Mazda is the latest automaker to contribute to the Vision Gran Turismo project with their Mazda LM55 Vision Gran Turismo.

The Playstation console game has challenged the world’s biggest automotive brands to conceptualize motorsport vehicles of the future and the LM55 is their take on 24 Heures du Mans contender.

Mazda claim it as a vision of the future with a healthy dose of respect for the past – referring to their famous underdog victory at the 1992 Le Mans where their rotary-engined 787 B unexpectedly took victory. Personally, I don’t see any 787 B in this new car beyond the fact they are both closed-cockpit endurance racers.

That’s not a bad thing though. It doesn't need any retro influences. The Mazda Design has created a dynamic silhouette inspired by Mazda’s Kodo design philosophy – especially evident in that front grille, which is an interpretation of the company’s signature front end developed for its production vehicles.

In their press release, Mazda talk about it being made of “…lightweight, carbon fibre components, including a monocoque chassis clad in striking atmospheric-white paint. Pair this with advanced drive train technology that offers the epitome of power, efficiency and durability and the result is an exceptional power to weight ratio exceeding that of most cars in its class.”

It’s a car for a video game so they can say what they like, I guess, as the car doesn’t exist. However, the first step to actually creating and then building something new is imagining what you want it to be… and this is an impressive first step.

 

Original article from Car