The Opel Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo with 800 HP is more real than you imagine
In the second round of the GT World Series in Berlin, Opel publicly showcased its new prototype and we had the opportunity to learn more details about it and the brand's collaboration with the video game Gran Turismo
Last weekend, the Gran Turismo World Series took place in the German capital, where Subaru was crowned champion in the manufacturers' category and the Spaniard José Serrano in the Nations category. It was an exciting eSports weekend and one of those occasions when the line between the virtual and the real blurs: a must-attend event for fans of the exclusive Playstation title.
Moreover, at motor.es we had the chance to attend a roundtable with various media outlets to share some impressions with both the CEO of Opel, Florian Huettl, and the producer of the Gran Turismo series, Kazunori Yamauchi. This event also marked Opel's return to the saga, and additionally with a model conceived, designed, and built for the occasion.
With the Corsa GSE VGT, Opel aims to embody its philosophy and legacy in Gran Turismo, but at the same time sees such figures as possible in the not-so-distant future
And this is not something to take lightly: the Corsa GSE VGT is capable of delivering 800 HP electrically through its 2 motors -one on each axle- and offers a 0 to 100 Km/h in just 2 seconds. These performance figures may not seem surprising for an EV, but when you add to the equation a weight not exceeding 1100 Kg thanks to a compact battery and ultralight materials, the experience changes dramatically.
With the Vision Gran Turismo project, Yamauchi offered the possibility in 2013 for interested brands to show their design exercises in the virtual environment of Gran Turismo 6. Without limitations, without regulations, and with totally fictitious performance.
The most paradoxical thing is that there are brands that not only conceive this program as a simple marketing or design exercise, but also begin to use the simulator for dynamic testing and not stray too far from figures that could exist in reality. Opel has done just that.
Exclusively, we were able to speak with one of the engineers of the Corsa GSE VGT project and he confirmed to us that its specifications in Gran Turismo are not far from being achievable in reality. It should, of course, be a limited series and totally focused on the circuit (especially due to development costs and autonomy), but they have the technology.
Partnering with Gran Turismo to make the Corsa accessible to everyone again
To this statement from Huettl, Kazunori Yamauchi added that many prototypes offer their own characteristics that must be implemented in the game's code individually, and that this communication between the brand and the developer is mutual:
"From the video game we inform the engineering department of the brand that, for example, we would like to raise the front height by about 20 mm to make it easier to drive, and we ask them what they think about it"
Another aspect that Huettl admits excites him about this union between the virtual and the real is the fact of comparing his real driving experience with what Gran Turismo can offer. While many people aspire to drive in reality what they have driven in video games, he particularly enjoys comparing in video games what he already knows in the real world.
"Electric technology can help us express emotions and sensations"
During the interview, another media outlet conveniently asked if video games can be the ultimate refuge to experiment with powerful cars and large engines, to which Huettl replied:
"Respectfully, but firmly, I disagree because it is not due to the shift to electrification or any other limitation that we see that we cannot make exciting cars [...] It is quite easy to have transmission on the rear axle, which gives you that sense of wonder, and we have many possibilities to create something new, modern, sustainable, and at the same time, super exciting."
Yamauchi also agreed with the CEO of Opel and added that just that feeling of fun with EVs is what he wants to showcase in Gran Turismo, and seeks to teach us to push them to the limit in the safe environment of a video game.
"This is just the beginning"
To conclude the meeting, we posed both to Yamauchi and Huettl other questions worth sharing. To close the intervention with Opel, we asked that, now that the lightning brand has returned to the Gran Turismo saga and considering its competitive legacy, is there a possibility of finding classic models that forged the history of the GSI initials or competition in the game catalog. The question was very well received and the answer was affirmative.
They did not want to share more information (although there were knowing smiles between both responsible parties) but Huettl assured us that the collaboration with Gran Turismo had only just begun.
On the other hand, Yamauchi confessed to us that he has spent a good part of his life meeting and talking with manufacturers from all over the world, and that this is what allows him to have an idea of where the automobile is heading. Gran Turismo is a game that has always accompanied the motor industry, and this philosophy is what has allowed the series to continue for almost 30 years.
