Here they are, the stars of the recent installment of the Gran Turismo franchise, Gran Turismo 7. The Mazda RX-VISION GT3 Concept and the Porsche Vision Gran Turismo are the cover cars of the latest GT game and now's the ideal time to get to know the two hero cars of the game.
Judging by the way the producers pick these two cars as the stars of the GT7, they both have significance not just in Gran Turismo but in the motoring world we live in. These two signify the past, present, and the future of motoring in a way never seen before because with the RX-VISION GT3 Concept signifies the past and the present, the Porsche VGT signifies the future of motoring. It's like petrol power meets electric power. Everything ends and everything begins. Circle of life, ladies and gentlemen.
Let's begin with the RX-VISION GT3 CONCEPT from Mazda. You may have already drove one in GT SPORT a while back but since this is one of the cover cars of GT7, this hero car is the representation of the past and present of motorsports. The RX-VISION CONCEPT made a world premiere at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show and this future sportscar incorporates the full potential of the company's Kodo -Soul in Motion- design philosophy and the game-changing SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY that has been around for almost a decade since the third-generation Demio facelift in the summer of 2011. The RX-VISION features next-generation SKYACTIV-R rotary engine that delivers the ideal blend of performance and efficiency while letting the legendary rotary engine sound loose. It should have been one of the most promising ideas Mazda ever made but even though they have no plans to make it into production, they are still working hard on the return of the rotary engine by any ways and means. The GT3 CONCEPT turns the already vivid RX-VISION CONCEPT into a racing machine that complies to the game's Group 3 regulations. The track width's enlarged, wheel arch width increased, aerodynamics and downforce beefed up for track duty, lighter weight, better center of gravity, improved SKYACTIV-R rotary engine, and has near-perfect weight distribution.
Now, let's talk about the Porsche Vision Gran Turismo, the newest entry to the list of the Vision Gran Turismo concepts and one of the cover cars of GT7. Ever since the Gran Turismo franchise opened its doors to Porsche, the two sides joined forces to create a dream machine that reflects both Porsche and Gran Turismo. This is the result. With styling inspired by Porsches from the past and present, the Porsche Vision Gran Turismo features state-of-the-art carbon monocoque chassis and a cabin enclosed by a glass dome. It even has two electric motors on the front and rear, making it a 4WD electric dream car with the combined power output of 820kW and 1090Nm of torque.
These two dream machines really are the alpha and omega, the sun and the moon, the yin and the yang. They are polar opposites because their powertrains demonstrated us how will time take us from the age of fossil fuels to the age of electrification. As the world changes rapidly, the motoring world changes as well and cars like these are clear reflections of the ever-changing motoring landscape. This is the past, present, and future of motoring personified.
Anyway, no time to feel poetic about these two because now is the time to give these hero cars the ultimate bravery test; a quick lap in the dreaded Nurburgring Nordschleife, the ultimate proving ground for production and race cars everywhere.
Driving these two in the Nurburgring Nordschleife gave me the opportunity to examine their strengths and weaknesses. I'm familiar with the RX-VISION GT3 CONCEPT because I got my dibs on the previous GT game but since this is GT7, it gave me a different perspective on how this race car behaves and of course being a race car, it can feel downright tricky to get a hold of it but a little practice goes a long way.
The Porsche VGT, meanwhile, is a different beast. Its electric powertrain and 4WD system showcased its spartan driving manners akin to the Porsche 911 and because it only has one working gear like most electric cars, the braking feels a bit weak when stopping late or now, meaning the only way to resort through it is by braking early. I know, the braking system is its weak point but its intimidating acceleration is the key element of the Porsche VGT. Scary but worth giving a shot.
Anyway, time now to roll the tapes of these two hero cars conquering the Nurburgring with all of their might.
With their bravery test done, here are the results...
RX-VISION GT3 CONCEPT - 7:12.8
Porsche VGT - 6:54.505
Not the best results I've done but it looks like the times are right after all. It looks like eletrification has trumped fossil fuels and the electric Porsche VGT defeated the Mazda RX-VISION GT3 CONCEPT, massively.
After giving these two the ultimate bravery test, it's clear that in this age of new normal, electrification is becoming the gold standard, whether you like it or not, and as demonstrated by this bravery test I've showcased to these two, it feels like this is the path the motoring world will be heading; the electrified path.
I know its hard to part ways from the era of internal combustion engines because us, speedo boys, love the noise of engine starts and exhaust notes but sadly, this is the new normal and sacrifices need to be done in order to keep up with the ever-changing world we live in. Like humans, cars like these, whether if its ICE-powered or electrified, may not be forever but their legacies will be forever remembered the world over.
This is the past, present, and future of Gran Turismo. From the era of internal combustion engines to the age of electrification, the spirit of Gran Turismo lives on...and that is the bottom line.
