Gran Turismo 5 Message Board older than one year ago

Don't you hate those "car as a gift" commercials this time of year? If you're in the US, you'll probably know what we're talking about: There's a certain car company that shows commercials during the holidays with an actual car being given as a gift, as if there was some world out there where it was completely appropriate and practical to buy a whole vehicle, put a bow on it, and give it away as a gift. Whatever, Mr. Moneybags.

That said, Gran Tourismo 5 is breaking all the rules, and recently released not only Functionality Update 2.02 with some "community-inspired" improvements, but also the gift of a virtual Toyota 86 GT '12 vehicle (above) for all users. You don't have to pay insurance or registration on it, which, unlike a real car, makes it totally appropriate as a gift.

And Polyphony Digital has also released DLC Pack 2, which brings four new models to the game, including a Nissan GT-R, a Mini Cooper, and a VW Golf, and is available for $3.99 on the PlayStation Store. Four cars for four bucks is also a great gift. An actual vehicle and all of the responsibilities and payments that come with it? Just put the money in a gift card and we'll figure things out ourselves, thanks.

You probably wouldn't guess it by talking to one of us, but petrolheads do have the ability to get burnt out on a specific vehicle. It may take a long time, granted, but eventually we'll get bored with our current ride and wish that we had some new iron to tool around with. It's called "Gear Acquisition Syndrome" (GAS), and GAS can be devastatingly expensive if left unchecked.

Thankfully though, the GAS methadone clinic known as Gran Turismo 5 is here to keep those urges in check with a title update and several new sets of wheels, all of which become available on December 20. Car Pack 2 will set you back $3.99 and will furnish your ever-growing garage with a 2012 Nissan GT-R Black R35, a 2010 Volkswagen Scirocco R, a 2010 Volkswagen Gold VI R and the 2011 Mini Cooper S. Additionally, anyone who has purchased GT5 DLC in the past will also receive the Gran Turismo Racing Kart 125 SP, which is go-kart for some reason.

The (free) 2.02 title update also includes a set of wheels: The recently revealed 2013 Toyota GT-86. Beyond that, the update boasts a slew of interface improvements and even nets you 10 oil change and car wash coupons (in-game, of course). Hopefully this will keep our greasy little mechanic hands busy enough to prevent us from taking out a second mortgage and buying that Thunderbird we've been eyeing.

#granturismo Next week, Gran Turismo 5 owners will get access to a load of new vehicles, some for money, some for free. More »

Still tearing up tracks in Gran Turismo 5? Well, developer Polyphony Digital some fuel for your tank. (Liking these car puns?) Car Pack 2 will come to the PlayStation Network next week along with update 2.02. The Car Pack will set you back $3.99 (3.99 Euros) and include the 2011 Mini Cooper S, 2...

Hey GT fans! We’re excited to announce all of the new content coming to Gran Turismo 5 next week, including our second round of DLC. Next week you’ll be able to download Car Pack 2 for $3.99 and add some fantastic new rides to your garage. Car Pack 2 includes the 2011 Mini Cooper S, 2010 Volkswagen Golf VI R, 2010 Volkswagen Scirocco R, and the new and improved 2012 Nissan GT-R Black edition R35.

There’s more good news, because as a special gift anyone who purchased anything from the first batch of DLC will get unlock the Gran Turismo Racing Kart 125 SP and five New Car Refresh cards in the game for free. The refresh cards will take any car back to being ‘as good as new’ while maintaining any modifications or paint jobs you have given your motors. To take advantage of this offer, you’ll need to install the new downloadable update hitting next week.

The free downloadable update coming next week will also add several new enhancements to GT5 as well as correcting some reported issues. A few examples of the benefits of update 2.02 include:

• Users can now change wheels on Standard cars
• The settings sheets will include a new ‘copy’ feature
• In GT Auto, players will be able to see how the oil changes, aerodynamic parts, engine overhauls, and racing modifications will affect performance points and engine power, before and after their application
• Free coupons have been added that allow you to wash cars, change oil, overhaul your engine, or refresh the car body in GT Auto (10 coupons will be distributed for free to each of those who have downloaded the 2.02 update)
• Pressing the Square button in the car coupon selection screen of the Car Delivery will now allow you to exchange all car coupons at once, rather than doing one at a time
• In screens where the [Garage] and [Driver List] buttons are displayed in the A/B Spec events, Special Events, and Seasonal Events, pressing the Square button will now show the [Garage], and pressing the Triangle button will bring up the drivers list
• In My Lounge, the room settings will feature a new ‘Max. number of participants’ setting
• In the event selection screen of seasonal events, there are now ☆(star) marks that show the number of Gold Trophies attained in each event
• Improved racing sound effects
• Elements of the steering assist controls (used when using certain controllers on Racing Karts) have been tweaked

As an additional gift to players this holiday season, everyone who downloads the 2.02 update will also receive the stunning Toyota FT-86 2012 to add to their in-game collection.

One more note: Those who purchased the course and/or vehicle DLC that was released in October will be able to download Family Upgrade unlocks for free from the store. This means that if you bought the Racing Car Pack, Course Pack, or the ‘Complete Pack’ that contained both of these, by downloading the free Family Upgrade items, the content will now be accessible to more than just the user account that purchased the content. Family members or friends using the same PS3 can all use the courses and cars. Note that the upgrade doesn’t apply to the Racing Gear Pack or Special Paint Pack, and starting next week, new purchases will not have the restriction in place.

And don’t forget, there’s only one week left to compete in the special GT5 Time Trial Challenge and unlock a special edition Nissan GT-R for your garage. We hope you enjoy the free game updates, new cars and new batch of DLC. Drive safe!

#granturismo Mary Pozzi owns a sweet 1971 Camaro. It's so sweet, in fact, that Gran Turismo 5 developers Polyphony Digital have decided to put it in their video game. More »

Back for its 9th year, the Gran Turismo Awards is ready to crown a new performance vehicle with the honor of being digitally recreated in a future edition of the Gran Turismo franchise. The awards ceremony will be held this Thursday evening, November 3rd at 9:00pm (PST) at Marquee Nightclub, located in The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas hotel. In addition to the awards presentation, guests will be treated to a musical performance by Stone Temple Pilots to celebrate the evening in style.

The Gran Turismo Awards recognizes the best vehicles at the SEMA SHOW (Specialty Equipment Market Association) in five different categories: Best Hot Rod, Best Asian Import, Best European Import, Best Domestic Automobile, and Best Truck/SUV. After the five category winners are judged, one winner from each category is selected on performance and style by leading automotive media. From there, it falls to Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi to select the overall GT Awards “Best in Show” winner. Walking the show floor, Kazunori-san views each of the category winners and selects a vehicle that best represents the Gran Turismo brand; one that will be immortalized as a fully playable part of the Gran Turismo franchise for millions of fans around the world.

In addition to the music acts following the awards ceremony, guests will have a chance to check out the latest new features and content for Gran Turismo 5, including our recently released GT5 DLC.

For those who didn’t attend last year, here’s a look at our 2010 GT Awards “Best in Show” car, Mark Stielow’s red 1969 Chevy Camaro…

For those of you in town to attend SEMA this week, come on by with your badge to check out the awards event and a great concert. We look forward to seeing you on Thursday!

After a year of updates, culminating in the recent and significant Spec 2.0 update, the game Gran Turismo 5 was when it launched has been massaged into a markedly different one. Spec 2.0, a serious overhaul, was made available in the very same week Forza Motorsport 4 was launched on Xbox 360. Th...

#gallery Forza Motorsport 4 was released this month. It's a great game—a great-looking game, too. Gran Turismo 5, released last year, is also a great-looking game. But which one looks better? More »

Asia has Gran Turismo 5's latest downloadable content already. Europe gets it very soon. But in the US, it's been delayed until October 25. To make up for the wait, players will receive a "special bonus". More »

The hefty hunk of expansions for Polyphony Digital's Gran Turismo 5 has been dated, priced and torn asunder. That is to say, you can buy each of the constituent parts of the update -- the tracks, the cars, the racing gear and the paint jobs -- separately, or as one big, $11.99 piece of DLC. Or, you could buy some of the piecemeal parts, and then the whole package, if you were a crazy person with tons of money to waste.

You'll be able to get your rich, crazy hands on the new content starting October 18. Meanwhile, the Functionality Update 2.0 that adds mid-race saving and other free features to the game, launches today.

#granturismo While we're still a week away from the big batch of downloadable content for Gran Turismo 5, the free 2.0 update drops today, delivering car interiors, 2011 NASCAR racers, and tons of fixes and tweaks, just in time to turn racing fans' heads away from Forza 4. More »

After revealing last week all of the great free content coming to Gran Turismo 5, which dropped to $39.99 as of last week, I’m happy to report that the Spec 2.0 update is now live for everyone to download and explore. And if you’re a PlayStation Plus member and have Automatic Downloads enabled, the next time you turn on your PS3 you might find that the update has already been installed. Otherwise, you can launch the game now and update GT5 to Spec 2.0.

The Spec 2.0 update enables you enjoy a new and improved GT5, including interior views for all standard cars, improved physics and AI, faster menus and load times, additional functionality and control in the online racing mode, updated 2011 NASCAR cars, a gorgeous new opening cinematic movie, and much more.

I mentioned last week that we also have a slew of downloadable content releasing on the PlayStation Store. Here’s an update on the content you can expect next week on October 18th.

Course Pack

The Course Pack ($4.99), will include two courses completely new to Gran Turismo. The first course is the world-famous Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps located in Spa, Belgium. At 7km long, this course is widely known as one of the most challenging race courses in the world due to its many twists and turns and elevation changes. And every inch of the track has been painstakingly recreated as only Polyphony can.

The second course is a flashy indoor karting arena designed by Polyphony Digital, and comes with two layouts to race. Lit with neon lighting, the kart arena not only showcases the beauty of GT5’s graphics and lighting engines, but also adds a crazy twist to the outdoor karting areas that shipped with GT5.

Racing Car Pack

The Racing Car Pack ($7.99) adds 11 custom PDI-designed custom touring editions of fan favorites like the Mazda RX-7, Subaru Impreza, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X, Dodge Challenger SRT8, Nissan GT-R, Honda CR-Z, and even a race tuned Toyota Prius, among others. The pack also includes three new racing karts. But what makes the Racing Car Pack really cool is that it also features the never-before-seen Red Bull X2011 Prototype vehicle. The Red Bull X2010, a machine built for pure speed, was the ultimate prize in Gran Turismo 5, and the Red Bull X2011 Prototype is the next evolution in design. In other words, that’s 15 new vehicles to add to your collection and master.

Racing Gear Pack

Also available will be the Racing Gear Pack ($2.99), which features 90 pieces of racing gear, including racing suits and helmets, for your in-game drivers. Included are GT original design helmets and suits, white and black Alpinestars suits, the official 2010 and 2011 season racing suits and helmets of 4 top NASCAR drivers, and racing gear of 4 other celebrity race car drivers including Sebastien Loeb and Peter Solberg.

Paint Pack

And last but not least is the Paint Pack ($1.99), featuring 100 paint colors to customize your cars with. The pack includes new shades of matte, chrome and aluminum colors. It’s time to breathe some new life into your car collection.

While you can buy individual DLC packs, you can also buy it all at once as a bundle for just $11.99. PlayStation Plus subscribers will also get a nice discount on the bundle for the first month of release – more details on that soon.

And if you haven’t heard, this week is your chance to grab the Red Bull X2010, Sebastian Vettel model, which we are giving away for free this week to commemorate Vettel’s historic F1 championship win over the weekend. The Red Bull X2010 is a racing machine built for pure speed (up to 280mph, 0-60 in 1.4 seconds), built as a special partnership between Polyphony Digital and Red Bull Racing. If you haven’t completed all of the in-game challenges to unlock it in the game on your own yet, this is your chance to add this speed demon to your collection. See here for instructions on how to add it to your garage. This promotion is good this week only, so be sure to grab it before time runs out!

Finally, don’t forget to watch GT Academy Tuesdays on SPEED, and download full episodes from the Video Store side of PSN. Episode 4 debuts tonight at 7:00pm PST on SPEED and will be available this week on PSN, with the thrilling final episode premiering next week.

#granturismo Along with its big update, which is free, Gran Turismo 5 is also getting some paid DLC, which includes new cars, new courses, new clothes and...new paint colours. More »

The Official PlayStation Blog has official details on the official Gran Turismo 5 update, officially coming in the next few weeks. The new patch offers new official interior views for all of the cars in the game, reduced load times, adjustable weather conditions, the ability to save during an extended race, and updated photo and shuffle modes. The game will also now officially support the Logitech G25 and G27 racing wheels, and the patch even adds official (of course) versions of the 2011 Nascar racing cars.

And perhaps most exciting, Polyphony Digital will be officially dropping a "full batch of downloadable content" for Gran Turismo 5 in the next few weeks, including new vehicles, new tracks, and "some additional surprises." Sony says you can watch the official website for more details. And what's more, the official price on the game is officially dropping, down to $39.99.

Unofficially? With Forza Motorsport 4 due out next week, it sounds like Sony's aiming to do a little crowdpleasing among the Gran Turismo faithful.

#granturismo PlayStation 3 racing sim Gran Turismo 5 continues to evolve with the promised "Spec 2" update, Sony and developer Polyphony Digital announced today, giving virtual drivers more to see and do as the game approaches its first birthday. More »

If you have been keeping up with GT5, you know Polyphony Digital has been very diligent about releasing free updates to improve the game, especially the online racing mode. Ever since the launch, Kazunori Yamauchi and his team have been carefully studying posts on forums, reading comments on PlayStation.Blog posts and across Twitter, talking to fans at events, and more. The game has evolved a lot since last November, thanks in part to the dedicated GT fans voicing their opinions.

Now I’m here to share with you some very exciting news about the biggest FREE update yet, releasing in the next few weeks. It will add new features and even more functionality to your GT5 experience.

Polyphony learned that a lot of fans out there love driving using the game’s interior view, and has given some serious thought to it. With this new update, all cars in the game will now have interior views. Although the level of visual details will vary based on what car you choose, you can now race from behind the wheel of any car in the game. In addition, you’ll be able to get the 2011 season versions of the 11 NASCAR race cars for the first time.

Some of the other improvements introduced are greatly reduced load times when loading races, quicker menu response times, and adjustable opponent AI in Arcade Mode. Players will now have the option to save their progress during lengthy racing events so they can come back and finish at a later time, and can also adjust weather conditions for races using a slider function that goes from mild to severe.

The wildly popular Photo Mode has been updated to allow players to take pictures with their personalized driver avatars with customizable racing suits and helmets. You can even fast-forward and rewind race replays now to better capture that key moment in the race.

For those who enjoy racing online with your fellow gearheads, we’re expanding the shuffle race mode. As with the same feature in Gran Turismo PSP, this allows friendly competition between players of different skill levels. Players setting up online races will also have a host of new regulations available to customize their own events. New bonus incentives are introduced for players who log in and play on a consistent basis.

Truly hardcore racing fans will be stoked to hear that GT5 will now officially and fully support the Logitech G25 and G27 Racing Wheels.

The final piece of big news is that there will be a full batch of downloadable content for Gran Turismo 5 in the coming weeks. This DLC will of course include new vehicles and tracks, plus some additional surprises.

We’ll have more details very soon on the specifics of the DLC, so stay tuned, and check the blog and the official Gran Turismo website for further details.

I am ending this post with a comment from the man himself, Kazunori Yamauchi, president of Polyphony Digital and creator of the Gran Turismo franchise:

The coming Gran Turismo 5 Spec 2 update is an update that contains the feedback from the users playing GT5 online every day. We have added cars such as the newest NASCAR race cars, but many of the updates are those that improve usability and expand the field of game play. I believed from the initial release of Gran Turismo 5 that it would be the users that would make the game grow thereafter, and we added things like interior views for the standard models because there was a lot of request for it from our users. You could say that this update is the shape and form of GT5 that was created through the opinions of our fans.

And if you don’t have Gran Turismo 5 yet, now is the perfect time to get into the best-selling racing game. In addition to all of the great new content and free updates, as of this week you can pick GT5 up for only $39.99.

Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi has revealed the content of Gran Turismo 5's recently announced Spec 2.0 update...

According to a rare English-language post on Twitter from GT creator Kazunori Yamauchi, (via GT Planet) new content and features are on the way the Gran Turismo 5 in October. The update, which Yamauchi refers to as GT5 Spec 2.0, is coming in the third week of October, with DLC following a week later...

Polyphony Digital CEO Kazunori Yamauchi recently announced on Twitter that Gran Turismo 5 will be widely expanded next month -- though he didn't really explain how. According to the Tweet, the game's "Spec 2.0 update" will launch during the 3rd week of October, with a new DLC pack scheduled to launch the following week.

Kaz didn't mention any of the contents of either the update or DLC, leaving us to use our imaginations to determine their constituent features. We're gonna guess the update adds a fifth wheel to most cars, while the DLC's proximity to Halloween ensures it will contain some spooky vehicles, like a ... um, a werewolf bus.

Polyphony boss Kaz Yamauchi has announced that an update to GT5, called Spec 2.0, will be out in the third week of October, with DLC due a week later. Sadly, no word on what's actually in them. More »

The 2011 Tokyo Game Show has come and gone with nary a solitary whisper regarding Gran Turismo 5. No matter, you say, there are plenty of games that are released and subsequently never mentioned by their publishers again. But Gran Turismo 5 isn't just any game; it's one of the biggest feathers in Sony's cap...

Tune in tonight as Gran Turismo 5 makes its primetime television debut on Speed Channel with GT Academy, a five-part reality show featuring GT Academy and the fierce competition that gave the nation’s top 16 Gran Turismo drivers a chance to become a professional race car driver. The first episode airs tonight at 10 pm EST, followed by new episodes airing every Tuesday on Speed Channel during the same timeslot (please check your local listings for timing and updates).

Take a look at the video below to catch a glimpse as to what’s in store for you on Speed Channel:

And for those of you who can’t make Tuesday nights, the PlayStation Store will make the previous night’s episode available for download every Wednesday.

In December, Sony Computer Entertainment LLC and Polyphony Digital Inc. – in association with Nissan North America – launched the first GT Academy program here in the US. Over 53,000 aspiring race car drivers competed in the GT Academy online time trials in Gran Turismo 5. Thirty-two of the nation’s best players moved onto the National Finals event in Orlando, with 16 of the fastest racers emerging and moving onto the finals at the Silverstone Circuit in England. The grand prize? A shot at becoming a professional race car driver.

It’s truly a race to the finish. Tune in to GT Academy on Speed Channel to follow GT Academy’s Sweet 16 as they endure a slew of mental and physical challenges, as well as go behind the wheel of real race cars such as Nissan 370Zs and GT-Rs while being closely watched by an expert panel of racing veterans. It’s truly a race to the finish as they prove they have what it takes to become the next professional race car driver.

#granturismo Bugs happen. And since games can be patched and fixed, I personally don't think a few aren't that big of a deal. They can be, however, very funny. More »

#purpleshirts Gran Turismo 5 was just seriously updated, v1.10 of the racing game bringing not just tweaks and fixes, but some new content as well. More »

For most people, video games are just a hobby, a way to do things they can’t do in real life. But with GT Academy, PlayStation, Gran Turismo, and Nissan have changed all that. Over 53,000 hopefuls competed in the GT Academy online time trials in Gran Turismo 5 this past December and January. Thirty-two of the best players in the country made it to the National Finals event in Orlando in March. And this past week, the 16 fastest and most promising racers were taken from virtual to reality when they took a trip over the Atlantic to compete at Silverstone Circuit in England. The stakes: a shot at becoming a professional race car driver.

Last week at Silverstone, the 16 finalists were put through their paces in a week’s worth of physical and mental endurance challenges, and of course, a host of driving challenges and short and endurance races behind the wheel of real race cars including Nissan 370Zs and GT-Rs. Closely watching over the finalists’ every braking point and turn of the wheel was an expert panel of racing industry veterans, judging skill, raw talent, potential, dedication, attitude and passion.

Although all 16 finalists were extremely talented, in the end there could be only one winner — one GT Academy champion. Yesterday, Bryan Heitkotter from California was crowned the first US winner of GT Academy. His raw talent, attitude, and the promise he showed the judges won him the podium in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Congratulations to Bryan Heitkotter, and his 15 competitors who gave it their all, on and off the track at Silverstone.

After a short trip home, Heitkotter will be headed back to England to start intensive training to learn everything he’ll need to know in order to perform at his potential during his debut, a grueling endurance race, as part of a racing team. And who knows, maybe he will follow in the footsteps of the 2008 European GT Academy winner Lucas Ordonez, who has turned his win into a full-fledged racing career. Ordonez has helped earn his team many podium finishes since he debuted, including the win that secured their spot at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race this coming weekend.

Again, Sony, PlayStation, Gran Turismo, and Nissan congratulates Bryan Heitkotter for his brilliant performance at Silverstone, and all 15 of the other finalists who gave it their absolute best and showed that playing video games isn’t always a waste of time. We look forward to seeing how Heitkotter progresses during his training and does in his debut race.

Be sure to check watch the full competition in the GT Academy reality show, debuting this September on the Speed Channel and PlayStation Network. And you can visit the GT Academy page on Facebook now to see updates, pictures and videos straight from the event last week, and keep up with the latest news on Bryan Heitkotter and the GT Academy program.

#catchemall Japan is getting a new custom PS3, a limited Tales of Xillia one. This isn't the first limited PS3 for Japan. There have been others. More »

The time has come! We are now a little more than a week away from crowning the first winner of GT Academy here in the US. This weekend, the nation’s top 16 Gran Turismo 5 players will be making their way across the ocean to participate in the final phase of GT Academy, an intense week-long racing camp to be held at the Silverstone Circuit in the U.K. Participants will be judged by an expert panel of racing veterans, judging each competitor’s performance behind the wheel of real Nissan race cars, as well as through other grueling challenges designed to push their physical and mental stamina to the limits. The person who is judged to have the most natural talent and potential to succeed as a professional race car driver will be crowned the first GT Academy champion in the US.

Watch a recap of what went down in March at the National Finals event, where the nation’s top 32 GT5 players, who made it through a field of over 53,000 entrants, faced off to determine which 16 would make the trip to Silverstone to compete in real cars for a shot at being GT Academy champion.

The GT Academy champion will go on to train with elite race coaches and drivers before competing as part of a professional racing team. If the champion truly has what it takes, he will go on to take part in major international races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans, just like the first European GT Academy winner, Lucas Ordonez, who will race at Le Mans in a few weeks. In just three short years, Lucas has gone from grad student to making his first appearance on Le Mans… and the US GT Academy champion could be joining him there in a few years!

Congratulations from Sony, Polyphony Digital and Nissan North America to these truly amazing 16 individuals. We wish them all good luck.

The top 16, in no particular order:

Bryan Heitkotter, Christopher Roberts, Jason Miller, Andre Gomes, John Wilding, Christopher Morton, Kris Norris, Gregory Russell, Connor Clifford, Phillip Arscott, Nick Fontana, Rich Pratt, Glenn McGee Howle, Steve Driscoll, Sean Johnston, Jose Cedeno

Join us on Facebook to stay up to date with the latest news and happenings direct from Silverstone next week, and watch for the GT Academy reality show to debut on the Speed Channel this fall.

GTPlanet recently did a bit of internet sleuthing into the Gran Turismo 5 official website, and uncovered logos for 24 tracks which aren't currently available in the game. A few have appeared in past titles, including Gran Turismo 4 and Gran Turismo PSP -- but all 24 have never appeared together in the same title. Check out the process through which these logos were divined on this GTPlanet forum post, and check out the full list of tracks after the jump.

It's unclear whether these logos are actually indicative of a batch of tracks that are coming to Gran Turismo 5 as DLC -- though it's worth noting that the list contains the track "El Capitan," which was shown as a GT5 track in a cross-promotional video posted (briefly) by Red Bull last year. If that particular track actually ends up in the game, that would mean that Polyphony Digital has been working on it for a while! Why, that doesn't sound like them at all.

Not to be outdone by another blockbuster franchise -- Metal Gear Solid -- the Gran Turismo brand has spawned its own clothing line. But where Konami is going for authenticity to its game and characters, Sony is focusing on neatly cut (and expensive!) coats and shirts.

Being sold through the newly launched Gran Turismo Boutique, the threads range from a $25 T-Shirt with barely a hint of GT branding up to a $200 "endurance jacket" with the series logo embroidered across the back.

Here's hoping the site's shipping isn't as delay-plagued as the series the clothing represents.