A new installment of Sony’s legendary Gran Turismo franchise is set to hit retail shelves in under a month. Gran Turismo 6, or GT6 as it is known by gamers, will be the second Gran Turismo title available for the Playstation 3 and builds off of the foundation laid out in Gran Turismo 5. Over 1,000 vehicles will carry over from the GT5 title, with the majorty of them dating back to Gran Turismo 4.
However, there will be 124 new cars added to the game at launch with many more due over the course of the next year thanks to downloadable content. Sticking to Polyphony’s recipe of adding contemporary, classic and oddball cars (like the Lunar Roving Vehicle that landed on the moon in 1971), the new car list has us giddy with anticipation as some truly iconic cars have been added. Honestly, we can’t wait to drive all of these cars, but after some painstaking deliberation, we have shrunk the list down our top ten most anticipated vehicles of Gran Turismo 6.
Yes, the pointy-nosed car that resembles the old Hot Wheels Jet Rocket Land Speed Car will be in this game. The experimental racer has been turning heads since it first came to fruition and should be a blast to rip around the racetracks. The only question that remains is – will the computer controlled drivers also crash into the Deltawing for an added sense of realism?
Despite the fact that the faster, all electric Tesla Model S will be included in GT6, it’s the Fisker Karma we are more excited about driving. Even though this vehicle is a mere two years old, most of us will probably never get to drive one thanks to the company’s severe financial woes. Plus, ripping around with three powerplants in the supersized, super heavy Karma should scare a few of those EG Civics off the road.
Do we even have to explain why we can’t wait to play with this car? Just look at it. LOOK AT IT! Initially designed to compete against the Mercedes-Benz 300SL roadster, the 507 was overpriced and under loved during its day, but has since become a classic. It is a V8 powered, manual transmission, rear-wheel drive roadster with the looks of Olivia Wilde and class of Sean Connery.
Ever heard of the 1970 Mazda RX500 experimental sports car? That’s alright, most people haven’t either. Looking like the love child between a Chapparal 2J and a Lamborghini, the RX500 was a mid-engine sports car powered by Mazda’s twin rotary engine. Weighing just 1,323 lbs. while producing 247 hp, this car should feature period-correct sketchy 1970’s handling characteristics.
Gran Turismo faithful rejoice! The legendary Escudo Pikes Peak hill car has finally been joined by not one, but two successors. The man who has piloted all three of these cars, Nobuhiro “Monster” Tajima, is an icon when it comes to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. He has been involved in motorsports for over 30 years now and at the age of 63, still races up Pikes Peak every year. In 2011, Monster took a SX4 Pikes Peak Special up the mountain in under 10 minutes for the first time in history. Joining this car will be the all-electirc 2012 Monster Sport E-RUNNER Pikes Peak Special.
Jay Leno likes cars, but he loves cars that are a little different. Remember his tank car in previous Gran Turismo titles? Well, Polyphony has added another one-off special commissioned by Leno and this one has us excited. Ever since Leno created his custom Toronado all we could think of was what it would be like to drive this beast. What has us so pumped up? Well, Leno took the front-wheel drive Toronado, ripped off the body, attached it to a C5 Corvette chassis, added a twin-turbocharged V8 and gave the car in excess of 1,000 hp and 1,000 lb-ft of torque.
We admit that we didn’t know much about this car when it was announced in 2011 as the winner of “Gran Turismo Trophy” during the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. By winning the trophy, the car earned the right to be included in the next rendition of Gran Turismo and voila, here it is.
Built as a driver focused design study, the XNR features some, uh, unusual styling that was probably all the rage back in 1960. Power for this car comes from a 250 hp slant-six.
Of course the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is included in GT6, but that car also appeared at the tail-end of the GT5 franchise. The big news for GM fans this year is the inclusion of some serious classics like the 1967 El Camino SS 396, 1970 Nova SS and 1978 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am.
The car we are most anticipating though is the 1959 Corvette Stingray Racer Concept. This car was the basis for the C2 Corvette Stingray shape, but with a few differences. This concept weighs a mere 2,200 lbs. while still being powered by a meaty V8.
A swarm of Ferraris has been being added to GT6 and each one has us excited. But the 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, in which the GT stands for ‘Gran Turismo’, is the one we cannot wait to pilot virtually. Regarded as one of the prettiest cars ever made, the 250 is a true timeless classic. Joining the GTO wil be the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta passo corto, 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB4, the unloved 1971 Ferrari Dino 246 GT, the 2007 Ferrari FXX and the 1984 Ferrari GTO.
What’s better than the 1986 Audi Sport quattro S1 Rally Car included in GT6? The 1987 Audi Sport Quattro S1 Pikes Peak car. With an even wilder bodykit, more wings and somewhere around 1000 hp, we can all now pretend to be Röhrl as we virtually assault various terrains in this mammoth Audi.