Yahoo Autos Wee Whomper: Mini’s Clubman Vision Gran Turismo Is Awesome
The latest member of the growing stable of Vision Gran Turismo cars available exclusively for the Playstation game Gran Turismo 6 comes from Mini. And while the Clubman Vision Gran Turismo technically is a flight of fancy designed to be raced virtually by the masses, there’s a lot here that should pique your interest.
Let’s get the main stats out of the way first, then talk about the possible real-world implications. First, the car’s engine of unspecified displacement and type (presumably a turbo-four boosted to the moon) generates 395 horsepower. Top speed in-game is around 180 mph, depending on the gearing.
That punch is sent to all four corners via a six-speed paddle-shift transmission and permanent AWD. While the car bears the Clubman moniker, you’ll note that it has just two standard passenger doors in addition to the signature rear barn doors. The production Clubman, previewed here in show trim, will be a “six-door.”
Cleverest detail? That would be the headlamp design, a nod to the taped “X” racers used to cover their lights back in the day. Here, it’s a molded part of the housing, with LED lamps mounted in the open spaces. It’s so Mini-they’re masters of finding ways go retro without being obnoxious. Oh yeah, and to Mini’s credit, they did build a runner that the game car’s performance is based on:
The rest of the presentation is great. The Clubman VGT is squat and mean-looking, with carbon-fiber aero bits that service both form and function. The grille (the same one we’ll see on the Clubman you can buy) is stolen directly from the lovely Mini Superleggera Vision roadster. With the departure of the backwards-cap-wearing Mini Coupe and its Roadster sibling, speculation abounds that Mini will produce some sort of sports car to fill the void.
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We’re holding out hope for something in the vein of the Superleggera Vision-which supposedly will happen-but absent that, a Golf R400–hunting two-door Clubman like this would do just fine, thanks.
This story originally appeared on roadandtrack.com.
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