By: Dave Abrahams
Dieppe, France - The Alpine Vision Gran Turismo is more than a computer-generated concept; it's also more than a 'virtual car' existing only in a video game.
It's actually part of the development of the first Alpine road car since the 1990s, with close links to iconic Alpine sports cars such as the A110, A210 and A220, as well as the A450 prototype that took back-to-back European endurance racing titles in 2013 and 2014, and a podium finish in the 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours.
When the Alpine media release landed in the IOL Motoring inbox, editor Jason Woosey asked, not altogether in jest, how long it would be before virtual cars outnumbered real ones. But, in terms of concepts at least, that is not as far-fetched as it sounds.
Many makers run their new designs on simulator programmes before the real car is built, to sort out basic chassis parameters; making it available to PlayStation gamers is the equivalent of letting several million unsympathetic test drivers put your new car through the wringer.
FULL-SCALE MODEL
So when Polyphony Digital invited Alpine's designers in July 2013 to create a car for Gran Turismo 6, they tackled the job from the same point of view as their upcoming road car, which is due to debut in 2016.
They even brought in the chassis and powertrain engineers to make sure PlayStation gamers would experience the characteristic small-car agility that made the cheeky little sportsters built by Alpine founder Jean Rédélé so special.
Before it was even finished, the decision had been made to build a full-scale model of it for display at the annual Festival Automobile International in Paris at the end of January, which celebrates the finest in automotive styling - the ideal setting for the first 'real' Alpine road car since the announcement of the brand's revival, where it would be possible for visitors to see the full-sized concept and then try it out for themselves on the PlayStation controller.
What began as a joke - “It's such a beautiful car, it would be great to see it full-size!” - became a composite shell with working suspension and genuine leather upholstery.
BOOTYLICIOUS
While the brief submitted to the designers was, well, brief, it included one unusual stipulation: the Vision Grand Turismo had to look its best when seen from the rear, looking into the cockpit because that's the view most often seen by gamers.
The final design is based on a proposal by Victor Sfiazof, one of about 15 entries in an in-house competition. It's a lightweight, agile, open barquette (little boat), right-hand drive (because most of the world's great endurance racing venues - including, notably, the Sarthe circuit at Le Mans - are run clockwise.
The front end was inspired by the A110, the cockpit with its butterfly door by the A450, while the rear end with its vertical fins recalls the A210 and A220.
As the car took shape, first in drawings on paper and then in digital format, the chassis development engineers benchmarked dozens of other cars, real and virtual, featured in Gran Turismo 6 to find a setup that would feel, - and react - like an Alpine sports car should.
Sfiazof's attention to detail borders on the anal; open the door and you can see the quilted pattern of the leather upholstery, complete with blue contrast stitching, as well as the almost rectangular endurance-racing steering wheel, digital instrument displays and even the rear-view camera screens that take the place of conventional mirrors.
But perhaps the sexiest feature is only seen under braking, as the hydraulic air-brakes in the tailfins deploy to reveal hidden brake lights.
Meanwhile, Polyphony Digital fed the data into its gaming software; the whole process took more than a year before the final specification was set in concrete.
PERSONAL LIVERY
The car's driving dynamics, according to design director Antony Villain, are about midway between the A450 and those envisaged for next year's Berlinette road car.
PlayStation gamers can choose between three colour schemes - an elegant blue and white livery, as chosen for the full-scale model, a striking orange and blue colour scheme inspired by the works A450 endurance racer and, in true gamer style, plain matt black.
The Alpine Vision Gran Turismo will be made available as part of a free update of Gran Turismo 6 in March 2015. Go to 'Vision GT' on the 'My Home' page, choose your body colour and you'll see a full-screen version, along with a detailed technical description; you'll also be able to view videos and sketches before you line up on the grid for your first race.
FACTS
Engine
Mid-rear 4494cc V8, 332kW at 6500rpm, 580Nm at 2000rpm
Seven-speed sequential gearbox driving the rear wheels
Chassis
Carbon monocoque with double-wishbone pushrod suspension
Top speed: 320km/h
Weight: 900kg
Fuel tank: 75 litres