Jaguar Unveils First All-Electric Virtual Sports Car – Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo Coupé
Jaguar unveiled its first all-electric virtual sports car – the Jaguar Vision Gran Turismo Coupé. The futuristic EV is set to join the grid as the latest addition to the Vision Gran Turismo line-up for the Gran Turismo series.
The all-electric Jaguar Vision GT Coupé has been designed and developed from the ground up taking inspiration from the brand’s incredible racing lineage. The iconic C-type and D-type influence its fearless futuristic design, while Jaguar’s I-TYPE 4 Formula E and I-PACE eTROPHY racing cars provide the technical foundations for its uncompromising racing performance.
Jaguar’s team of designers were given complete creative freedom to develop the perfect proportions and beautiful surfaces of this virtual Jaguar of the future.
The influence of Jaguar’s rich racing pedigree is clear to see in the Vision GT Coupé’s assertive exterior lines and powerful, sculpted fenders which reflect those of the iconic Le Mans-winning C-type and D-type racing cars.
Where these heritage Jaguars pushed the boundaries of aerodynamics and braking technology, the Jaguar Vision GT Coupé features a deployable, active aero wing to optimize energy efficiency while generating the perfect amount of downforce.
Beautiful shapes and purposeful proportions from three key cars in Jaguar’s racing heritage, the C-type, D-type and E-type, have influenced the form and graphics of the Jaguar Vision GT Coupé. Radical front fenders are reminiscent of the C-type, the epic plan shape is inspired by the ‘Long Nose’ D-type, and the fast and elegant cabin hints at the Lightweight E- type.
The virtual sports EV is crafted from experimental lightweight materials, with the light and stiff monocoque made from carbon-fiber composites and advanced aluminum alloys. This focused lightweight construction ensures the Jaguar Vision GT Coupé weighs just 1,400kg and delivers near 50:50 weight distribution.
The Vision GT Coupé is the first Jaguar to feature the iconic Leaper on the front grille. Elsewhere the historic references continue with the twin-charging sockets flanking the rear haunches, inspired by Jaguar’s revolutionary 1968 XJ saloon.
The interior of the Jaguar Vision GT Coupé has been designed to fuse Jaguar’s heritage with its contemporary interior philosophy of progressive luxury, purity, driver focus, and stunningly intricate details, all of which are allowed to breathe through the simplicity of the car’s design.
“We’ve really pushed the limit to imagine how a future Jaguar sports car interior could look. The architecture is visually lightweight, simple, and dramatic; featuring advanced and experimental materials and finishes. Sitting in the stunningly considered cockpit and looking out onto the gracefully long bonnet of the Jaguar Vision GT Coupé – a view that is unmistakably Jaguar – the player will be fully immersed in the action,” said Chris Shaw, Interior Designer, Jaguar Advanced Design.
This selection of inspired details and inventive, innovative flourishes include hologram technology. The car 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. This technology can also display other useful information to the driver in a variety of formats, including three-dimensional maps, and essential vehicle data.
The cockpit has been crafted to envelop the driver, creating a racing experience reminiscent of Jaguar’s Le Mans-winning D-types. It also features augmented reality digital side glass for enhanced vision either side of the car; the glass being able to highlight danger and obstacles, therefore increasing driver perception. Complimenting this, ahead of the driver is a transparent information cluster, displaying three-dimensional information inspired by iconic Smiths gauges, with rearward vision integrated either side in the screen’s simple wrapped design – all in perfect eye-line of the road ahead.
A unique soundscape has also been created to immerse the driver in a pure Jaguar racing experience. Led by the team responsible for the Jaguar I-PACE’s soundtrack, the Vision GT Coupé’s distinctive sound was created using brand new recordings of the 1957 Le Mans podium-finishing ‘603’ Long Nose D-type. Its race-spec 3.8-litre XK engine provides a unique layer, manipulated and woven into a futuristic and distinctive electric soundtrack.
To create the Jaguar Vision GT Coupé’s uncompromising racing performance the design team called on the same Panasonic Jaguar Racing engineers who lead the design and development of the brand’s I-TYPE 4 Formula E and I-PACE eTROPHY race cars. The car is powered by three powerful, compact motors – one driving both front wheels, the other two driving a rear-wheel each – which together produce a combined 1,020PS (750kW) and 1,200Nm. Players will be propelled from 0-100km/h in less than two seconds and on to a maximum speed of more than 200mph.
