SRT Tomahawk Vision Gran Turismo

Making its debut, FCA US LLC’s latest concept car, the SRT Tomahawk Vision Gran Turismo, is a single-seat concept that pulls from existing and potential technologies to test the limits of performance. Gran Turismo®6 (GT6™) fans can stretch those limits on the virtual track this summer when then the V-10, 2,590 combined horsepower SRT Tomahawk Vision Gran Turismo X launches exclusively in GT6 for the PlayStation®3 console.

The SRT Tomahawk Vision Gran Turismo is the latest addition to the Vision Gran Turismo project where automakers, design houses and leading brands around the globe showcase special concept vehicles exclusively in Gran Turismo®, one of the most popular video game franchises in history. Beginning summer 2015, players can access three powerful versions of the SRT Tomahawk Vision Gran Turismo by successfully completing online challenges of varying degrees of difficulty in GT6.
After completing the challenges, players will find the entry level SRT Tomahawk Vision Gran Turismo S, the racing version GTS-R and the experimental technology ultimate version X concept vehicles in the game’s SRT garage.

“I’m truly happy that FCA and its performance division, SRT, have captured the spirit of the Vision Gran Turismo with the SRT Tomahawk Vision Gran Turismo,” said Kazunori Yamauchi, creator of Gran Turismo and president of Polyphony Digital, Inc. “FCA designers took part in a design competition and the concept that was chosen is extreme in every way with its striking form, aerodynamic proportions, internal mechanisms and advanced driver’s suit. Due to the radical design of the vehicle, our physics team had to develop new physics for Gran Turismo in order to represent the car properly in the game. We thank everyone at FCA who enjoyed the Vision Gran Turismo project and I am looking forward to the day when we can share the vision of SRT with Gran Turismo players.”

The extreme exterior look of the SRT Tomahawk Vision Gran Turismo was born from an internal design competition that sought a futuristic (2035) interpretation of a high-performance Dodge. But this single-seat car is more than just digital design fantasy.

“It doesn’t take much to bring out the competitive spirit of the FCA US design team,” said Ralph Gilles, Head of Design, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. “We have plenty of Gran Turismo fans in the room and every one of them has the same goal – win the race. Everything we’ve done with the SRT Tomahawk Vision Gran Turismo aims for that goal.”

The popularity of video games among the members of the FCA US design studios meant that giving the GT6 assignment to one person or one studio was not an option. Everyone, from interns to seasoned designers, was invited to submit a sketch. As a result, designers worked on their sketches in their spare time, weekends and after hours producing a flood of proposals.

At the conclusion of the judging process, Paul Hoste was selected as the winner. Hoste, a young designer and new to FCA, grew up playing Gran Turismo. He was inspired by concept art and gravitated toward a design that had amped up, voluptuous curves that paid homage to iconic Dodge performance vehicles.

The overall shape of the SRT Tomahawk Vision Gran Turismo imparts a sense of movement and flow. The front view conveys an aggressive, almost menacing character, while the rear view takes on a bolder and powerful aesthetic with angular graphics and asymmetric look to the fenders.

All of the transparent elements, including the cockpit and engine cover, are made from ultra-light graphene skins. The driver views the SRT Tomahawk Vision Gran Turismo’s instruments and communication system on a clear digital overlay on the graphene windshield.

A large air intake for engine cooling is mounted on the hood. Active panels mounted above the front and rear fenders are constantly moving, via pneumatic assist, to create the optimal amount of aerodynamic downforce for braking assist and traction under acceleration.

An overhead view of the SRT Tomahawk Vision Gran Turismo is marked by a “pinched-waist” silhouette. An exposed aluminum spine channels air to help cool the V-10 engine.

The rear of the SRT Tomahawk Vision Gran Turismo has been thoughtfully designed for high impact – as this is the primary view for the gamer (and his or her competitors) during play. A bold, carbon fiber graphic detail is prominent. Thin LED lights and five large exhaust ports are integrated in the rear diffuser to create an intimidating and planted look.

Hoste worked closely with SRT engineering to optimize the hard points and performance numbers of his design for function and aerodynamics.

With a full set of engineering and performance specifications developed by the SRT engineering team at FCA US, the capabilities of the SRT Tomahawk Vision Gran Turismo are rooted in an effort to push performance just beyond the limits of known science.

The entire vehicle design, from the driver position to the nearly flat layout of the V-10 engine, is intended to achieve the lowest possible center of gravity. The SRT Tomahawk Vision Gran Turismo was engineered and developed to the same uncompromising standards as any SRT vehicle on the road today. SRT engineers also worked in their spare time and on weekends to create three extremely fast cars that test the limits of human physiology.

“We had fun stretching our minds to create the SRT Tomahawk Vision Gran Turismo for GT6. The game places a high emphasis on capturing reality in a virtual environment; our goal was to respect that philosophy by focusing on plausible future technologies that could achieve our vision of extreme performance,” said Mike Shinedling, Manager – Advanced Concepts, SRT Engineering, FCA US LLC. “Everyone can appreciate an exquisite design and something that is beautifully engineered; when those two things are brought together in a fusion of cooperation, there is nothing more exciting.”