Game on for BMW’s virtual M1 replacement

BMW has become the latest car-maker to jump on the virtual show-car bandwagon, revealing a modern-day interpretation of its supercar-styled M1.

The online driving game Gran Turismo 6 will feature the BMW Vision Gran Turismo, as the virtual car will be known when the game is released in Australia later this year.

The single front-on illustration of the car shows a supercar-styled coupe – more racecar than road warrior – with a deeply sculpted air dam featuring huge intakes, an extended splitter featuring the trademark colours of the German luxury brand’s M tuning division, and blue-rimmed kidney grille intakes, suggesting that the heart of the car features a hybrid – rather than conventional – drivetrain.

Sony, the creators of the Gran Turismo game, say the BMW Vision car will feature in the virtual driving simulator once it is launched.

“I have immense respect for what’s been achieved here and am very much looking forward to the arrival of the BMW Vision Gran Turismo,” Kazunori Yamauchi, the game’s producer, said.

Other concept cars from brands as diverse as Peugeot, Toyota and Nissan have featured in Grand Turismo, often allowing car enthusiasts to get a virtual feel for the vehicle before the real car even reaches showrooms.

US car-maker Chevrolet even released a camouflage-clad version of its recently released Corvette Stingray to the game, allowing GT5 users to experience a prototype version of the iconic muscle car before the world had even seen the production version.

The most recent virtual reveal was from Mazda, which pushed video from the launch of its all-new Mazda3 small car onto Sony’s PlayStation network that forms the backbone of the gaming device’s multiplayer function worldwide.