If you were still hopeful for the Bertone Vision Gran Turismo car to come along to GT6 despite the company’s real world problems, you’re out of luck. Eagle-eyed GTPlanet members and F5 key enthusiasts caught a refresh of the Vision GT section of the official Gran Turismo website and Bertone no longer appears there as a participating manufacturer.
This probably doesn’t come as too much of a surprise to many. The century old Gruppo Bertone encountered significant financial hardship in 2013 before eventually declaring bankruptcy in April 2014. However the image licensing rights to the brand were sold to a Milan-based company named Bertone Design with the intent to revive the famous name – Bertone has been responsible for many iconic cars including the Lamborghini Countach and Miura.
While this may have lead to some hoping for the Vision GT car to be merely delayed, it seems that the inevitable has now happened and what looked to be quite a creative take on the VGT brief will now never be realised. This comes as extra disappointment as the renderings of the car you see here were themselves only revealed in March 2015, quite some time after the original company had foundered.
The troubles in Turin hadn’t escaped the notice of the Gran Turismo fan community and indeed when we were invited to speak to Kazunori Yamauchi about Vision GT last month at Goodwood we put the question of Bertone to him:
GTPlanet: What’s the current status of the Bertone VGT car?
Yamauchi: The company has gone now, so it’s really difficult. It’s really unfortunate – we had high expectations from the design.
It seems as if the question has prompted the change to the official site to reflect Bertone’s defunct status, though the marque still appears on the in-game Vision GT list. It’s likely that this will change with the next game update.
See more articles on Bertone and Vision Gran Turismo.
While I like the Vision cars, it’s ok to see one drop off. As for the game, I hadn’t realized until now how far it’s progressed. I lost all my data on my hard drive and have been without internet for a few weeks. So, I’m stuck at version 1.0 until I get internet again and it’s like going to the stone age. Pretty sure any of you would appreciate the changes that have been made thus far…
Maybe this is a sign telling you that you need update the looks of standard cars so they won’t looks so terrible compared to premium cars -_- like seriously?, they look terrible THE DONT EVER HAVE WINDSHIELD WIPERS AR YOU KIDDING ME? I’m still trying to keep hope for gt and it’s getting hard now
but kaz knows they look terrible and that’s why the semi premiums exist, it’s something. he’s expressing enough interest to at least clean them up even if they never get interiors
looks stunning
Well by the look of this car they must of had an expensive drug habit that sent them broke. It’s still a shame to see them go however. And sure some of these cars may seem a little crazy but if we can send a satellite a few billion miles out to space to get a few photos of a dwarf planet surely these cars can be made possible. There’s a lot more smarter people than us working on these kind of projects.
Touche’!
The Bertone was looking to be a Deltawing Super Evolution. Maybe a version that would better help me locate where the rear tires were. What would GT do if Bertone Design contacted them about the project that they now have imaging rights to?
R.I.P. Batmobile.
Is this a hoax? How come they didn’t update the game if they weren’t going to include the car? I’m not saying the sources are wrong, I’m just being very hopeful that it may still come around, even if its not essentially BERTONE themselves, maybe we will at least receive a vehicle of some sort?
Bertone’s entry in the VGT menu in the game was removed in the most recent update.
Definite loss, even if it was only I who was looking forward to it.
I’m sure some sweatshop somewhere is knocking out an E30 or some GT3 car or other for the rest of you. :P
R.I.P. Bertone VGT
Not even mad Bertone left. Whatever that thing is they made doesn’t live up to the incredible designs they’ve had in the past.
Nooooooo ??
I really hope they don’t remove Lamborghini from the list. That’s the one i’m most looking forward to.
I agree, i’m really curious about the Lambo VGT and i hope to see it soon.
Lamborghini will be there, they’re owned by Volkswagen, and they’re rich.
Are you kidding me Vision GT??
Hey, stuff happens. Not really anyone’s fault.
VGT has totally changed now. I mean, a bit.
But hard facts sometimes hurt. Bye bye, awesome looking, futuristic, Delta Wing-ish car, I wouldn`t race anyway…
One less car to go in the stockyard with the other VGT Batmobiles.
True!!
Sad to hear, was a VGT i was really looking forward to.
I feel sad about Bertone going kaput, but couldn’t care less about that stupid looking batmobile VGT car. Or maybe antmobile? Don’t even know…
I feel exactly the same way. It’s sad for Bertone. But – the car is one of those VGT concepts I’d unlock with the special seasonal event – and never touch again.
Agree too.
“F5 key enthusiasts”
I laughed too hard.
I rather enjoyed that, too. :D
first it was Alfa Romeo and now Bertone, it’s a bit saddening. Even though the VGT cars don’t appeal to everyone, it’s nice to see concept designs from the manufacturers themselves….
RIP BERTONE
Now I’m praying that Lamborghini won’t be next! Haven’t seen any sketches and still very worried.
yeah along with three others; namely Audi, Jordan, & Daihatsu.
GTPlanet should of asked, ” What’s the current status of Gran Turismo 7?” Now that would of been a good response to read from him.
Soon…
The invite was to interview about Vision GT. Asking questions not related to the topic you’ve been invited to interview about is a good way to not get an answer, to not get any other answers and to not get an invite again.
So no, I shouldn’t “of” asked that.
Good ridance, the novelty of these insane cars wore off with the Chaparral so one less is a good thing.
Speak for yourself. VGT’s are the best thing to hit the “sim” racing genre in quite a long time.
Once you get cars with magical laser power it stops being a sim and turns into ridge racer. I’ve liked most of the VGT cars, but this, the Chapparal, and the SRT just make me question what GT is actually trying to be.
As if you don’t know NorthStar… GranTurismo is an encyclopedia of automobilia first… that happens to be a really cool looking driving simulator second… that can now be shared and experienced on a global scale via the internet thirdly.
It would be nice if all fans would enjoy the VGT cars, but when you say stuff like ‘… one less is a good thing…’ suggest no one likes it… and you wind up sounding like a spoiled little turd. I know you’re probably not but take a minute glance into the man in the mirror ;)
Where did I say no one likes them? I just said I don’t like them. And yes, when you are trying to be an automotive encyclopedia these cars don’t help. It would be like if Websters decided to just start putting made up facts in their encyclopedias.
It was in response to your first post and your second post was overlooked… sorry bout dat ;)
Possibly the first concept l was introduced to was the Mecedes-Benz C111. It appeared in the World Book Encyclopepia, circa 1969 or 71. The Chicago Museum of Science and Industry had a GM Firebird lll on display for many years. Though neither concept were producted as a whole, both served as test cars for other development such as engines, doors, suspensions, electronics… read about it ;)
The coolest thing about PD’s VGT project is the “what if” factor. And omt… who the hell thunk of a tricycled-like prototype le Mans car?!
Rest in pepperoni, bertone
yo
I now want my coffin filled with pepperoni when I die. Back on topic: this is sad news, I was really looking forward to taming this beast.
Bye Bye!
R.I.P.
Aww shucks.