AUTOMOBILE
Suzuki Vision Gran Turismo
Combining Suzuki’s Two Souls, Motorcycle and Automobile
In May and June of 2022, Suzuki Vision Gran Turismo, virtual concept super sport car, was unveiled with two versions, the standard and the Gr.3*. The two versions are now part of Gran Turismo 7, the newest series of the popular driving simulation video game, Gran Turismo. Enjoyed by players around the world, the game features real-world models such as the Swift Sport and the Cappuccino, as well as digital concept cars called Vision Gran Turismo, designed by the world’s automakers. Creating Suzuki Vision Gran Turismo was first proposed in 2019 by Antonio Nozza, Italian designer on Suzuki’s European team. The idea took root and the development story began.
Antonio’s design concept combined Suzuki’s two souls: the motorcycle and the automobile. Interior elements show motorcycle aspects, and body colours correspond to Swift Sport and Suzuki’s motorcycle racing models. For the standard version, the powertrain pairs a Hayabusa engine with a hybrid system of three electric motors. Yasushi Sobukawa, Suzuki’s platform development engineer, suggested combining a pure sports car with the ultimate sport motorcycle.
As for the Gr.3 version, the powertrain has a V8 twin-turbo system composed of two Hayabusa engines. The idea of making a Gr.3 version was suggested by Suzuki transmission design engineer Kosuke Nishimura, who is also a Gran Turismo player with experience competing at the world championships. The Gr.3 category of Gran Turismo is said to be the main attraction of the game, so Kosuke wanted to create a model that many players would enjoy.
The overall original design by Antonio was refined by Yasukazu Yuki, designer of numerous Suzuki models, including the Swift and the concept model GSX-R/4*. “Demonstrating sportiness of Suzuki sport motorcycles into Suzuki automobiles” was Yasukazu’s interpretation when he designed the Swift Sport and is also consistent with the Suzuki Vision Gran Turismo. Yasukazu focused on “Reality” to give the player the sensation of driving a real car. Thanks to the passion and inspiration of Suzuki designers and engineers, Suzuki Vision Gran Turismo showcases Suzuki’s expertise in both motorcycles and automobiles and provides a thrilling driving experience in the virtual world.
For more details about Suzuki Vision Gran Turismo, please go to:
- * Gr.3 : A race car with major modifications such as a wider body and improved aerodynamics. Equivalent to FIA GT3 class.
- * GSX-R/4 : The concept model unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2001, which was a four wheel version of Suzuki’s motorcycle, GSX-RR (Grand Prix motorcycle racing machine) and GSX-R1000R. Also, one of the popular models in the previous Gran Turismo series.
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