Following the launch of the new M3 and M4 BMW has now unveiled a virtual racing version of the car for Gran Turismo 6 video game. It is not the first virtual car BMW has made for the game, but it is the first virtual racing machine. And it looks rather good.

The BMW Vision Gran Turismo race car is powered by a 404 kW/549 hp version of the real six-cylinder turbo engine you find in the M3/M4. The car weighs 1,180 kilograms and benefits from perfect 50:50 axle load distribution.  But all this is useless if you have bad hand-eye coordination, as that is all that matters in a video game.

To promote the car, visitors to BMW Welt in Munich will be treated to a ride in BMW Vision Gran Turismo on a virtual track within the BMW M exhibition. The exhibition features PS3 stations plus an additional dedicated racing seat with a specially designed three-screen display to make the experience feel more realistic.

“The development of the BMW Vision Gran Turismo combines our many years of motorsports experience with signature BMW Design. The race car anticipates future racing trends and allows gaming fans even more to experience BMW racing quality,” says Andreas-Christoph Hofmann, Vice President Brand Communication BMW, BMW i, BMW M.