The new Mazda RX-Vision GT3 lets you race in a virtual world

Mazda on Thursday unveiled a virtual racing car based on its 2015 rotary engine-powered RX-Vision sports car concept.

Called the RX-Vision GT3 Concept, the virtual racer was developed in collaboration with Polyphony Digital, the software company behind the Gran Turismo video game series, and is currently available for download in Sony's PlayStation 4 Gran Turismo Sport" for Sony's PlayStation 4.

In a statement released in conjunction with the RX-Vision GT3 Concept, Mazda said that gamers who use this amazing virtual racer will automatically be seeded to participate in the esports series of the FIA-sanctioned Gran Turismo Championship to be held this year.

The original announcement stated that the gamers using this amazing virtual racer will be automatically seeded to participate in the esports series of this year's FIA-sanctioned Gran Turismo Championship.

Compared to the original RX-Vision concept, the new racing version features an aggressive aerodynamics package aimed at increasing downforce levels. The racing car also features more vents, real side mirrors, and side-mounted exhaust tips.

No technical details on the powertrain have been released, but we do know that the original RX-Vision concept was powered by a newly developed rotary engine dubbed the Skyactiv-R.

Mazda is probably in denial about plans for a production version of the RX-Vision, a new flagship sports car powered by a rotary engine. CEO Akira Marumoto said in a 2018 interview that there are no plans for a sports car with a rotary engine. Mazda has previously pointed to low sports car sales and the high emissions of the powerful rotary engine as major challenges. Instead, Mazda is likely to use an inline six-cylinder engine in its future top-end powertrains.