Lewis Hamilton’s "Vice City Run" turns Miami into a real-life "GTA: Vice City" trailer

Following an eventful Miami Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton posted a cinematic reel to social media celebrating the city. The seven-time world champion can be seen racing a Ferrari Testarossa around The Magic City, with the video embracing the visuals of the 1984 TV show Miami Vice, but more importantly, the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. 

The video, titled "Vice City Run" in a bright blue and pink font, tells you everything. It lifts ingredients directly from the iconic game, stamped over the palm-tree-lined roads and waterways of the Florida city.

While Hamilton wrestling the wheel of the retro Italian supercar would have been enough, the video begins with him standing at the helm of a Wellcraft Scarab powerboat - the kind of boat you'd see in the popular Rockstar-produced game.

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Dressed in a double-breasted suit with a pink shirt and aviator sunglasses, he fits in just fine as he walks through a sun-drenched garage before he lowers himself into the white Italian car. He turns the key, and the first thing he does is a tyre-smoking drift out of the parking lot. 

In Grand Theft Auto, the most sought-after car on the map is the Cheetah, a car Rockstar modelled directly off the Testarossa's silhouette. Whether you clock that or not, the sound of the 4.9-litre flat-12 engine sings as Hamilton enjoys the 390 horsepower the car has to offer.

What follows is a montage through Miami's streets and highways with aggressive driving and dramatic camera angles. Eventually, the video transitions to a night sequence as the Briton turns down Ocean Drive. The neon pinks and greens of South Beach art deco hotels glow in the background. 

At the time of writing, the short clip has earned over 320,000 likes on Instagram alone and over 5000 comments. While Hamilton's Miami Grand Prix was underwhelming as the Scuderia team struggled to fulfil the expectations of its substantial upgrade package, at least he was able to enjoy the city in the way it was meant to be enjoyed.

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