Gran Turismo 6 Message Board older than one year ago

Gran Turismo 6 won't hit retail until December 6, but the developers at Polyphony Digital are already planning Gran Turismo 7 - and they don't want it to take forever.

"We don't want to take too long on Gran Turismo 7," series creator Kazunori Yamauchi told Top Gear. "Best-case scenario? Next year. In GT6 we really had to tune the software 100 per cent to maximise the PS3's architecture, but of course the PS4's hardware is much better, so I think the overall quality of the game across the board will be boosted when you come to play it."

Releasing Gran Turismo 7 a year after its predecessor would be an impressive feat for Polyphony. We waited for three years between Gran Turismo 5 and Gran Turismo 6, while the delay between Gran Turismo 4 and its sequel was nearly six years long.

For anyone worried that the racetracks in Gran Turismo 6 might be missing a crucial pothole or divet, developer Polyphony Digital has issued a video comparison between an in-game track and its real-world counterpart.

With two short weeks away from the launch of GT6, we are excited to unveil the first Vision GT project – the Mercedes- Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo, made specifically for everyone to virtually experience on 12/6.

Gran Turismo 6 players will soon be able to choose an alternative version of the virtual Mercedes-Benz super sports car. The “Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo Racing Series” offers further enhancements over the regular show car which was presented as physical 1:1 model in California. To ensure perfect downforce and great handling stability in tough racetrack conditions on PlayStation 3, the Racing Series has a fixed rear spoiler while the show car version has an extending variant of this integrated into the boot lid. In addition, the third brake light in the middle of the rear end lights up in red as the Gran Turismo logo, unmistakably confirming the identity of the high-performance gullwing racer. Visitors of the LA Autoshow were the first to drive this car virtually in Gran Turismo 6 next to the 1:1 show car at the Mercedes-Benz booth.

Powered by the AMG V8 biturbo, the engine delivers an exceptionally agile response to even the smallest movements of the accelerator. It develops 430 kW (585 hp) and a maximum torque of 800 Nm. With an aluminium spaceframe body and components in carbon fiber, the material of choice in motor racing, the Mercedes-Benz AMG Vision Gran Turismo tips the scales at only 1385 kilograms. That amounts to around 2.4 kilograms per hp – an unrivalled figure in the super sports car segment, and one that guarantees exceptionally dynamic performance. The weight distribution of 46 percent at the front and 54 percent at the rear promises plenty of driving pleasure.

The European territories can now ensure that they're able to race on launch day thanks to the addition of a Gran Turismo 6 pre-order option to the PlayStation 3's online store.

Those who pre-order the standard edition of the game will receive a bonus "Precision Pack," which adds five new sports cars to the game. Additionally, they'll be able to choose from one of four other car packs or one million in-game credits. The more expensive Anniversary Edition of the game includes all five car packs and that oversized stack of cash.

Gran Turismo 6 is scheduled to debut on December 6. The game can now be pre-ordered either from your console or by visiting the Gran Turismo website.

Forza Motorsport 5 is one of the most anticipated launch titles for the new XBOX One, especially for car fanatics. But the newest car porn game has 300 fewer rides than before, and is missing some of the most celebrated tracks in the world. What's the deal?Read more...

Of the 1197 vehicles confirmed for Gran Turismo 6, one certainly stands out. That said, the Lunar Roving Vehicle LRV-001 would stand out just about anywhere except the moon.

The iconic Apollo 15 buggy is the most surprising inclusion in Polyphony Digital's sim, and the most befuddling. After all, it's unclear if you'll drive it on the Moon, or Earth, or maybe both. A new trailer certainly hints at the possibility of some lunar lapping, at least.

As for the other 1196 cars, which suddenly seem humdrum in comparison, you can check them out on the Gran Turismo 6 website. And maybe we'll see you on the dark side of the moon in a month's time, when the PS3 game lands on December 6.

This is the final trailer for Gran Turismo 6 before its Dec. 6 release and, seriously, this trailer packs it all in with a massive section left in for the 2014 Corvette, which incidentally, gets the Gran Turismo treatment at SEMA.Read more...

Hello everyone. For GT fans eagerly awaiting Gran Turismo 6, the next four weeks might just be completely unbearable. To help ease the wait, I am very happy to share with you new information on what is shaping up to be a stunning new entry in the legendary series.

Over 120 new cars have been added to GT6 – taking the already comprehensive total car tally to an unprecedented 1200+ vehicles.

In addition, the number of track layouts has swelled to 100 and features returning classic tracks and brand new locations and circuits such as Ascari, Spain and the world famous Silverstone, Goodwood and Mount Panorama tracks to name just a few.

The carefully considered and curated car and track list is supported by a completely overhauled physics engine making gameplay even more dynamic and realistic, a new interface, and enhanced online functionality to allow you to tailor your multiplayer gaming sessions as you wish.

The technical innovation in the game also extends to hugely ground-breaking technology that will see in future updates a new game feature known as ‘GPS Logger’. The GPS Logger will employ the GPS function of your phone or tablet and Gran Turismo’s in-game Course Maker to recreate your everyday school run or work commute as a circuit – the trip to college or work will never be the same!

Here’s what Kazunori Yamauchi, President of Polyphony Digital Inc and creator of the Gran Turismo series said about the forthcoming release.

“With the release of GT6 we are celebrating 15 years of Gran Turismo. It has been a privilege to have seen so many advancements made over this period, with GT6 now continuing to set new standards that blur the line between virtual and reality racing. With GT6 we will make it even more flexible and expandable by continuing to develop and add new content throughout its life.”

This post is just a mere glimpse under the bonnet of what’s heading to the starting line in a few weeks’ time and you can find out more by checking out gran-turismo.com for a full rundown of Gran Turismo 6.

To help you on the way there, feast your eyes on the brand new game trailer below, aptly titled “Start your Engines”… I hope you will be ready to do so come this December!

Racing legend Ayrton Senna died in 1994, but thanks to a new agreement between the makers of Gran Turismo 6 and the Ayrton Senna Institute, his sizable legacy can be leveraged to help the children of Brazil.

Sony has so far revealed two components of the agreement: A Gran Turismo 6 bundle earmarked for Brazil, and a "long-term partnership" that will, in some fashion, benefit the millions of children the Institute has been working to educate. Details on the latter half of the agreement are scant, but we do know that on December 6 a special Ayrton Senna-branded PlayStation 3 bundle will hit the South American nation.

Though relatively simple - the bundle includes Gran Turismo 6, a 250GB PlayStation 3 and a single controller - the real draw for this package is being able to relive the adventures of Ayrton Senna. According to Sony, downloadable updates are planned for periodic release following the launch of Gran Turismo 6 that will specifically focus on Senna's most famous races, and undoubtedly his rivalry with Alain Prost.

It's currently unknown whether this bundle will be available in other territories, or if it's exclusive to Brazil.

GT fans! We are truly honored to bring you one of the most exciting news items culminated in the 15 year history of Gran Turismo.

Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi was present today at the 2013 Brazil Game Show Press Conference with President of Ayrton Senna Institute (NGO) Viviane Senna (sister to the legendary F1 driver), to officially announce a long-term partnership with the Gran Turismo series.

As part of this collaboration, Gran Turismo 6 (coming December 6th) will feature the legendary Brazilian racing driver Ayrton Senna through online updates, enabling players to trace the roots of his racing career.

The Ayrton Senna Institute is a non-profit organization established in 1994 by Ayrton Senna’s sister, Viviane, who carried on the hopes and dreams envisioned by Senna before he passed away.

The programs of the Senna Institute aim to have as many children as possible learn skills required for living successfully in today’s society. And at the center of that education is the effort to raise the literacy level of children.

Since its establishment, schools supported by the Institute have spread to approximately 25% of the cities in all of Brazil, giving more than 17 million children an opportunity to receive education directly, and the Institute has trained over 750,000 teachers with their educational programs.

In schools supported by the Senna Institute, education is performed using curriculum and textbooks prepared by the Institute.

Earlier this year, we officially announced the infamous training ground of GT Academy, Silverstone Circuit, will be available in GT6. Staying true to the global driving experience of GT, we are proud to announce the addition of the Bathurst Circuit (Australia).

Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit, Bathurst, to give it its full name, is the home of motorsport in Australia. Located in New South Wales, it has a rich motorsport history – the first race held there was the 1938 Australian Grand Prix and it now hosts the Bathurst 12 Hour and the Bathurst 1000 races amongst others. The challenging circuit is 6.213km (4 miles) long with surprisingly steep inclines, a twisty, narrow section across the top of the mountain which proves difficult to master even for the very best racing drivers, and very little run off area to allow for mistakes.

For those unaware, anyone who pre-orders through GameStop gets automatically upgraded to the 15th Anniversary Edition of GT6. In addition to the exclusive cover art, the special treatment continues within the game itself, with a number of in-game bonuses including 25 unique cars, custom paint chips, avatars, race suit and helmet featuring the unique 15th Anniversary design. Remember, this won’t be available after December 6th.

For those looking to build and customize their own Garage, check out Amazon and the $1 Million in-game credit with the 5-Car Pack (Tesla S, SRT Viper, Corvette Stingray, NISMO GT-R).

Be sure to pre-order now — December 6th is right around the corner. For more info, head to gran-turismo.com.

When Gran Turismo 6 launches on December 6, it will come with a sizable patch. The day-one patch will primarily address a few issues with the game's online features, Polyphony Digital boss Kazunori Yamauchi told Eurogamer, adding that the developer is "still overflowing with stuff we'd like to do. So I think the day one patch will be a fairly large patch."

Yamauchi noted the patch isn't out of the ordinary for the developer, as Gran Turismo 5 was updated shortly after the game's launch. "It's the same every time. Everything's very tight. It's an incredibly tight schedule," Yamauchi said. "As to being able to include everything we want to on day one, we probably won't be able to. I think for the 12 months following the release we'll continue to update the software. Because in Gran Turismo 6 we're preparing a lot of different things we haven't even touched on yet."

The man who makes the most popular racing game series of the past 15 years fell in love with cars at age three. At 24, he crashed the first car he ever had. He was driving perhaps a bit too fast that day. These days, he's wrapping up development of December's Gran Turismo 6 and proposing an interesting idea: that humanity's love of racing can prevent wars.Read more...

Sony has announced a documentary film based on the Gran Turismo racing series. Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi showed off the first trailer for the documentary at the Jalopnik Film Festival held in the Classic Car Club Manhattan in New York.

Directed by Tamir Moscovici, the film revolves around Yamauchi's journey to "push beyond the virtual divide in his pursuit of perfection." Sony did not specify when the full film will air, though it wouldn't surprise us if it were closer to Gran Turismo 6's release on PS3, December 6. It also wouldn't surprise us if it were delayed like the game often was.

Every year, developers Polyphony Digital hold the Gran Turismo Trophy, an event which sees the winning car immortalised with a promise to appear in a future GT game.Read more...

Revving up Gran Turismo 6's engines on the Vita would be "really hard" on a technical level, Sony Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida told IGN last week.

"As you can tell looking at GT6, it really is using PS3 to a very high level," Yoshida said. "In terms of Vita support, I don't expect the whole game to be able to run on PS Vita." Yoshida's statement follows Polyphony Digital CEO Kazunori Yamauchi's comments concerning the possibility of GT6 evolving into Gran Turismo 7 for the PS4 during its development cycle.

GT6 will be tuned to race on December 6 for the PS3. In the meantime, fans can race to GameStop or Amazon for pre-order bonuses in the form of exclusive cars and in-game credits.

Ready for Gran Turismo 7? Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi said his studio has conceived a PS4 version of their PS3 game Gran Turismo 6. However, Joystiq reports it will take some time to get out (surprise!), and it's possible the game might be what's eventually Gran Turismo 7. The keyword here is "eventually."Read more...

By the time a PlayStation 4 version of Gran Turismo 6 is developed, it could evolve into Gran Turismo 7. That's according to Polyphony Digital CEO Kazunori Yamauchi, who at a Gamescom panel reiterated that his studio has a PS4 version of its PS3 game in mind, but said that it could take some time to arrive.

There's a distinct possibility it would be called Gran Turismo 7 by then, Yamauchi said, adding that he doesn't know if the "vision" of Gran Turismo 6 would carry over to this hypothetical GT7. That's a lot of hypotheticals flying about, but bear in mind we're in a limbo where Gran Turismo 6 on PS4 has been everything but confirmed.

The news follows Polyphony Digital stamping a date on GT6's license, granting it access to PS3s on December 6. GT6 will feature concept cars designed exclusively for the game by a number of high-profile manufacturing houses like Aston Martin, BMW, Honda, and Nissan. Polyphony Digital revealed 18 partners for the so-dubbed Vision Gran Turismo project, which will see the free concept come to the game across a year of online updates.

Gamescom provided another piece of Gran Turismo news, this time related to the now doubly confirmed movie. Speaking to Destructoid, Yamauchi said the film follows the life story of Lucas Ordonez, a Gran Turismo player who, through GT Academy, went on to race professionally. Ordonez now races for Nissan in the FIA GT Series. If you were wondering how to script a plot for a Gran Turismo movie, you have your answer.

Check out this fresh gameplay from the show floor of Gamescom 2013

As Kazunori Yamauchi promised at the GT6 announcement event at Silverstone back in May, Gamescom, Cologne was going to be a pivotal milestone in the future of GT – Well, he definitely didn’t disappoint!

In celebrating 15 years of Gran Turismo, Polyphony Digital has announced a unique partnership with a number of leading automotive manufacturers, design houses and other leading global brands. Design teams from Alfa Romeo, Alpine, Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Bertone, GM Design, Honda, Infiniti, Italdesign Giugiaro, JORDAN Brand, Mercedes-Benz, Nike, Nissan, Peugeot, SRT(Chrysler), Volkswagen and Zagato will create concept models giving a unique insight into the future of the automotive sector. Their designs will then be recreated as working cars for GT6.

This opens up an entire new world of future automotive design as before you would just see and read about it online, but now you’ll actually be part of the experience firsthand in Gran Turismo 6.

Polyphony Digital will release the cars from 2013 to 2014 as gifted downloadable content (DLC) to owners of Gran Turismo 6 through online update.

When is this all coming, you ask? In case you missed it from the Vision GT trailer, we are proud to say GT6 is officially coming on December 6, 2013.

Last but not least, we have the long awaited details of the pre-order offer.

Back in June, we announced a robust 4-Car pre-order pack that included a Z4 GT3, NISMO GT-R GT3, Tesla Model S, and the Corvette Stingray. To truly celebrate the 15th Anniversary of GT, we added custom enhancements (visual / performance) to each vehicle + we added the SRT Viper GTS to the lineup as well, officially making it 5-Car Pack.

GT-R NISMO GT3 15th Anniversary Edition Model S Signature Performance 15th Anniversary Edition Corvette Stingray (C7) 15th Anniversary Edition R8 LMS ultra 15th Anniversary Edition Viper GTS 15th Anniversary Edition

In addition, here are some additional offers from your favorite retailers…

GameStop Exclusive – 15th Anniversary Edition Upgrade

For those that’s been playing GT since the beginning, we really wanted to thank our fans by creating a unique value collection that not only celebrates the 15 year legacy, but also a custom look that’s immediately recognizable.

So, if you pre-order through Gamestop, you will get automatically get an upgrade to the 15th Anniversary Edition, which includes:

• 25 cars with custom GT 15th Anniversary livery and performance  upgrades
• 15th Anniversary Race Suit
• 15th Anniversary Helmet
• 15th Anniversary PSN Avatar
• Customized Paint Chips

A110 1600S 15th Anniversary Edition R8 LMS ultra 15th Anniversary Edition Corvette Stingray (C7) 15th Anniversary Edition Focus ST 15th Anniversary Edition Ford Shelby GT500 15th Anniversary Edition Huayra 15th Anniversary Edition HSV-010 GT 15th Anniversary Edition X-BOW R 15th Anniversary Edition IS F Racing Concept 15th Anniversary Edition Europa S.2 15th Anniversary Edition SLS AMG GT3 15th Anniversary Edition GT-R NISMO GT3 15th Anniversary Edition Megane Trophy V6 15th Anniversary Edition Viper GTS 15th Anniversary Edition Model S Signature Performance 15th Anniversary Edition Scirocco GT24 15th Anniversary Edition R18 TDI 15th Anniversary Edition BMW Z8 15th Anniversary Edition V16T 15th Anniversary Edition STRATOS 15th Anniversary Edition GT40 Mark I 15th Anniversary Edition GT-R NISMO GT3 15th Anniversary Edition Model S Signature Performance 15th Anniversary Edition Corvette Stingray (C7) 15th Anniversary Edition R8 LMS ultra 15th Anniversary Edition

Amazon Exclusive – $1 Million In-Game Credit

Want to customize and build your own dream Gran Turismo garage? We’re confident a $1 Million In-Game Credit will help you do just that. In addition to getting the mentioned 4-Car pack, Amazon is offering our GT fans $1 Million In-Game Credit directly at start up, allowing you to buy, build, and race your own line-up of cars. Get a jump start in racing against your competitors online by reserving at Amazon.

For additional details, be sure to check out:  http://us.gran-turismo.com/us/

Gran Turismo 6 will launch on December 6, 2013, Sony Europe CEO Jim Ryan announced during Sony's Gamescom press briefing. The game is exclusive to PS3, and will feature concept cars not seen in the series before, least of all on roads in real life.

1.3 million worldwide racers took on the challenge of the Gran Turismo 6 demo, or at least downloaded it. The demo also served as the qualifying process for the 2013 GT Academy competition; a small selection of the victorious speedsters progressed to the next stage of the process, where they'll fight to win the eventual grand prize of a spot on Nissan's real-life racing team.

The rest of us must make do with the virtual prospect that is the game proper, due on PS3 this holiday. The demo remains open until the end of August to those who downloaded it.

God, I have such a love-hate relationship with this series. On the one hand, it's boring, like a car brochure when it should be like a car. But then, I love car brochures. So glossy, and aspirational... The good thing about this clip is that so much of it is gameplay, reminding us that, hey, the PS4 might almost be upon us, but the PS3 is still lookin' pretty sharp.

The UK’s renowned 1.86 km Hill Climb at Goodwood will join Silverstone and Willow Springs as a new track on Gran Turismo 6 for PS3. A centerpiece of the annual Festival of Speed in England, Goodwood is the latest addition to Gran Turismo’s impressive lineup of 33 locations, with 71 different layouts available in GT6.

For those lucky enough to attend Goodwood Festival of Speed this week, a new GT6 demo will give some of the expected 185,000-plus spectators their chance to challenge Nick Heidfeld’s 41.6 second course record, set in a Formula 1 car in 1999. The demo will include a range of stunningly recreated cars to race up the virtual version of “The Hill.” If you can’t make it to the Festival of Speed in England this year, have no fear — you will get the same opportunity to conquer the hill when GT6 launches holiday 2013.

The Goodwood Festival of Speed has an enviable international reputation as a celebration of all things automotive and motorsport. The annual event, held at the family home of The Earl of March July 11th – 14th, features an array of cars that spans from the beginnings of the automotive industry at the end of 19th century to the very latest cars proudly displayed by the industry’s leading manufacturers. The range and scope of the event is mirrored by Polyphony Digital’s aspirations for “The Real Driving Simulator.”

Priceless classics, new and old pure racers, the latest supercars and an array of other different, rare, innovative or simply quirky cars are piloted up the Hill by an exclusive group of top drivers and invited guests. With the iconic Goodwood Hill Climb now gloriously recreated in full Gran Turismo detail, the legions of GT players around the world will have their chance to experience the excitement and honor that has been reserved for only a handful of top drivers, with the added bonus of having the huge range of cars that will be available on Gran Turismo 6 at launch to choose from.

For more information about Goodwood Festival of Speed, visit www.goodwood.com.

Vrooooooooom! Vroooooooooooooooooom! Rrrrrrrrrhhhhhh! That's just some of the noises you can make as you while away the hours waiting for the Gran Turismo 6 demo, which is due on the PlayStation Store later today. Sony pins the demo's arrival for 8PM ET (5PM PT).

The demo includes a tutorial, four warm-up races, and various time-trial snapshots of UK track Silverstone. As detailed previously, the demo also serves as the qualifying method for the GT Academy 2013 competition, based on times for a full lap of the circuit. The watch stops for GT Academy qualification on July 28.

Do you have what it takes to go from couch to cockpit and join the Nissan GT Academy team? The 2013 GT Academy competition begins today at 5:00pm Pacific Time when an exclusive demo of Gran Turismo 6 for PS3 becomes available to download.

The GT6 demo will guide players through GT Academy-themed driving school challenges before unlocking the final qualifying event. Players have the potential to qualify for this year’s GT Academy, kick-starting a journey that could lead to a real-life racing career with Nissan. The demo includes the following modes on the new Silverstone track:

• A quick tutorial that includes tips and tricks on the controls and navigating around the track

Four warm-up races using two Nissan cars, the LEAF and 370Z

Five time trials on the Silverstone track driving the Nissan 370Z, four of which take place on various sections of the track, and one being the full lap. That one full lap time becomes the entry time for GT Academy. Enter as often as you like before 3:59pm Pacific Time on July 28th.

Want more? Players who clear all five trials with greater than a bronze medal will receive a special 15 Year Anniversary bonus race event, which will appear in the demo after July 28.

The online qualification for GT Academy will lead to the 31 fastest racers being invited to the National Final events, where they will be joined by this year’s Racer X winner Armen Aghakhan, who earned his seat through the Racer X competition at E3. At the National Finals, the 32 competitors will be challenged in the game and on the track in real Nissan cars. From there, the action switches to the famous Race Camp at Silverstone, with the winner there set to potentially join the elite team of Nissan’s Nismo Athletes.

While the demo is open to all and available to play until the end of August, the GT Academy competition itself will close Sunday, July 28 at 3:59pm Pacific Time. Eligible players wishing to enter will register for the final round of the demo in-game by agreeing to the official rules of the competition. Anyone who registers and submits a qualifying time will receive free bonus content.

Fire up your PS3 and race for a chance to join the GT Academy Champions who are racing in Nissan-powered race cars in top level international motor sport, including 2012 GT Academy North America winner Steve Doherty who is competing in the Blancpain Endurance Series with the Nissan GT Academy Team RJN.

The GT6 demo is available to anyone with a Sony Entertainment Network account and access to a PS3 connected to the internet. It can be downloaded free from the PlayStation Store, with no ownership of the Gran Turismo game required. Details of how to enter GT Academy 2013 can be found on various platforms including Facebook, the official Gran Turismo site, and @GTAcademy on Twitter.

A playable Gran Turismo 6 demo is coming to PSN on July 2, SCE America revealed this week. When Polyphony Digital's shiny new racer was unveiled finally last month, Sony promised a demo was due in July. Sure enough, the demo is coming and right at the start of next month too, which should go some way to allaying fears the racer's 'holiday 2013' release window is too soon to be true.

The demo is also the qualifying method for GT Academy 2013, the competition intended to unearth real driving talent by providing winners with a spot on Nissan's racing team. Qualifications end on July 28, but the demo remains freely available to all afterwards.

The demo itself features beginner stages themed around a GT Academy boot camp, with racers who make the grade going on to the final qualifier at the UK's Silverstone track. In terms of cars, SCEA said the demo features the Nissan Leaf, 370Z, and GT-R at the least.

This weekend, at the world famous Le Mans 24 Hours, two former GT Academy Champions, Lucas Ordoñez and Jann Mardenborough, both raced in a Nissan-powered LMP2 car recording an impressive 4th place finish in class. Ordoñez and Mardenborough are among the elite band of Nismo Athletes who have successfully challenged the traditional route into motorsport as graduates of GT Academy – a unique collaboration that leverages the virtual world of the Gran Turismo game to unearth real-world racing talent for Nissan’s race team.

GT Academy 2013, the biggest competition in its history, will officially kick off with qualifications starting Tuesday, July 2, and ending Sunday, July 28, at 3:59 p.m. PST. The only way to qualify is by downloading the demo for PlayStation 3 and racing for the best qualifying times to advance to National Finals, where they’ll compete for a place in the Silverstone race camp to determine one ultimate winner from each country. This year, the stakes are even higher as players will get on the testing grounds with a new demo from the unreleased Gran Turismo 6 game for PlayStation 3, giving fans around the world a sneak peek into the biggest racing game of the year.

The demo will remain available to play even after the competition concludes until Aug. 31 and is open to all Gran Turismo fans, including gamers who do not wish to enter the 2013 GT Academy contest.

Kazunori Yamauchi, creator of the Gran Turismo series, has set an interesting challenge for Gran Turismo entrants featuring stunningly re-created Nissan cars including the Leaf, 370Z and GT-R. The GT6 demo will guide players through beginner rounds of a GT Academy-themed race camp before unlocking the final qualifying event featuring the Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit, making GT Academy equally accessible to Gran Turismo novices and experts alike. Anyone who registers and submits a qualifying time will receive free bonus content.

GT Academy in the United States, along with Russia and Germany, will each have standalone qualifying contests to designate the countries’ top Gran Turismo drivers. Europe’s 2013 Academy includes France, Italy, UK, Spain, Portugal, Benelux, Nordics (Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway) and CEE (Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia). The winners of each of the GT Academy competitions will then be put through an incredibly intensive and thorough Driver Development Program, rated among the best in the world, in order to qualify for the ultimate competition prize – a full season racing a Nissan GT-R GT3 NISMO in a top-level championship.

“GT Academy is testament to why Gran Turismo is the true racing simulator,” said Asad Qizilbash, senior director of product marketing at Sony Computer Entertainment America. “The PlayStation community has proven time and time again that Gran Turismo’s racing mechanics translate to the real world of race car driving, with racers who first cut their teeth racing in Gran Turismo now competing on the world stage. We encourage gamers of all skill levels to enter the contest, not just to be among the first to play Gran Turismo 6, but also for a chance to turn their driving passion into a career in the race world.”

The innovative partnership between Nissan and Sony Computer Entertainment has attracted more than two million entrants since its inception in 2008, and has developed a number of successful racing drivers now competing for Nissan in top-level international motor sport.

“At the weekend, two former winners of GT Academy lined up in the Nissan-powered Greaves Motorsport Zytek-Nissan LMP2 car to compete in arguably the greatest race in the world, the Le Mans 24 Hours, said Darren Cox, director of global motorsport at Nissan. “Their impressive 4th-place finish shows the phenomenal success of the GT Academy program and its world class Driver Development Program. There is no clearer demonstration of why it is worth entering GT Academy, as it could be you next. Even if you don’t make it that far, there is no harm in dreaming and racing some lovely Nissan cars in the GT6 demo.”

Eligible entrants within the participating countries will need a Sony Entertainment Network account and access to a PlayStation 3 connected to the internet. They can download the free qualifying GT6 demo from the PlayStation Store, with no ownership of the Gran Turismo game required. People without a PS3 can enter the competition via a series of GT Academy Live Events that will be promoted by PlayStation and Nissan locally.

Details of how to enter GT Academy 2013 can be found on various platforms including: www.facebook.com/GTAcademy, www.gran-turismo.com/us/ and www.twitter.com/GTAcademy.

As part of what it calls "the most extensive and robust pre-order offer" the Gran Turismo series has ever seen, SCEA has announced pre-orders for Gran Turismo 6 in North America will add four new vehicles to the game's roster: BMW Z4 GT3 '11, Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 '13, Tesla Model S Signature Performance '13 and Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (C7) '14.

GameStop pre-order customers will be updated to the retailer's exclusive "15th Anniversary" edition of Gran Turismo 6 at no additional cost, featuring a total of 20 new rides (including those mentioned above), PlayStation Blog US reports. The 15th Anniversary Edition also features customized paint chips, a race suit, helmet, PSN avatar and Beyond the Apex 2 - the next evolution of the Blu-ray exclusive GT5 Prologue Beyond the Apex experience.

Amazon pre-orders will net $1 million in in-game credit, plus the aforementioned four-car pack. In Europe, the Anniversary Edition will be offered through select retailers - full details are over on PlayStation Blog Europe.

Gran Turismo 6 is slated to launch this holiday season and Sony has said it is confident there will be no delay.

GT Fans – Having announced Gran Turismo 6 in May at an event celebrating 15 years of Gran Turismo held at Silverstone Circuit, the game’s legendary designer Kazunori Yamauchi released further details and a new trailer at PlayStation’s E3 press conference recently. With over 1,200 cars available at launch (including new FIA GT3 cars), new locations on a grander scale (such as a fascinating location featuring the Gemasolar solar power plant in Spain), new physics, new tire, suspension and aerodynamic modeling, next generation 3D adaptive tessellation and an HDR dynamic range 50 times greater than GT5, Holiday 2013 cannot come soon enough.

To enhance your GT6 experience, we are proud to announce the most extensive and robust pre-order offer for GT to date through participating retailers.

To start, we wanted to make sure our GT fans start off with the most current and unique vehicles that only GT6 can deliver:

4-Car Pack

• BMW Z4 GT3 ’11
• Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 ’13
• Tesla Model S Signature Performance ’13
• Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (C7) ’14

But that’s just the beginning. Check out the exclusive offers we have below:

GameStop Exclusive – 15th Anniversary Edition Upgrade

How would you like to start your Gran Turismo 6 experience this Holiday with 20 unique vehicles? To properly celebrate the 15-year legacy of Gran Turismo, the Gamestop-Exclusive 15th Anniversary Edition includes 16 additional cars as well as your own customized paint chips, race suit, helmet, PSN Avatar, and a copy of Beyond the Apex II app. Each of the combined 20 vehicles will have their own unique enhancements, either visually or performance upgrades.

We’ll have more information on the 15th Anniversary Edition at a later date. For now, check out the entire line-up of 20 vehicles when you pre-order through GameStop

• BMW Z4 GT3 2011
• Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 2013
• Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (C7) 2014
• Tesla Motors Model S Signature Performance 2013
• Alfa Romeo TZ3 Stradale 2011
• Alpine A110 1600S 1968
• Aston Martin V12 Vantage 2010
• Audi R8 LMS ultra 2012
• Ford Focus ST 2013
• Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 2013
• Honda HSV-010 (SUPER GT) 2011
• KTM X-BOW R
• Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 2011
• Lexus IS F Racing Concept 2008
• Lotus Europa (type54) 1968
• Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 2011
• Renault Sport Megane Trophy V6 2011
• SRT Viper GTS 2013
• TRD 86 Racing 2008
• Volkswagen Scirocco GT24 Race Car 2008

Amazon Exclusive – $1 Million In-Game Credit

Want to customize and build your own dream Gran Turismo garage? We’re confident a $1 Million In-Game Credit will help you do just that. In addition to getting the mentioned 4-Car pack, Amazon is offering our GT fans $1 Million In-Game Credit directly at start up, allowing you to buy, build, and race your own line-up of cars. Get a jump start in racing against your competitors online by reserving at Amazon.

For more info, check out www.gran-turismo.com/us.