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.