Mercedes-Benz Designs A Wicked Car Inspired By A Video Racing Game: The AMG Vision Gran Turismo.

For the new PlayStation® 3 racing game Gran Turismo 6, released just last month, the Mercedes-Benz designers have developed the visionary concept of a super sports car – and created one in full scale: the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo.




Extreme proportions, sensual contours and intelligently implemented high tech blend to form a breathtaking body.






Using the theme "Vision Gran Turismo", the world's leading automotive manufacturers and design studios were to develop concept models which give a unique insight into the further development of the automobile.







Kazunori Yamauchi, Head of Games Development and President of Polyphony Digital Inc., called for a look into the future. Under the basic idea of "Vision Gran Turismo", leading car manufacturers and design companies worldwide were asked to fashion pioneering design models. As virtual vehicles that nonetheless function just like a real car, the visionary concepts will be gradually unveiled in and integrated into the new game Gran Turismo® 6 through online updates.



"With its proportions and its expressive appearance, the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo embodies that design philosophy of sensual clarity which is characteristic of the brand. The design of this concept car clearly shows the perfect interaction of emotive, sensual shapes with intelligently placed technologies," said Gorden Wagener, Head of Design at Daimler AG.

As a 1:1-scale model, the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo celebrated its world premiere at the opening of the new Mercedes-Benz Research Development Center in Sunnyvale, California and debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show.


above: the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo at the Los Angeles Auto Show

During the design development of the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo, the same standards were kept and the same processes followed as for any other concept car or series-production model. All the Mercedes-Benz Advanced Design Studios around the world prepared initial design drafts of their visions. Finally, the best ideas were further developed at the Advanced Design Studio in Sindelfingen as part of a digital design process, and then perfected in a physical 1:1 design process. The interior design was created at the specialised Advanced Design Studio in Como, Italy.

Also, the sound designers of the concept car have integrated an elegant, specially developed sound for the eight independent exhaust pipes integrated into the rear lamps (shown below).


Muscuar Bodyshell:


The sports car proportions that are a typical Mercedes-Benz feature have been reinterpreted: the long bonnet has a flowing transition into a compact greenhouse offset to the rear, which takes the form of an aerodynamically efficient water drop to descend slightly at the rear, where it rests on the rear end with broad shoulder contours. The dynamic aura is accentuated by an extended, dramatic side contour and a pronounced bulge to the wheel arches, which blend into the low-slung, muscular bodyshell. The angled headlamps, with their colour scheme and determined look, convey a sense of sportiness and readiness to leap forward.

LED Grille:


Another eye-catching feature is the radiator grille – a reinterpretation of the wide Mercedes-Benz sports car grille with central star. Its shape is reminiscent of the legendary 300 SL racing car of 1952. However, instead of classic louvres the grille of the show car features exclusively LEDs. The variable LED grille with different light patterns is a further development of the diamond grille introduced with the new A-Class.

The Game: Gran Turismo 6 - Standard Edition


• The Gran Turismo® series, recording sales over 70 million* worldwide, reinvents its core game engine in its newest edition for PlayStation®3. Gran Turismo®6 brings with it 1,200 types of car and 76 courses across 37 locations.
• With powered-up online competition, brand-new community functions, the product of collaboration with the world’s automotive manufacturers “Vision Gran Turismo” and more, Gran Turismo®6 is at the forefront of racing game technology.



Gran Turismo
Mercedes Benz

Aston Martin's CC100 Is One Super Sick Speedster (over 30 photos).

A unique year produces a unique and visionary car. Created as a stunning celebration of Aston Martin’s century of sports car excellence, the ‘CC100’ is a concept car reflecting the sporting heritage and exceptional design capability woven throughout 100 years of Aston Martin history.



CC100 looks back to a proud past and forward to an exciting future. A clear affinity with the legendary 1959 Le Mans and Nürburgring winning race car DBR1 can be seen in the design, with forward-looking features shaped from the same advanced materials and expert engineering used throughout our contemporary model range.








Using the latest iteration of Aston Martin’s naturally aspirated V12 engine, CC100 includes unique engine mountings to ensure the powerhouse sits low down in the chassis. This specially machined drive-train powers the CC100 from rest to 62 mph in a little over four seconds, while the top speed is limited to 180 mph.




Mated to a six-speed hydraulically actuated automated sequential manual transmission and controlled via steering column-mounted paddle shifts CC100’s lightweight gearbox delivers truly sporting changes perfectly suited to the Speedster’s track-focused nature.



With a body and interior crafted from carbon fibre, tooled and provided by low volume specialists Multimatic, Aston Martin designers used this aerospace standard material to create a unique design features and to also ensure CC100 both light and lithe.








Designed and constructed in less than six months, the CC100 represents a shining example of the Aston Martin flexibility.





Expert modellers worked intensively to turn these initial designs into a tangible, physical form. All Aston Martins are initially created by hand, shaping each line, measuring each dimension precisely and working to create perfect aesthetics. Finely honed to create the exact blend of sporting aggression and beauty CC100 had become more than a concept.







As an open-topped speedster, the interior and exterior boundaries merged together and from the start CC100's racing cockpit was an integral element of the concept. The team wanted a lightweight, race car environment and used inspiration from DBR1 to design a slim dashboard proportion with compact racing seats. Further design cues came from a theme of post-war aeronautical engineering, giving rise to complex interior panelling and dynamic wing forms.




Trimming and finishing the interior meant using the same material artistry found on our road cars. Lightweight carbon fibre provides structural rigidity with a unique weave also creating a dynamic cockpit environment. Racing seats are clothed in the finest Bridge of Weir leather but fitted with full safety harness. Glass control buttons and the same distinctive glass ECU starter match those found throughout the Aston Martin model range.




Revealed to the world at the ADAC Zurich 24 Hours of Nürburgring race, CC100 was driven on its debut by Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez. Alongside him on this unique celebratory lap of the iconic Nordschleife was DBR1, the same car that completed the 1000km of Nürburgring in 1959, crewed by the same man - Sir Stirling Moss.




"CC100 is the epitome of everything that is great about Aston Martin. Fantastic heritage, exceptional design, superb engineering and an adventurous spirit." -- Aston Martin CEO, Dr Ulrich Bez

all images and information courtesy of Aston Martin