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Jaguar has unveiled its first all-electric virtual sports car and is set to make its debut in the popular Playstation series, Gran Turismo.
The Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo Coupé boasts futuristic design, while also drawing inspiration from the brand's rich racing heritage.
Design freedom
Designers were given complete freedom in the process of sculpting the futuristic EV, which reflect those of the iconic Le Mans-winning C-type and D-type racing cars.
"This project has been completely led by our young designers and represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for them to create a vehicle steeped in our incredible heritage but pushing the boundaries of future design," said Jaguar Design Director, Julian Thomson.
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"The team have done an incredible job in creating something which is clearly identifiable as a Jaguar, inspired – but not constrained – by our iconic past," he added.
Gamers will be able to control and harness its 750kW and 1 200Nm of power and a 0-100km/h time of less than 2-seconds with a top speed of 321km/h. It weights just 1 400kg and delivers near 50:50 weight distribution.
"The opportunity to take what we have learned on the track from our time in Formula E and apply it to a futuristic Jaguar race car has been a great challenge for the Jaguar Racing engineers," says James Barclay, Team Director, Panasonic Jaguar Racing.
"With its all-electric motor design drawing on the technology from both the Jaguar I-TYPE 4 and eTROPHY race cars, we have accurately modelled the performance of the Jaguar Vision GT Coupé in the virtual world, creating a car that will be exhilarating to drive and a real threat to the competition," Barclay added.
Image: Motorpress
The inside is just as technologically advanced as the outside. It features an on-board artificial intelligence system affectionately named 'KITT-E' – a companion that would operate systems, and interface between the driver and machine to enhance the emotional connection with the car.
Harness the power
"We are delighted to today announce the Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo project. It was a great experience for us to work with Julian Thomson who is the new design director now at Jaguar," said Kazunori Yamauchi, Gran Turismo creator, President of Polyphony Digital Inc.
Image: Motorpress
"The design and performance of this car is a result of the team's skill, craftmanship, and long years of collaborations together. We look forward to having drivers get behind the wheel next month,” he added.
The Jaguar Vision GT will be available for players to download in Gran Turismo Sport for the Sony PlayStation 4 from the end of November and will first be driven by competitors in the latest round of Sony’s Gran Turismo World Tour event at the Tokyo Motor Show, Japan, from 26-27 October.
Compiled by: Robin Classen
