AboutUS By Hotspotorlando #29 | Page 134

To mark the 15th anniversary of the popular Gran Turismo(®) series in 2013, Kazunori Yamauchi, creator of Gran Turismo and president of Polyphony Digital Inc., called upon the world's leading automotive manufacturers and design studios to look forward into the future. Using the theme "Vision Gran Turismo," these creative teams were to develop concept models which give a unique insight into the further development of the automobile. 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. The Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo was the first concept of the "Vision Gran Turismo" series to be integrated in the game, released in December. The Mercedes-Benz concept car perfectly embodies the design philosophy of sensual purity. The technical details engineered with utmost precision, such as the headlamps, the front grille and even the tailpipe trim, create a deliberate contrast to the sensual design idiom of the vehicle body and bolster its breathtaking appearance on the road. While this concept car is a vision that is not committed to production, it does preview design inspirations for the future of Mercedes-Benz. Extreme proportions striking design and spired by the Formula 1 cockpit, the red integral sports seats blend into the black The sports car proportions flooring of the footwell to that are a typical Mercedes form a protective shell. The feature are reinterpreted in form of this flowing, sculpthe Vision Gran Turismo: the tured shell suggests enormous long hood has a flowing tran- forward thrust. sition into a compact greenhouse offset to the rear, which The dashboard also creates an takes the form of an aerody- equally dynamic effect. It has namically efficient water drop been designed in the form of to descend slightly at the rear, two gullwing doors which are where it rests on the rear end positioned on each side of the with broad shoulder contours. steering column. As a result the actual doors themselves The dynamic aura is accen- appear to be an extension of tuated by an extended, dra- the instrument panel. matic side contour and a pronounced bulge to the wheel A natural collaboration with arches, which blend into the Cigarette: Crafted lightlow-slung, muscular body- weight performance shell. The extraordinary headlights, with their color Virtually simultaneous to the scheme and determined look, development of the Vision convey a sense of sportiness Gran Turismo was the special and readiness to leap forward. development of the Cigarette Racing 50' Vision GT ConThis impr ession is reinforced cept, a one-of-a-kind special by the hood with its expres- model which is the most powsive forms and motorsport erful production twin engine details, such as the release performance boat ever develcatches on the hood and the oped and built by Cigarette fuel cap, for example. The Racing. red-glowing contour lines on the lower part of the vehicle Collaboration between Cigcreate an effect similar to that arette Racing Team, Merof exterior ambient lighting cedes-AMG and Polyphony and stand out from the sil- Digital Inc. created one-ofver-painted bodywork. This a-kind elements for the Cigmakes the Mercedes-Benz arette Racing 50' Vision GT AMG Vision Gran Turismo Concept, incorporating a look even more expressive. stunning Alubeam painted exterior that includes a custom The exterior design of the matte black hull and accents. Vision Gran Turismo, which is systematically and passion- The Cigarette Racing 50' Viately geared to motor racing, sion GT Concept has twin 1650 is congenially mirrored in the hp Mercury Racing engines, interior of the two-seater. In- which roar at 300 hp per en- gine higher than the standard engines used in the 50' Cigarette Marauder. Lightweight construction has allowed for approximately 1000 lbs to be removed from the standard spec weight, thereby allowing the boat to have an estimated top speed of more than 140 mph at a length of 50' and a width of 8'. No detail was left untouched when designing the interior of the Cigarette Racing 50' Vision GT Concept. The crafted interior is black with black alcantara accents, and uses carbon fiber dash panels inside the boat with silver face gauges. User interface technology is also maximized with Bluetooth, computerized controls, four high-definition displays, and the next generation integration of Garmin and Cigarette navigation and audio. The price of this one-of-akind boat from Cigarette Racing Team is USD $1.5 million. The Miami International Boat Show is open to the public from February 13-17 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. For more information, please visit miamiboatshow.com.