When Skoda design boss Oliver Stefani was presented with a car on his birthday 18 months ago, it was the last thing he expected.
"This was a very funny story in the beginning because the designers started this as a lunchtime project," he says. "I didn't know anything about it until the team showed me this concept on my birthday."
The man in charge of Skoda's design future was amazed by the first sketches and animations of his team's latest creation: an outlandish single-seat racing car featuring an all-electric powertrain.
But surely Skoda - a brand with a long history of producing comfortable and robust family cars couldn't roll out a wild electric sports car? So rather than turn the concept car into a production model, Skoda approached Polyphony, creator of PlayStation racing game Gran Turismo.
"Once we got the backing from the board, we took it to Polyphony and asked if they would be interested in the car featuring in the game. Thankfully they agreed and then the whole project exploded," says Stefani, pointing at various sketches of the car through its development.
And so the radical Skoda Vision GT was born, arriving with a 1071bhp electric powertrain, central driving position and active aerodynamics.
But why did Skoda choose to create a digital-only concept, where did the inspiration come from to build a racing car and how did they collaborate with Polyphony to create it?
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MG 4
An EV changes your driving style - but not to the detriment of pleasure
PEUGEOT E-208
Time with our French hatch is up. Is it good riddance or au revoir?
In the hot seat
Is the best automotive job in the world actually in miniature scale? Hot Wheels' design boss assures STEPHEN DOBIE it is
Correcting the record
Autocar invented the road test back in 1928 - or did we? KEITH JONES trawls the past to find the true starting point
Road test rebooted
As the Autocar road test forges into its second century, its brief is expanding and it's returning to a familiar place. MATT SAUNDERS explains
Cyber attack
MG is back on the international stage and now trying to return to its sports car roots. MATT SAUNDERS sees if the Cyberster EV can match up to a rival from the present and a relation from the past
KIA PICANTO
As rivals fall by the wayside, Kia's popular city car gets a makeover
MASERATI GRANTURISMO
Latest coupé in a long line of Maserati GT cars hits the UK with V6 power
PORSCHE CAYENNE GTS COUPE
New V8 model gets all the goodies
TOYOTA PRIUS
Back by popular demand with a cool new look and greater driver appeal