Genesis has just unveiled its X Gran Berlinetta Vision Gran Turismo Concept at the Gran Turismo World Series World Finals in Barcelona, Spain. The car is coming to Gran Turismo 7 in January 2024.
Designed both to exemplify both the current design ideology of the brand as well as preview its direction, the X Gran Berlinetta VGT Concept is a representation of what Genesis calls “Athletic Elegance”.
In this case that involved a creating a cab-rearward design, with the driver behind the front-mid mounted powertrain, but staying true to the brand’s “anti-wedge” philosophy using what senior chief designer John Krsteski refers to as a virtual parabolical tensioned theory design.
The concept shows off the new front fascia of Genesis, with the new interpretation of the “Crest Grille” that incorporates its characteristic “two lines” which spread across the front and rear of the car as lighting elements.
Both the front and rear feature regions allowing the air to pass through the body, either side of the upper element at the nose and through the rear in both vertical and horizontal aspects. It gives the vehicle an overall drag coefficient of 0.34.
The whole car is finished in the brand’s striking Magma Orange color, inspired by Korea’s volcanoes and “the emotion, passion, and vibrancy” of Korean culture.
A compact Lambda V6 engine sits under the nose, developing up to 870hp and 790lbft of torque, and spinning at up to 10,000rpm.
That’s augmented by Genesis E-SC tech, with the Yasa E motor adding 201hp and 196lbft. This brings a combined total of 1071hp and 986lbft, which is delivered to all four wheels.
On the inside the single-seater Genesis VGT again uses the brand’s “White Space” philosophy, creating a minimalist environment for the driver. A digital panoramic interface serves as an information hub, connected to the surround digital monitoring system, providing clear views of nearby vehicles.
The steer-by-wire grip controls are — appropriately — inspired by the classic design of the PlayStation controller, while the car sports traditional Genesis features like the knurled dials and padded, quilted bolsters that, in this application, direct the driver’s legs towards the pedals and protect them from the all-carbon interior.
Krsteski commented that “Our goal was to create a timeless design rooted in the essence of motorsport. We have an incredibly diverse global design team that are car and racing enthusiasts.
“The designers relished the opportunity to create a race car that featured Genesis design elements as well as technical performance attributes. It has become a catalyst of inspiration for our other programs.”
Early access to the Genesis X Gran Berlinetta VGT Concept in Gran Turismo 7 is available to players who watch the Manufacturer’s Cup broadcast in GT7 from 1900UTC on December 2 and onwards.
You only need to click to watch the video via the campaign banner in the top right corner of the GT7 world map screen any time before 2359UTC on December 10 in order to receive the car directly in your garage in the January update.
See more articles on Genesis and Vision Gran Turismo.
