Renault-Alpine's 'Gran Turismo' race car breaks virtual cover

The latest digital concept car created for the long-running PlayStation game franchise also offers a taste of things to come from the car company.

The Alpine Vision Gran Turismo boasts a virtual 5-liter 450hp V8 engine, which will push the carbon-fiber-clad car to a top speed of 320km/h (199mph). It also offers next to no creature comforts at all, whatsoever -- even the roof has been sacrificed for the greater performance-focused good.

However, though this car will exist only within the 'Gran Turismo' game when it becomes available to download as a bonus vehicle in the coming days, the way it handles and performs will point to the characteristics of Alpine's upcoming road car, its first for 20 years.

'This virtual concept car bridges the gap between the Alpine A450 race car and the 21st Century Berlinetta. It was important to define this vehicle by imbuing it with the true Alpine genes. In terms of performance, it slots between the LM P2 endurance racing prototype and our forthcoming sportscar. If you look carefully, you may discern some of the handling characteristics of our future road-going model, while at the same time retaining features specific to the prototypes that compete at Le Mans,' said Alpine chassis development engineer Terry Baillon.

And as well as a sense of performance, the virtual car also holds a number of clues as to how the upcoming road car -- which will be developed in partnership with parent company, Renault -- will look. So expect something sleek and angular but with a proper cockpit and room for a driver and passenger.

Alpine will this week unveil a full-scale model of the video game car, but it isn't expected to take the wraps off its new real-world sportscar until some time in 2016.