Mercedes unveils AMG Vision Gran Turismo supercar

With the debut of the SLS Final Edition at the LA Auto Show later this week, Mercedes-Benz is killing off its halo supercar. What could be its successor was revealed today, but there’s a catch: It’ll exist only be available for purchase for virtual currency inside the world of Gran Turismo 6.

Yesterday Mercedes-Benz teased an image of what it calls the AMG Vision Gran Turismo on its Facebook and Instagram accounts, showing a very dramatic rear end. Today the rest of the virtual sheet was pulled to reveal a stunning shape that recalls the 1952 300SL Gullwing. 

A prominent grille with embedded three-pointed star logo dominates the nose, but individual and variable LEDs can create different patterns within the opening. It has gullwing doors but no rear window, and huge, fenders that practically ensconce the entire wheel.Â

The project was a collaboration between the automaker and the creators of the hugely popular Gran Turismo 6 racing simulation video game, which will go on sale December 6. For the 15th anniversary of the series, creator Kazunori Yamauchi put out a call to car companies to design their visions of future sports car concepts.  

According to Mercedes, it’s powered by a 577 horsepower motor, suggesting the biturbo 5.5-liter V8 found in the 2014 S63 AMG. Total weight comes in at only 3053 pounds. Where did this figure come from?

Apparently a 1:1 scale model of this car will produced to celebrate the opening of the new Mercedes-Benz R&D center on November 19. It’s located, appropriately, in Sunnyvale, California, right in the heart of Silicon Valley.