The latest addition to the Gran Turismo Vision virtual hypercar world comes courtesy of Fiat-Chrysler-Automobiles US by way of the SRT division. Revealed in Auburn Hills, Michigan this morning, the SRT Tomahawk will be the 17th virtual concept car for Gran Turismo 6 on the Playstation 3 console, joining BMW, Volkswagen, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Aston Martin, Mazda, Chevrolet, and more – check out the full list of Vision concepts here.
While we did receive an invite to drive a preview of the Tomahawk this morning, unfortunately, we were unable to attend in person to drive it for ourselves.
The single-seater hybrid gasoline-pneumatic SRT Tomahawk virtual hypercar gives us a small preview into the world of possible racecars 20 years from now. Powering the Tomahwak is a 7L V10 with a 144 degree bank angle for maximum balance, plus a pneumatic power unit connected to the front wheels to produce extra thrust, but unlike most of the other Vision concepts, the Tomahwak will come in three flavours for drivers of all skill levels.
The ‘entry’ level Tomahawk S 7L V10 is tuned to deliver 792 hp to the rear wheels (for reference, the 8.4L Dodge Viper puts out 645 hp), plus an additional 215 hp from the pneumatic power unit powering the front wheels, giving the Tomahwak S an combined output of 1,007 hp. In a racecar that weighs 2,026 lbs or 919 kilograms, this thing will boogie to over 250 mph or 402 km/h.
If that’s not enough for you, the V10 in the Tomahwak GTS-R is tuned to 1,137 hp with an additional 313 hp powering the front wheels for a total output of 1,450 hp. Beyond the extra 450-odd hp over the S, the GTS-R weighs a ridiculous 1,459 lbs or 662 kilograms. This is good for 300+ mph or 483 km/h.
The Tomahawk X is touted as the ultimate Tomahawk. This 2,168 hp V10 redlines at 14,500 RPM, combined with an additional 422 hp at the front wheels, the X is good for a total output of 2,590 hp and a top speed of 404 mph or 650 km/h. To complete the fantasy, all drivers of the X version will be required to don a G-Suit so the driver can stay conscious due to the extreme corner loads.
Aside from the massive amounts of horsepower, as expected, the Tomahawk looks suitably aggressive with active aero augmenting the sharp lines and wide body. The front bumper and headlights look very McLaren-esque, while the hood scoop looks Viper-esque. The exhaust is uniquely finished off with 5 tips in a row. Much of the Tomahawk will be constructed out of the lightest and strongest of materials. The clear cockpit and engine covers are made of graphene lattice, a form of carbon. The instrument and communication information fed to the driver are all displayed in an overlay on this graphene surface.
Journalists in attendance were given a chance to drive all three trims around Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and apparently, some of the SRT folks were lapping the legendary track at 45 seconds. The current ‘unofficial’ lap record for Laguna is 1’05.786 – accomplished Marc Gené in a Ferrari F2003-GA Formula One car. FCA even brought out Master Kazunori “Kaz” Yamauchi, the grandfather of Gran Turismo as part of the reveal.
For a more detailed look of the virtual technology behind the Tomahawk, check out the press release on the next page.The Vision GT SRT Tomahawk will be available as a free download sometime this summer.
