A concept car allows an automaker's design team to push the boundaries of its own imagination. Still, when it comes time to make that machine in the flesh you have to adhere to some physical limits.

Building a concept car for a video game allows you to push more deeply into the realm of the not-quite-yet-possible. That's what McLaren has done in teaming up with Gran Turismo to create its own Ultimate Vision GT concept race car—and it looks every bit the futuristic track beast.

From its all-glass canopy to the holographic display for the driver, it's a unique take on the race car of the future. One thing we don't like, however, is the driver's seating position. In the concept car, the driver lies flat on his or her stomach and has a face-forward view of the action.

In concept form, this may seem like a good idea. Your eyeballs are front and center for the apex of each corner and you have a commanding vision over the circuit.

However, anyone who's ever surfed can tell you why it's a bad idea to have someone lie this way for a long period during a strenuous activity.

McLaren Ultimate Vision GT virtual concept car

McLaren Ultimate Vision GT virtual concept car

The muscles in your neck are already working hard to hold up your helmeted head. Now add in the g-forces of racing, and those muscles work even more overtime. That's before we get into the shoulder muscles, lats, and others that will be on fire before a few short laps have gone past. Furthermore, if you get in a crash, the idea that your face is the closest thing to the damage isn't exactly an appealing thought.

While the visuals and noise of the virtual car are fantastic, the driving position is just poorly thought out. We know it's a video-game racing car, but it should still have some basis in reality.

That basis arrives courtesy of extensive carbon-fiber materials and a powerful hybrid drivetrain. McLaren has fitted its Ultimate Vision GT with a twin-turbocharged V-8 engine displacing 4.0 liters. Up front, each wheel pod hosts an electric motor. All of them work together to create 1,135 horsepower and 940 lb-ft of torque, which drivers could draw on right at the initial moment of launch.

The McLaren Ultimate Vision will be a playable vehicle in the upcoming Gran Turismo Sport video game. It arrives for Playstation 4 starting October 17th.

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