Automotive

Audi makes virtuality reality with track-ready e-tron Vision Gran Turismo

Audi makes virtuality reality with track-ready e-tron Vision Gran Turismo
It's totally real and it's totally race-ready, the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo will hit the Formula E circuit as a race taxi starting April 14, 2018
It's totally real and it's totally race-ready, the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo will hit the Formula E circuit as a race taxi starting April 14, 2018
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The Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo was originally designed for the PlayStation 4 game Gran Turismo as a virtual race car
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The Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo was originally designed for the PlayStation 4 game Gran Turismo as a virtual race car
In the game, the e-tron competed against other virtually-created concepts from other automakers
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In the game, the e-tron competed against other virtually-created concepts from other automakers
Now that virtuality is becoming reality as the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo hits public streets
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Now that virtuality is becoming reality as the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo hits public streets
The virtual cockpit will become a real one, with the car being driven by one of two accomplished race drivers from the Audi teams
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The virtual cockpit will become a real one, with the car being driven by one of two accomplished race drivers from the Audi teams
The Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo is all-wheel drive and does 0-62 mph in a mere 2.5 seconds
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The Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo is all-wheel drive and does 0-62 mph in a mere 2.5 seconds
Lightweight and fast, the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo may have been built for publicity, but it's also built to race
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Lightweight and fast, the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo may have been built for publicity, but it's also built to race
It's totally real and it's totally race-ready, the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo will hit the Formula E circuit as a race taxi starting April 14, 2018
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It's totally real and it's totally race-ready, the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo will hit the Formula E circuit as a race taxi starting April 14, 2018
The Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo has over 800 horsepower, with two motors on the rear axle and one on the front
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The Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo has over 800 horsepower, with two motors on the rear axle and one on the front
No exhaust required as the e-tron Vision Gran Turismo is entirely electric, just like the race cars in Formula E
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No exhaust required as the e-tron Vision Gran Turismo is entirely electric, just like the race cars in Formula E
Race-ready aerodynamics and keen graphics taken from the 1989 Audi 90 quattro from IMSA-GTO racing
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Race-ready aerodynamics and keen graphics taken from the 1989 Audi 90 quattro from IMSA-GTO racing
One of the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo's drivers, Rahel Frey, is very familiar with GTO driving, having competed in that field many times during her career
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One of the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo's drivers, Rahel Frey, is very familiar with GTO driving, having competed in that field many times during her career
The other Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo driver, Dindo Capello, has taken multiple titles in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and American Le Mans series
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The other Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo driver, Dindo Capello, has taken multiple titles in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and American Le Mans series
Virtual reality becomes reality - it's hard not to drool over the awesome Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo
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Virtual reality becomes reality - it's hard not to drool over the awesome Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo
View gallery - 13 images

Ready player one? Gamers who've loved the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo in the PlayStation game can now feast their eyes on the real thing. Audi has built a track-ready version of the e-tron to use as a race taxi in the all-electric Formula E series.

Want a ride? Starting at the first Formula E race in Rome on April 14, the e-tron Vision will begin shuttling lucky passengers to the races as part of Audi's commitment to the series.

"E-Mobility is rapidly gaining importance," said Peter Mertens, Member of the Board of Management, Technical Development, Audi AG. "With the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo race taxi we are turning electric mobility into a tangible experience for our customers and guests as part of the Formula E races - in the middle of the world's metropolises."

Audi's pre-production center developed and produced the e-tron Vision Gran Turismo from the virtual example designed for the Gran Turismo video game. The process took just eleven months. The Audi example, while not the first full-scale model of the concepts shown in the game, is the first one to be fully functional and deployed to real-world race tracks.

The other Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo driver, Dindo Capello, has taken multiple titles in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and American Le Mans series
The other Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo driver, Dindo Capello, has taken multiple titles in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and American Le Mans series

The Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo is modeled heavily off of the Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO which entered the North American IMSA-GTO racing series in 1989. The more modern e-tron, however, uses all-electric all-wheel drive with variable power distribution to each wheel from three electric motors. Each motor outputs 200 kW (268 horsepower), with two motors on the rear axle and one on the front axle. Total system output is 600 kW (815 hp).

The power-to-weight ratio of the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo is 1.78 kilograms per horsepower in a 50:50 weight distribution design. Acceleration from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) is under 2.5 seconds, Audi says. No range expectation is given, but the car is capable of making at least one lap of a Formula E circuit.

The virtual cockpit will become a real one, with the car being driven by one of two accomplished race drivers from the Audi teams
The virtual cockpit will become a real one, with the car being driven by one of two accomplished race drivers from the Audi teams

Audi plans to deploy the e-tron Vision Gran Turismo to all European Formula E races in 2018 as well as other events as yet to be announced. Drivers will include Rahel Frey (Switzerland) and Dindo Capello (Italy). Capello is a three-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, twice driving for the Audi team.

Source: Audi

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