Mazda LM55 Vision Gran Turismo revealed

When car stylists are unshackled from the usual constraints of car design such as financial and safety issues, they create truly amazing machines. Case in point: the Mazda LM55 Vision Gran Turismo concept.

Developed by Mazda studios in Japan and the US for the Gran Turismo 6 videogame on the PS3, the stunning creation pays homage to the brand's 787B race car, which famously won the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours race back in 1991.

It ensured Mazda a place in motorsport history as the first Japanese company to win the event, and the first rotary-engined car to do it.

There are no details on what engine powers the LM55, but based on the acoustics from the video and the fact that no SKYACTIV Mazda engines are yet rotary, it's possible the LM55 is propelled by a highly-strung four-cylinder turbo.

Ikuo Maeda, Mazda's global design chief, oversaw the design of the LM55 and its swoopy, aerodynamic lines appear as though a silk cloth was draped over the skeleton of a race car – chassis, engine, wheels – then solidified in carbon fibre to ensure maximum torsional rigidity.

With a super-lower rear end, the design blends "agility with elegance" according to Mazda. The design also adheres to the company's KODO (translated: soul of motion) design language seen on all its passenger vehicles, from the Mazda2 city car to the CX-9 large SUV.

Gamers keen to drive the car can download the latest update for Gran Turismo 6 on the PS3.

Like most of the wild race cars developed for the "Vision Gran Turismo" virtual project, including designs from Aston Martin, Nissan, Chevrolet, Mitsubishi and Subaru, the Mazda LM55 is likely to only ever be a virtual design, but it could influence future models.

Maeda says the design was approached in the same way Mazda tackles complex issues.

"At Mazda, we have always felt that meeting challenges is an important part of who we are. You could say it's part of our heritage," he noted.

Although Mazda's top executives have recently poured cold water on the idea of a reborn RX sports car, Maeda recently told Automotive News he will design another RX performance car – and it will have a rotary engine.

"I will never give up," Maeda said in September 2014. "Inside my head, I'm always going over shapes."

Only one vehicle developed for the Vision Gran Turismo project has been offered to customers thus far, the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept. Just five examples will be built at a price of $US1.5 million each.