Gran Turismo 6 marches toward reality, races toward a holiday 2013 release

Everyone needs a rival. In case of Ayrton Senna, it was the cool-under fire Alain Prost. The Porsche 911 Turbo continually swaps Nürburgring hot-lap bragging rights with Nissan’s Godzilla GT-R. With racing games, Forza strives to out-simulate Gran Turismo, which has endured for 15 years. And in celebration of that milestone, Polyphony Digital head Kazunori Yamauchi announced that the much-anticipated sixth version is slated for a holiday 2013 release on the PlayStation 3 — a drastic contrast to the development cycle of its predecessor that saw more delays than a Fisker Karma launch.

The game, previewed at the Silverstone track in England, looks more like a major tune-up than a re-imagining of the franchise. The new installment features 33 locations and 71 course layouts, which is nine more locales than GT5. New models range from the KTM X-Bow R to the 1971 Ferrari Dino 246 GT to the Tesla Model S. Forza Motorsport fans have long grumbled of the lack of customization in the Gran Turismo franchise, and this game promises thousands of aero parts and numerous wheel options, as well as the ability to create your own community club. Still it doesn’t look like you can create your own elaborate decal designs, so you probably won’t be able to plaster anime characters on your hood as with the competing Xbox 360 title.

For people who track their car outside the game, the most intriguing feature is the ability to upload data logs taken from your car’s ECU and see your laps in-game via GPS tracking. Only one car so far will support the feature — the Toyota GT86 (known as the Scion FR-S stateside) — though Yamauchi hinted at more manufacturers following suit.