Honda is the latest carmaker to show a concept car created for Sony Polyphony‘s Gran Turismo 6 racing game. Called the Sports Vision Gran Turismo, the midship-engined two-seater coupe was created at Honda’s California-based design studio in Los Angeles.
The Sports Vision Gran Turismo is said to embody the Japanese carmaker’s corporate spirit of ‘doing it because it’s fascinating’, the goal of the project was to create a sports car that pursued the fun of driving through the authentic realism of the Gran Turismo driving simulator.
Following a global design competition (won by exterior designer Ben Davidson working under the direction of Honda North America design director Dave Marek), the proposal was pushed forward. Designers from Japan also had input in the process, and the design progressed globally, with the quarter scale model built in the US and the modeling data and hardware decisions made in Japan. Staff from each region were closely connected in the process.
The Honda Sports Vision Gran Turismo is said to bring to life Honda’s human-centered design direction through the car’s package. The passenger, engine, and tire position determined the shape of the car’s structure. The company also cites that the car’s proportions, clean body, front and rear fenders and wheels combine function with the aesthetics of a sports car.
Carbon fiber was used on many of the body elements to keep the car’s claimed weight down to 1982 lbs. The 2.0-liter 404hp engine is mounted midship to optimize weight distribution, while an 8-speed dual clutch transmission transfers power to the rear wheels.
Though intended for the virtual world, the Honda Sports Vision Gran Turismo was also put through the wind tunnel to simulate aerodynamic efficiency at speed. Air passing through the body, underfloor, cabin and engine compartment was optimized through this process.
“The Honda Sports Vision Gran Turismo is a car that exemplifies Honda’s ‘Power of Dreams'[philosophy],” says the company. “[It] is a car that we believe is a true-to-life machine that can be enjoyed by many.”
