greater freedom and the creation of concepts which are only hard to implement in reality, we did not want to put a purely fictitious concept on wheels. Our aim was a fully functional car.’
A one-off according to the brand, the real car looks even better in the flesh, and Audi says its sharp angles and aggressive livery is strongly influenced by the legendary Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO.
Either way, we think it looks great.
The real car will be in action at the next Formula E race in Rome and the following European ePrixs, where it’ll be used as a race taxi.
And if you’ve got GT Sport, you’ll be able to drive the e-tron Vision Gran Turismo virtually following today’s planned update.
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