Inspired by the brand’s legendary motor racing success, the design team at Mini has created a contemporary Mini to fill the shoes of its predecessors. The catch? It’s only available on the PlayStation 3 gaming console.
Called the Mini Clubman Vision Grand Turismo, the virtual racecar has been created for the Gran Turismo 6 racing franchise, but is also the second preview of the forthcoming Clubman replacement, shown in concept form at last year’s Geneva motor show.
Taking the aforementioned concept into account, it’s not really hard to get an idea of what a street legal version of the car would look like. But for the moment we’re just gob smacked by all the spoilers, splitters and racing stripes on this Vision Gran Turismo.
“A Mini like this has never been seen before,” says Christopher Weil, Mini’s head of exterior design. “The Mini Clubman Vision Gran Turismo combines all the hallmark Mini design features presented in the sportiest and most exciting style.”
The sketches, by Stefan Goeppel, highlight the stance of the car through its wide track and low roof height. The massive splitters and gaping air inlets give it that uncompromising racing look, while the black X separating four LED light elements inside the elliptical headlamps recall tape masking from racing’s early days.
The car also features racing details such as snap fasteners on the hood, grille mounted fog lamps, a small sliding window and quick-release filler caps. As a technical highlight, the front apron and flat underbody are made entirely of carbon.
At the rear, intricate filigree design LED lamps in the form of a surrounding band with rib graphic flank the Clubman’s split doors, which are topped off by a double spoiler on the roof. The horizontal alignment of the lights underscores the car’s width.
According to Mini, the Clubman Vision Gran Turismo packs a 395hp engine mated to a sequential shift 6-speed driving power to all four wheels. This enables the virtual racecar to reach 62mph in just 3.5 seconds.
As with all Minis, the Clubman Vision Gran Turismo offers a number of customization options for gamers, with a total of five color variants, contrast colored stripes (and pinstripes) running across the hood and roof, and the roof itself.
“Mini has many highly emotional achievements to its name in motor racing,” says Head of Mini Design, Anders Warming. “The Mini Clubman Vision Grand Turismo literally puts these onto the virtual race track in Gran Turismo 6. The image of a go-kart on the road has recurring appeal.”
The Mini Clubman Vision Gran Turismo is available for download on Gran Turismo 6 for PlayStation 3 from today.
