Cargazing
By Derek Price
While automotive dreamers were likely drooling over the latest speed machines at this year’s New York International Auto Show, nothing on the floor could match the sheer fantastical appeal of the Genesis X Gran Berlinetta Vision Gran Turismo concept.
Recently making the jump from virtual video game rendering to full-scale physical model, this wildly ambitious Genesis concept car isn’t just a pretty computer design. It’s the physical embodiment of the brand’s lofty ambitions.
First unveiled last December ahead of its inclusion in the latest Gran Turismo 7 racing sim, the X Gran Berlinetta VGT stunned in the metal at the New York show.
A true “what if” from Genesis’ global design team, this low-slung gran turismo is the stuff of automotive fantasies, despite having precisely zero chance of entering production.
“Our goal was to create a timeless design rooted in the essence of motorsport,” Genesis Senior Chief Designer John Krsteski explained of the X Gran Berlinetta last year.
Looking every bit like a purebred endurance racer, the Genesis X Gran Berlinetta VGT melds seductive curves with functional aerodynamic elements in an impossibly alluring package.
One look at the concept’s aggressive, race-bred form makes that objective resoundingly clear. From its muscular proportions and functional aerodynamics to that ferocious hybrid powertrain, this machine exists solely to conquer racetracks.
The X’s shape seamlessly blends curvaceous, elegant body lines with unmistakably sporting intentions. A new front fascia interpretation flows into sculpted fenders and boldly creased bodysides, the dramatic look culminating in an aggressively tapered rear end capped by functional spoilers. Bathed in a radiant Korean-inspired Magma red, the X’s bodywork appears molten.
While denied the opportunity to experience its searing performance in real life, Genesis claims the X Gran Berlinetta would devastate any circuit with its thundering 1,071-horsepower hybrid drivetrain. A mid-mounted 6.5L V6 generates a wailing 870 hp and 790 lb-ft of torque, augmented by an additional 201 electric horses and 196 lb-ft from the car’s E-SC electric motor system.
Sadly, those rapturous performance figures will remain theoretical, as the X Gran Berlinetta is destined to stay a non-drivable design study.
The X Gran Berlinetta’s stripped-down cockpit and race-inspired details like a panoramic digital interface illustrate the concept’s uncompromising focus on driving performance.
Still, its minimalist yet race-focused interior allowing total driving immersion offers a glimpse of the sporting ambitions lurking within Genesis. A panoramic digital interface and steer-by-wire controls provide total connection between driver and machine.
So while the X Gran Berlinetta may never turn a wheel in anger, as an idealized manifesto for the Genesis brand’s performance intentions, it’s utterly captivating.
This race-bred fantasy’s marriage of elegant yet aggressive styling and uncompromised performance could influence future Genesis models to come. Count me among the many enthusiasts hoping elements of this scintillating concept make it to the street.
For now, enjoying the X Gran Berlinetta’s virtual thrills on Gran Turismo 7 is the closest we’ll get. But breathing life into such a tantalizingly bold concept bodes well for Genesis unleashing more attainable — if slightly tamer — sporting machines in the years ahead.
A A Glance
What is it: A design concept built for the Gran Turismo video game series, turned into a full-scale model.
First revealed: Dec. 2, 2023
Made available in Gran Turismo 7: January 2024
Shown in New York: March 29, 2024
Gasoline engine: Lambda 11 V6 (870 hp, 790 lbs. ft.)
Electric motor: Yasa E (201 hp, 196 lbs. ft.)
Total combined output: 1,071 hp, 986 lbs. ft.
Predicted Ratings
Style: 10
Performance: 10
Price: 1
Handling: 10
Ride: 3
Comfort: 2
Quality: 8
Overall: 9
Why buy it?
While this concept car isn’t for sale, it would compete with some of the most exciting supercars available today if it were slated for production. Sadly, it will likely only exist as a design study.