Volkswagen builds a GTI Roadster

Volkswagen has joined Mercedes-Benz and Lexus in transforming a design originally developed for a video game into a full-size concept car.

The GTI Roadster, Vision Gran Turismo concept was revealed at the annual GTI festival at Wörthersee, Austria, which runs from from May 28 to 31.

The two-seat roadster concept is powered by a 3.0-litre V-6 twin-turbocharged TSI engine that generates 503 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque. That power is delivered to 20-inch wheels and tires via a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission and a 4MOTION all-wheel-drive system.

VW estimates that the lightweight roadster will accelerate from 0 to 96 km/h in 3.5 seconds and achieve a top speed of more than 300 km/h.

The GTI Roadster, Vision Gran Turismo is the result of cooperation between Volkswagen and Sony Computer Entertainment.

According to Klaus Bischoff, head of design at Volkswagen, when Sony asked if the company would develop a Vision GTI vehicle exclusively for the Gran Turismo game, an in-house competition was launched and young Volkswagen designers submitted their designs.

The submissions were judged by Bischoff and Kazunori Yamauchi, the inventor of the "Gran Turismo series" and a GTI fan.

Designers Malte Hammerbeck and Domen Rucigaj were in charge of developing the exterior, while Guillermo Mignot was responsible for the interior. The entire development process was realized on the computer and even the 3D model of the vehicle was virtual.

Sony and Volkswagen unveiled the version for the virtual world of PlayStation3 on May 26 May and three days later, Volkswagen unveiled the real GTI Roadster at the GTI festival in Reifnitz, Austria.