Red Bull X1 Prototype

Red Bull X1 Prototype

Earlier this year Japanese electronics giant Sony announced a unique partnership between Gran Turismo and Red Bull Racing to create a virtual car that would push the boundaries of motorsports. This in turn prompted the guys at Polyphony Digital, the company behind the legendary Gran Turismo series of Playstation video games, to pose the question: “If you built the fastest racing car on land, one that throws aside all rules and regulations, what would that car look like, how would it perform and how would it feel to drive?”

Developed with the assistance of Red Bull Racing’s technology, the knowledge of their chief technical officer, Adrian Newey, and with input from star F1 driver Sebastian Vettel, Polyphony Digital were able to produce the answer in the form of the Red Bull X1 Prototype.

Today we get our first look at that car, which will be playable in Gran Turismo 5 when the game launches on November 2.

So what exactly are we looking at? Well, according to the specs sheet, the X1 Prototype is powered by a gas turbine engine delivering 1,483 horsepower at 15,000 rpm and 527 pound-feet of torque at 12,000 rpm. Drive is sent to the rear wheels via a continuously variable transmission and top speed is an estimated 249 mph.

Special features of the X1 Prototype include its enclosed wheels and fan elements designed to increase downforce at lower to medium speeds. The whole thing also weighs in at just 1,200 pounds.

Look out for more details closer to the launch of Gran Turismo 5 next month.

[Sony, Red Bull Racing via GTPlanet]