 | Gran Turismo (Italian for "Grand Tourer"), also known as GT, is a highly successful and critically acclaimed series of racing video games produced for the Sony Playstation, Playstation 2, Playstation 3 and Playstation Portable gaming systems. All of the games are said to simulate the appearance and performance of a large selection of vehicles, nearly all of which are licensed reproductions of real-world automobiles. Since the franchise’s first entry in December 1997, over 50 million units have been sold worldwide for the Playstation, Playstation 2, and Playstation 3. |
The Gran Turismo series is represented by four primary releases, two for the PlayStation and two for the PlayStation 2. The series is also represented by many other “abbreviated” releases on the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3. Polyphony Digital has announced the production of two other primary release titles labeled Gran Turismo (PSP) and Gran Turismo 5. Gran Turismo (PSP) was recently given a North America and Europe release date of October 1st, 2009 with a Japan release following on October 8th, 2009. The Gran Turismo (PSP) release date coincides with the release of the PSP Go.
| Title | Year Released | Platform | Cars | Tracks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gran Turismo | 1997/1998 | PlayStation | 178 | 11 |
| Gran Turismo 2 | 1999/2000 | PlayStation | just under 650 | 27 |
| Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | 2001 | PlayStation 2 | over 150 | 34 |
| Gran Turismo 4 | 2005 | PlayStation 2 | over 700 | 51 |
| Title | Release Date | Platform | Cars | Tracks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gran Turismo (PSP) | October 1st, 2009 | PlayStation Portable | over 800 | 35 |
| Gran Turismo 5 | December 2009 (Not confirmed) | PlayStation 3 | TBA |
TBA |
Official simulator kits
Polyphony Digital has collaborated with peripherals manufacturer Logitech and auto parts maker Sparco to design official driving simulator kits for the Gran Turismo franchise. The most recent product designation is Driving Force.
(Above) Official Gran Turismo kit with GT Force and Racing Cockpit
Official model car kits
In 2009, radio-control model car company HPI Racing released an official RC car tie-in: the HPI E10 RTR Ford GT LM Race Car Spec II designed by Gran Turismo (200mm), a pre-built officially licensed radio-control car kit built to look exactly like the cover car for the Gran Turismo 4 game. Plans for future releases include releasing more kits to replicate other Gran Turismo cover cars.
