Gran Turismo 6: Mitsubishi's XR-PHEV Evo

After Mercedes-Benz and BMW revealed their Vision Gran Turismo concepts, and while we're still waiting for the VW GTi Roadster concept to arrive by mid-June, it seems that Japanese carmaker, Mitsubishi Motors, revealed their entry to the list Vision Gran Turismo cars you can find on Gran Turismo 6. What could that be? Let's find out...



This Concept XR-PHEV Evolution Vision Gran Turismo incorporates Mitsubishi Motors' involvement in the world of motorsports while utilizing their PHEV know-how to create a rally monster that has its performance and efficiency in perfect harmony. Well, that's Mitsubishi's claim by the way.



This Vision GT concept is heavily based on the XR-PHEV concept car as seen from the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show. The XR-PHEV is Mitsubishi's prediction to what is rumored to be the next-generation RVR compact SUV and it incorporates Mitsubishi's PHEV breakthrough with a downsized 1.1 GDi MIVEC turbo engine. For this Evo version, you can't really tell what improvements this compact rally mongrel had but based on the preliminary sketches...it's powered by a 3.0L V6 Twin Turbo MIVEC engine connected to a high-powered electric motor and an 8-speed DCT. It comes with Mitsubishi's Super All Wheel Control system as applied on the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X as well as its ultra-light and aerodynamic body that weighs to a featherweight 1,350kg, over 200kg lighter than the LanEvo X.

To find out how good this XR-PHEV Evo is, I took on a special challenge where you can keep Mitsubishi's Vision GT concept as a prize just by participating and set a lap time regardless of whether the lap time was valid or not. The venue is Matterhorn Rotenboden and what I am going to do is aim for the Gold target time of 1:34.000.



The Rotenboden segment of the Matterhorn is by no means one of the most challenging tracks in GT6 because of its terrifying elevation where in the downhill part of the track requires an adequate footwork to survive the downfall or face a messy consequence. Upon driving the XR-PHEV Evo, it feels like it's a mashup between a rally-car and a track toy thanks to its 4WD powertrain and its incredibly light bodywork. I believe that this is one of the best handling concept cars I have ever tried on GT6 and I have to say, such lightness comes with a price if you're not paying attention.

As I spent numerous laps round and round this challenging track, I finally managed to beat the Gold target time and I did it in 1:32.721. Not the best so far but this is how I demonstrated how good the XR-PHEV Evo is.



Now for my impressions; although this is more of a hyper crossover that is shaped like a running shoe, the athletic stance of the XR-PHEV Evo really behaves like any other Mitsubishi rally machines from the past and even though Mitsubishi no longer part of the rally community, not to mention that RALLIART scaled down their operations four years ago, this machine still evokes the "Spirit of Competition" both on and off the road. Speaking of offroad...



Yes, the XR-PHEV Evo still making the rounds on dirt courses because this concept car still has the roots from Mitsubishi's rallying past from WRC to Paris-Dakar. You can have so much fun playing dirty in such a very compact car just like playing a game of Snap with a shaolin monk and you win. Like a shaolin monk, the XR-PHEV Evo's reaction times are second to none but it's up to the skill of the driver to brave through its uncanny agility of this bite-sized chunk.

The Mitsubishi XR-PHEV Evo VGT is available on the Version 1.08 Update of Gran Turismo 6 on the Playstation3 so best to update now to get this machine!

MITSUBISHI CONCEPT XR-PHEV EVOLUTION VISION GRAN TURISMO

Make: Mitsubishi Motors
Country of Origin: Japan

Drivetrain: 4WD
Max Power: ???
Max Torque: ???
Weight: 1,350kg

Corporate General Manager Executive Officer Design Office:
Tsunehiro Kunimoto

General Manager/Styline Director Design Department:
Masaki Matsuhara

Senior Expert Public Relations Department:
Hiroshi Masuoka

General Manager Public Relations Department:
Manabu Yamanishi

Expert Public Relations Department:
Takashi Kiuchi

Manager Strategic Management Office:
Shigeru Tsuyuki

Expert Technology Policy Planning Department:
Yasuo Tanaka

Expert Aerodynamic Engineering Development Group:
Masahiro Yoshida

Assistant Manager Strategic Management Office:
Kunitoshi Itagaki

Public Relations Department:
Nobuhiro Kudo

Expert Design Department:
Norihiko Yoshimine

Expert Styling CAD Design Department:
Yuichi Ishikawa
Keiji Takebayashi

Assistant Manager Design Department:
Shusaku Kumagai

Assistant Manager Modeling Design Promotion Department:
Taichi Kawasaki
Junji Nakajima

Design Department:
Shuichiro Yamamoto
Yuichiro Ishizuka

Styling CAD Design Promotion Department:
Atsushi Osada
Masataka Nakamura
Hiroyuki Mashima

Coloring Design Department:
Nozomi Ohkubo



Stay tuned on GT6 for the visit of another Vision GT concept!

Gran Turismo 6: BMW Vision GT

Well, what do we have here? There's a newcomer in the world of Gran Turismo 6 and no. It's not another one of the M3 Touring Cars and it's not even its successor, the M4, which took its touring car duty this year.



What's this?



What this is is the second chapter of the Vision Gran Turismo and this time, it's the turn of BMW. Meet the BMW Vision Gran Turismo, and this concept made in collaboration with Gran Turismo traces its roots to BMW's successful involvement in the world of motorsports.



So...what's it all about? Tracing its roots from one of the most successful touring cars since the 70's, the folks from BMW designed a car made specifically for this game, interpreting it as a track weapon for the modern world. In my view, I believe that this dream machine blends the modern marvels with the historical heritage that BMW garnered from the past decades and its involvement in the world of motorsports, namely the DTM, the Nurburgring 24 Hour endurance, the ALMS (now the United SportsCar Racing), and so much more.

While the roots are all in the essence, the design of the BMW VGT took some cues from today's BMW models such as the headlamps and the taillights, they all came from today's BMW models, especially the M4 that I test drove last year. Sticking true to its "Freude am Fahren" slogan, the BMW VGT is the ultimate expression of joy when it comes to its sheer driving pleasure that Bimmer fans would want to know.



Under the hood is a 3.0L six-cylinder engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology, which delivers an impressive 541HP of power output and 680Nm of torque while it was mated to a 6-speed gearbox which I can't tell you what that is because this machine is purely a work of fiction from a real car company.

Thanks to the concept's extensive use of carbon fiber materials, it weighs at a featherweight 1,180kg and not only it has a perfect weight distribution, the power-to-weight ratio is an impressive 2.18kg/HP. But that's not all, the legendary aerodynamics inspired from past BMW racing machines really fit well thanks to its impressive downforce and drag reduction with the use of air conduction elements.



So, in the hands of a driver, this concept is an all-rounder that has a healthy balance of speed and agility. Not only it's a powerful beast to slip past its rivals but it's also a magnificent performer at the corners. It handles like what every BMW racing car had been in the past decades. Such dedication deserves a tough challenge and I think there's one...



From now until the end of this month, players can take part of the special BMW VISION GRAN TURISMO SUPER LAP and win this machine to use in-game. The car has been provided as a courtesy vehicle so you have the chance to sample the nimble footwork that this concept Bimmer it deserves and no matter the lap time would be...this car's yours.

Now, that challenge gave me the time to talk about how it performs at the Nurburgring GP/F, the venue for this special challenge...



Although it takes a driver with his or her inner Kwazii-ness to master this machine, the BMW Vision GT is definitely one of the best handling cars in the world of Gran Turismo 6. Engine in the front, drive at the back, and a let's-pretend-I'm-better-than-Kwazii-was in the middle. Oh wait, that's not right...

What I mean is that it was definitely an epic concept car to drive at and even though you are driving like a Brainiac, the healthy balance of speed and precision really moves about and you can sense all the DNA from BMW's motorsport involvement in there. Well, if it's in the blood, it's in the blood.



Of course, for a featherweight car with big torque, mistakes are bound to happened but it takes guts to tame this bewildering machine and if you got the talent to tame it...you're starting to gain the respect the concept racer deserves...





After several laps later...I finally achieved the Gold Target Time for this challenge and I posted a 1:58.944 lap time, proving that the BMW Vision GT really pushes the envelope as the ultimate driving machine but only just.

This car is available on the VERSION 1.07 Update of Gran Turismo 6 on the Playstation3 so best to update now to get this machine!



BMW VISION GRAN TURISMO

Make: BMW
Country of Origin: Germany

Drivetrain: FR
Max Power: 541HP
Max Torque: 499.0ft-lb
Weight: 1,180kg

Senior Vice President BMW Group Design:
Adrian van Hooydonk

Head of Design BMW Automobiles:
Karim Habib

Head of Exterior Design BMW Automobiles:
Domagoj Dukec

Exterior Design BMW Vision Gran Turismo:
Fabien Clottu
Julian Bechteler

Head of International Product Placement BMW Group:
Claudia Muller

Head of Geometrical Design and Integration BMW M GmbH:
Heinrich Eickhorst

Head of Functional Design and Integration BMW M GmbH:
Thorsten Richter



With Mercedes-Benz and BMW presented their Vision Gran Turismo concepts, which carmaker will be next? Find out soon...

Gran Turismo 6: Mercedes-AMG Vision GT Racing Series

To continue our quest for more of the Mercedes-Benz's Vision GT concept, the producers provided us with this...



Their new racing version of the first car of Vision GT is almost as what you can refer to as a copycat to the fabled Silver Lightning concept!



See?!



The Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision GT Racing Series concept model is just one of the latest additions on Gran Turismo 6 via the UPDATE 1.04, now in commission. You're now taking behind the wheel of the racing version of the Mercedes-Benz Vision GT concept and with this, it sure is a head turner when you put your foot down.



So, how does it differ? Well, for this race-spec version, it features improved aerodynamics and improved downforce that makes it more track focused and ready to slice down a corner or two. They even added a GT logo at the back to make it more unique. Also, the V8 BiTurbo engine that powers it is now 591HP of power output and it's mated with an updated 7-speed double clutch gearbox focused on performance rather than comfort. It lost 85kg of weight due to the deletion of equipment for utility and comfort. This is definitely a hardcore track weapon for the serious players.



Because of the weight loss, improved aerodynamics, and the added grunt, I can expect a few marginal error every time when I go round a corner or two and thanks to the standard Racing Hard tires, it sure knows how to glide through corners as easy as...cat-like reflexes. Sorry, Mercedes-Benz, for what I said that but you better believe me, your new concept machine really does out-reflexed the rivals' cat-like reflexes.

Which reminds me, the producers issued me a challenge between me and the car itself and to do that, why don't I tell you a little story about me packing things up to Australia and headed to Bathurst to take on the MB AMG VGT Racing Series challenge.



Mount Panorama, located in Bathurst, is one of the most famous race tracks in Australia. It's also one of the most treacherous tracks ever faced even the most professional drivers because of its elevation. Mark Skaife, Allan Moffat, Jamie Whincup, the most professional racers in history risked their lives to survive the perilous elevation in Bathurst, even the legendary racer in Australia known as Peter Brock.

To find out just how good the race-spec Mercedes Vision GT is, I took on the limited-time challenge to set the fastest lap time round the famed Aussie racetrack. They even lend this as a Courtesy Car and if I post my laptime, I get this car as a prize.

What I did is heavily focus on beating the Gold Target Time of 2:07.000 and with that, challenge accepted.

This track is quite dreaded thanks to its elevation that even a slight error would cost more that what you've bargained for. In theory, the VGT Racing Series' aerodynamics would help me get through the dreaded elevation as well as the tight corners but I find myself struggling to survive the stranglehold. It's like getting choked by a crocodile in a cagefight. Crikey!

There's also the near-end part that when after a straight run, you just need the right reflexes to brake and steer through the second-to-last corner because one mistake could spell doom to your driving skill.

In the end, I managed to beat the Gold Target Time and my time is 2:05.956.



So there we go folks. This Mercedes-Benz concept puts the WEH in the cat-like reflexes of the opposition, proving that driving one of these is like a Mercedes-Benz...just before the chicken gets eaten by a jaguar. Good to be bad? Nope. It was born to be wild on the track!

Next time...the final two X2014 models...

Gran Turismo 6: Car Number 1 of "Vision Gran Turismo"

Vision Gran Turismo is Gran Turismo's 15th anniversary project where the world's top carmakers and brands challenge themselves to develop a concept car that shows its dedication in the world of Gran Turismo. The first car to spearhead Vision GT is Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision GT.



Getting to know more about the first of VGT is tough because, let's be honest, this is one of the exciting and amazing stuff you can only find in the world of Gran Turismo since the GTbyCitroen and the Red Bull X cars like the X2010 and the more powerful X2011. At first glance, the Vision GT by Mercedes-Benz looks utterly similar to one of their concepts, the Silver Arrow but judging by their preliminary sketches, this concept tries to capture the essence of Gran Turismo while staying true to its historical roots. This concept was theoretically inspired by the 500k Autobahn Courier, which is known to be one of the most elegant-looking classics made by Mercedes-Benz.

Anyway, no time for jammie dodgers because I'm here to talk about how did Car Number One of Vision GT fares in the GT6 stakes and I took it for a spin at the place I called "proving ground" and that could be the Ascari track in Southern Spain. Ah, it feels nice to call the Ascari track my new home when it comes to testing out new rides.

While the design is nothing but retro-futuristic, the engine that powers it is...yes...the AMG V8 BiTurbo engine that you get in today's AMG models but it's been uprooted to 577HP of power and 800Nm of torque, while being mated to an AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed gearbox. Now, I know double-clutch trannies do fare well when it comes for quicker shifting but some people say...double-clutches can be a bit of a baloney when it comes to its fun-to-drive factor. In the MB VGT however, this is different. It's still behaves like a lairy car any Brainiac would salivate for. It maybe as classy as Cinderella's glass slippers but it feels as lairy as...Lord Hater's spaceship. Being lairy is all about being cunning or conceited but it's all about being a massive show-off in a Brainiac kind of way.



By the moment I drive this, it feels promising at the start but when things starting to get more noticing for the MB AMG VGT, it's dynamic nature is starting to come unraveled and if I'm not careful on handling this delicate but crazy monster machine, it's going to cause me a terrible hangover but if I take time to master the raw firepower of this concept, I'm starting to appreciate the people behind the project.

Such greatness deserve a great challenge and to that, I'm taking MB's Vision GT to a seasonal event held at the newest original track in GT6: MATTERHORN.



Although an original track in GT6, it was situated in Gornergrat, Switzerland, an area commanding a breathtaking view of one of the world's iconic mountains. There are three layouts; the very technical Rotenboden, the moderate Riffelsee, and the more mild and menacing Dristelen. Because of the track's elevation, it would be more of a challenge for a car tackling this new track.

The Seasonal Event in question takes place it the Dristelen layout and my goal is to beat the Gold target time without all the ruckus. PP regulation is 584 or less, tires has to be Sports HARD or less, and no nitrous allowed. Since the MB VGT Concept's PP is 584, that makes it well enough to take on the hardest challenge yet.





Having manage to brave though the catastrophic elevations of this course, I manage to beat the Gold target time and my record is about an acceptable 1:10.726. It may not be the quickest lap time I set up on this car but this is more than enough to please them when it comes for the Mercedes-Benz Vision GT's true potential.



The first of the Vision GT project, the Mercedes-Benz AMG VGT, maybe more of a retro-futuristic vision of what would the Autobahn Courier be but in the world of Gran Turismo, this is worth demanding for a GT player, casual or hardcore, when it comes to mastering the bare essentials of this breathtaking concept car. For now, I'm taking this for a joyride down at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Cheers!







MERCEDES BENZ AMG VISION GT

Make: Mercedes-Benz
Country of origin: Germany

Drivetrain: FR
Max Power: 576HP
Max Torque: 590.4lb-ft
Weight: 1385kg

Vice President Design Daimler AG:
Gorden Wagener

Director Advanced Design Global:
Steffen Köhl

Director Interior Design Passenger Cars:
Hartmut Sinkwitz

Senior Manager Advanced Design Germany:
Holger Hutzenlaub

Team Manager Advanced Design Germany:
Oliver Samson

Team Manager Advanced Design California:
Hubert Lee

Designer Advanced Design Germany:
Bastian Baudy
Sylvain Wehnert

Designer Exterior Design Data:
Sven Eberwein

Designer Advanced Design Italy:
Jean Arthur Madelaide Advenier

Designer Advanced Design California:
Jackson Luttig

Manager Product Placement:
Caroline Pilz

Head of Exhaust Systems Construction Mercedes-AMG GmbH:
Ralph Illenberger

Head of Acoustics and Vibrations Mercedes-AMG GmbH:
Dr. Thomas Hoffman



Which carmaker or brand will get the Vision GT treatment? Find out soon for more of Vision GT!!!