Collaborations between fashion brands and car brands are not wholly unusual. For example, Rolls Royce, Chrome Hearts and the rapper Drake linked up to make a special one-off custom Cullinan SUV, while Porsche and New York City-based brand Aimé Leon Dore collaborated on a custom version of a classic 911 sports car.
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But for one storied jewelry house, its latest creation is based off a piece from its history and is immortalized in four-wheel form.
A car by a jewelry brand for a video game?
Italian jewelry house Bulgari has collaborated with Polyphony Digital, the creators of the racing video game Gran Turismo for a sleek sports car concept.
Dubbed the Bulgari Aluminum Vision Gran Turismo, the special car was made for the tenth anniversary of Gran Tursismo's "Vision GT" program, where the game allows prominent automakers from Honda to Bugatti to let loose and design their version of a Grand Touring car.
The LVMH-owned (LVMHF) -) jeweler's interpretation is a low-slung, two-seater made in a roofless 'barchetta' design reminiscent of notable Italian concept cars like the Lancia Stratos Zero.
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The Aluminum was penned by Bulgari’s executive director of product creation and former Fiat designer Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, alongside former Pininfarina design director Fabio Filippini, who took these old futuristic touches and added in some 21st-century updates, such as exaggerated fender flares and an LED light bar in the front of the car.
"The body design is an essential combination of pure and geometrical shapes, which are symbolic of Italian car design tradition of creativity and character, integrating some original references like the sporty three-spoke steering wheels and walnut dashboards to the glorious era of ‘60s and ‘70s concept cars from Italian 'Carrozzeria'," said Polyphony Digital.
Inside, the Bulgari car is all business. Tight bucket seats put you front and center as a bright yellow chronograph face stares at you right from the gauge cluster. Although there is no infotainment screen to distract you, a Bulgari-branded timepiece sits atop the dashboard, while an electronic rear view mirror sits to the left hand side of the driver.
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The whole car is a 25-year anniversary homage to Bulgari's Aluminum sport watch, of which a special limited edition is available. The Bulgari Aluminum x Gran Turismo Special Edition version of the Aluminum is inspired by Italian GT cars from the 1990s and is available in anthracite and yellow — which is a perfect replica of the dial of the car.
Like all of the Vision GT concept cars, the Bulgari car will be made available as a playable car in Gran Turismo 7 in 2024. Buyers of the watch will be provided with a code to instantly unlock the car in-game.
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The Bulgari Aluminum x Gran Turismo Special Edition watch is available from Bulgari for $4,800. Only 1,200 pieces of the anthracite and 500 pieces of the yellow dial will be made.
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