UNIFYING PAST AND FUTURE WITH ŠKODA VISION GT

The Skoda Vision GT concept car is a striking example of how automotive design bridges past achievement and future ambition. Created as a fully digital model before being realised as a physical exhibit, the Vision GT takes direct inspiration from the legendary Skoda 1100 OHC racing car of 1957 and reinterprets it as an all-electric single-seater racer. Sharp lines, active aerodynamics, and a holographic brand mark define a concept that feels as relevant as the racing heritage it honours.

Where Does the Skoda Vision GT Come From?

Skoda's designers wanted to reconnect the brand with its motorsport roots while pointing clearly toward an electric future. The Skoda 1100 OHC, which debuted at the 1957 Le Mans 24 Hours, established the Czech marque as a credible racing force decades before the era of digital design tools. The Vision GT uses that car as its spiritual starting point: a centre-seat, open-top configuration that places the driver at the heart of the machine, just as the 1100 OHC did on the circuits of the 1950s.

The Vision GT was first developed entirely within digital design environments, a process that allowed Skoda's team to push proportions and details far beyond what traditional clay modelling would permit at speed. Only once the digital model was finalised did the team proceed to build a physical scale version for exhibition, combining 3D printing with traditional hand-finishing techniques.

Design Language: Sharp, Electric, and Built for the Track

The exterior of the Vision GT is defined by clean, sharp edges and a dramatically low silhouette. A spectacular two-piece rear wing draws immediate comparison with current Formula E machinery, and the active aerodynamics system adjusts constantly to maintain optimum downforce across changing speeds and cornering loads. The new Skoda wordmark appears in holographic form between the two upper wing profiles, glowing red, and is repeated on the flat, aggressive nose.

Inside the cockpit, the approach is equally purposeful. The flexibly suspended driver seat is engineered to counteract g-forces, keeping the driver stable and focused under hard cornering. There is no conventional instrument cluster: critical speed, braking, and system data is projected directly onto the driver's helmet visor, functioning like an integrated head-up display. The carbon-fibre steering wheel is flattened at both top and bottom, echoing racing car design conventions while giving the concept a distinctive, modern identity.

You can explore the full design brief on the official Skoda Storyboard press release. GTPlanet also published a thorough breakdown in their Skoda Vision Gran Turismo concept review.

From Screen to Reality: How the Physical Model Was Built

Translating a purely digital design into a tangible object demanded a combination of modern manufacturing and artisanal craftsmanship. The physical Vision GT model was produced using 3D printing for its primary structural forms, then handed to skilled craftspeople who sanded, filed, painted, and in certain areas hand-painted individual sections. The process ensured that high-quality surface finishes and seamless panel joints matched the precision of the original digital renders. The result is a physical object that carries the same visual tension as the on-screen model, without compromise.

This hybrid approach, in which computational design tools and human expertise work in parallel rather than in sequence, represents an important direction for automotive design studios. Skoda's design team used the Vision GT to demonstrate that digital-first processes do not sacrifice quality, they amplify it.

The Design and Transformation Exhibition

The Vision GT was exhibited at the Design Museum in Brussels as part of the Design and Transformation exhibition, which ran into early 2023. Visitors could experience both the digital design study and the physical scale model side by side, with the historic Skoda 1100 OHC also on display to close the loop between past and future. The exhibition framed the Vision GT not just as a design exercise but as a statement about how a brand can hold onto its identity while fully embracing new technology and new propulsion systems.

Features proposed for future production derivatives of this design direction include all-around head protection solutions and connected services such as automatic parking payments, pointing to where the Skoda design language may travel in the years ahead.

Explore Electric and Concept Vehicles at TheArsenale

The Vision GT sits at the intersection of racing heritage and electric innovation, the same territory TheArsenale explores through its curated vehicle collection. Discover the TheArsenale electric vehicles collection for a selection of production-ready and limited-edition electric machines, or explore the Smart Bleu by TheArsenale Edition for a boutique interpretation of urban electric mobility. For those who appreciate automotive design as art, the 4 Red Views Limited Edition Art Poster celebrates the visual language of iconic car design. Browse the full TheArsenale gallery for more collector pieces at the intersection of automotive culture and contemporary art.

Photo: Skoda