So let me get this straight, this is only a limited game and the full version will be out in another year or so?

Want the perfect prologue to sim racing's most-distinguished brand? Tack another $150 onto that $40 download, as Logitech has unveiled the official, and pricey Driving Force GT racing wheel. Engineered specifically for Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (but compatible with GT4 and GT5 on PS2), the Driving Force features requisite force feedback, plus a new 24-position realtime adjustment dial (see -- it's red!), so you can fine-tune the brake bias, traction control and damper settings on-the-fly. Brake bias? Damper settings? Just point us to the boost button!

The Driving Force GT wheel is "expected" to ship in May.

Here's the full list of cars and tracks that will be available in Gran Turismo 5 Prologue:

Car Lists

Acura NSX '91

Alfa Romeo 147 TI 2.0 TWIN SPARK '06

Alfa Romeo Brera Sky Window 3.2 JTS Q4 '06

Amuse S2000 GT1 Turbo

Amuse/Opera Performance Gran Turismo 350Z RS

Art Morrison Corvette'60

Aston Martin DB9 Coupe '06

Audi R8 4.2 FSI R tronic '07

Audi TT Coupe 3.2 quattro '07

Blitz Dunlop ER34 '07

BMW 135i Coupe '07

BMW 135tii '08

BMW M3 Coupe '07

BMW Z4 '03

Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (C6) Tuned Car

Chevrolet Corvette Z06 '06

Citroen C4 Coupe 2.0VTS '06

Clio Renault Sport V6 24V Tuned Car

Daihatsu Copen Active Top '02

Daihatsu OFC-1 '07

Dodge Viper GTS

Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe

Dodge Viper SRT10 Coupe Tuned Car

Ferrari 512BB '76

Ferrari 599 '06

Ferrari F40 '92

Ferrari F430 '06

Ford Focus ST '06

Ford GT '05

Ford GT Tuned Car

Ford Mustang V8 GT Coupe Premium '07

Honda Integra TYPE R '04

Honda NSX Type R '02

Jaguar XK Coupe '06

Lancia Delta HF Integrale Evoluzione '91

Lexus IS F '07

Lexus IS F Tuned Car

Lotus Elise 111R '04

Lotus Elise 111R Tuned Car

Lotus Elise '96

Lotus Elise Tuned Car

Mazda Atenza Sport (2007 Tokyo Motor Show reference exhibit)

Mazda RX-7 (FD) Special Tuned Car

Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type A (FD) '02

Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type A (FD) Tuned Car

Mazda RX-8 Type S '03

Mercedes-Benz SL 55 AMG '02

Mine's BNR34 Skyline GT-R N1 base '06

Mini Cooper-S '06

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX GSR '05

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR Premium Package '07

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR Tuned Car

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX GSR Tuned Car

Nissan Fairlady Z Version S '07

Nissan GT-R '07

Nissan GT-R Proto '05

Nissan Skyline Coupe (V36) Tuned Car

Nissan Skyline Coupe 370GT Type SP '07

Nissan Skyline Coupe Concept '07

Nissan Skyline GT-R V-spec II Nur '02

Nissan Skyline Sedan 350GT Type SP '06

Peugeot 207GTI '07

Peugeot 307cc Premium AVN '04

RE Amemiya FD3S RX-7

Renault Clio Renault Sport V6 24V '00

Subaru Impreza Sedan WRX STI spec C Type RA '05

Subaru Impreza WRX STI (18inch BBS Wheel Option) '07

Suzuki Cappuccino '95

Suzuki Cappuccino Tuned Car

Suzuki Cervo SR '07

Suzuki Swift Sport '07

Suzuki Swift Sport Tuned Car

TVR Tamora '02

TVR Tuscan Speed 6 '00

Volkswagen Golf GTI '01

Volkswagen Golf V GTI '05



Track List

Suzuka Circuit

Fuji Speedway

Daytona International Speedway

Eiger Nordwand

London City Track

High Speed Ring

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue: Full Details

March 7th, 2008

Finally, the press release we’ve been waiting for! SCEA has announced a plethora of new features, along with a complete car and track list that is raising quite a few eyebrows. Our resident GT news aces amar212 and alba have posted the full press release in our GT5 Prologue forum, with the highlights below.

Ferrari F40: Since Ferrari first joined up with Polyphony Digital to include their cars in the game, we haven’t really seen anything beyond newer models such as the F430 and 599 GTB. Now, though, all of that is beginning to change as the landmark Ferrari F40 (’92) - one of the most celebrated cars of all time - dominates the list. The lesser-known Ferrari 512BB (’76) is also a very pleasant addition that further diversifies the lineup. See the full list here…

Tuned Cars: In previous games, some cars were available for purchase in a special “tuned” form, which included external modifications such as spoilers and racing livery. These cars are once again making a comeback in Gran Turismo 5: Prologue, much like the tuned Nissan Skyline in this screenshot. Look through our complete gallery to see other cars such as the BMW 135i, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, and the Nissan 350Z in their own unique racing trim.

Drift Mode: Similar to what we saw in last year’s Gran Turismo HD demo, “Drift Mode” returns, allowing you to score points “based on drift angles, racing lines, and speeds within evaluation zones located at various turns on the course.”

Extensive Tuning: Without getting too specific, it appears that more in-depth car tuning facilities will be made available in the new game. According to the press release, players will be able to modify the vehicle’s power and weight in addition to the regular options.

High Speed Ring: Back in early February, we reported a mysterious “6th track” would be included in the North American version of the game. This speculation was correct, and we are happy to confirm this track is the infamous High Speed Ring, a fictional circuit which made its debut all the way back in Gran Turismo 1.

2-Player Split Screen: With most new racing games abandoning the classic 2-player split screen in favor of LAN or web-based multiplayer, it’s refreshing to see that Polyphony has decided to continue supporting those of us without two PlayStation 3’s around the house.

Check out the full car list and track list after the jump - click on “Read the rest of this entry…” below. If you’re ready to reserve your copy, jump over to Amazon where you can pre-order GT5 Prologue down for $39.99 with free shipping.

Gran Turismo creators tapped to design Nissan GT-R display

Posted Oct 18th 2007 4:02PM by Damon Lavrinc

We just got done reading Inside Line's take on the new Nissan GT-R, its painstaking development at the Nurburgring and how Nissan engineers sought to make it the definitive everyday supercar, a title that its Porsche rival has assumed for the past several years. A number of eye-opening facts were revealed, including that only about ten-percent of dealers will be able to service the GT-R (those being the only ones able to sell it), that the seats were designed to be almost infinitely adjustable and that according to the GT-R's design director, Shiro Nakamura, "We didn't want a nice elegant shape. We wanted an original shape." Check that.

The other interesting tidbit was that Polyphony Digital, the company behind the Gran Tursimo franchise, was contracted to develop the multifunction LCD – a staple of the last generation GT-R. The new display, much like the old, will log dozens of different pieces of information – from engine temps to Gs – and if it's anywhere near as cool looking as the teaser image above, we're sure it will provide endless hours of amusement for lucky owners and their motion-sick passengers.

The collaborative development of the Nissan GT-R multifunction meter was presented

Oct 25, 2007

The press preview for the “40th Tokyo Motor Show 2007” was held on Wednesday, October 24th at Makuhari Messe in Chiba prefecture, and the press briefing for “Gran Turismo 5 Prologue” was held in the same venue.
This is a summary of the talk session that was held in the first half of the briefing regarding the collaboration with the new model Nissan GT-R.

“Gran Turismo” (GT) series producer Kazunori Yamauchi took the podium first. The unveiling event for the new model GT-R that had been held within “Gran Turismo 5 Prologue” Free Downloadable Demo at 2:30 pm earlier in the day was then reenacted at the briefing.
The press that had gathered for the briefing had only just gotten a glimpse of the form of the new model GT-R that had been presented in the exhibition center a few minutes earlier, and they spontaneously burst into applause when the GT-R was unveiled on the screen.

The chief developer of the new model GT-R, Mr. Kazutoshi Mizuno from Nissan Motors, and marketing director Yoshimitsu Kaji appeared next. A talk session between them and Mr. Yamauchi then started.

Mr. Yamauchi described his experience of being brought in as “a member of the new model GT-R development team”, and introduced how the opportunity to test-drive the new model GT-R had been made available in various locations around the world for over a year.

Mr. Yamauchi said “I don't think there is another car that is this easy to drive. The four wheels move perfectly free and unrestricted”. Mr. Mizuno said “Even if you are rocketing along the no-speed limit sections of the German Autobahn (high-speed road), it is still possible to hold a conversation within the cabin. Driving along snowy roads is also possible. Nissan have created this kind of multi-purpose car. This is a car where the winning race driver can walk to the winner's podium without appearing tired at all, even after having experienced what is intrinsically the most unrelenting form of driving. This is because a good car does not wear out the driver”.

Mr. Kaji said that the reason for the collaboration with “GT” was “Because this is a medium that allows a connection between the real and the virtual. The idea of unveiling a car in software at the same time as it is unveiled at the actual motor show venue has never been done before. I tried driving the new model GT-R in ‘GT’, and was surprised at how it felt exactly like ‘the sensation of driving the GT-R in real life’. The amazing thing about this feeling is not just the physical sensation, but also the feeling of having already driven on Suzuka Circuit. It is so realistic that when staff at Nissan Motors were shown a ‘GT’ replay video, they mistook it for the real thing”.

Mr. Yamauchi replied “I felt that because the GT-R is a national treasure of Japan, we had to recreate it with total realism. From the external form to the texture of the surface coatings, we asked Mr. Hasegawa (Nissan Motors designer in charge of designing the new model GT-R) to check it over and over again. Of course, since this a car with the ability to change the history of Japanese sports cars, we obsessed over recreating the handling”.

Collaboration with Nissan Motors has also been achieved in the past with events such as the “Skyline 50th Anniversary Event” and the “Skyline Coupe”. It is no longer a rarity for real-life cars to be recreated in “GT” and made available to the world, and this trend is continuing.

However, the collaboration with GT-R this time has been different than previous collaboration efforts, and the things that were attempted for the first time were presented here.

This time, technology and designs jointly developed for “GT” have been incorporated into the new model GT-R.

The developers of “GT”, Polyphony Digital, were given the responsibility of planning and designing the monitor called the “multifunction meter” on the new model GT-R. Mr. Mizuno declared “We believe that this is the world's first device that allows the car to tell the driver about the condition of the car”.

He said “Even though we work in completely different industries, once Mr. Yamauchi and myself began working together we realized that the basics of how we proceeded with our work was the same. That is, creating a model in our head first before beginning to create the actual object. My first impression was that I had met someone who does things the same way”.

During the development of the vehicle, construction proceeded at such an exceptional speed that “Mr. Mizuno and myself kept on advancing. That sense of speed was enjoyable” (Yamauchi).

Finally, Mr. Mizuno said “I want this multifunction meter to be further developed. In the past, ‘GT’ has reflected the technology from real cars. For the first time, the technology from ‘GT’ has now been fitted to a real car. This is the starting point for even further advancement”. Mr. Kaji said “Although the high performance of the GT-R has been the focus of attention, the car is actually packed with many new concepts. I want these ideas to be further developed. The actual GT-R has only just had the mask removed. The Free Downloadable Demo of ‘Gran Turismo 5 Prologue’ has also only just been released. In fact, nothing has actually started yet. The best is yet to come”.

Mr. Yamauchi wrapped up by saying “This year, ‘GT’ is celebrating its 10th year. 10 years ago, we could only look at the GT-R from afar and dream ‘I want to drive that car someday’, and we poured those feelings into ‘GT’. Now 10 years have passed, and we have been able to be involved in part of the development of the GT-R, and witness the unveiling. This is all deeply moving. In the future, I want to work even harder to move closer to the world of cars”.