The team of racers assembled from the Nissan Playstation GT Academy earned themselves a remarkable honor at the Dubai 24 Hour race this weekend, finishing third in their class and 26th overall. All four drivers, Lucas Ordoñez, Jordan Tresson, Bryan Heitkotter and Jann Mardenborough, are GT Academy grads, having started out behind the wheel of virtual race cars to win the opportunity to attend the GT Academy racing program.

The team qualified the #100 car fourth in their class and despite some mechanical issues the four drivers endured all 24 hours of the race without any damage to the Nissan 370Z while earning a podium finish.

This is truly an unprecedented achievement in the world of motorsports. As we all know, it’s tough enough to earn a podium finish as a professional racer with a complete team backing you up. So to take four virtual gamers from Gran Turismo, train them – with Heikotter and Mardenborough having less than a year to go from gamer to racer – and to finish third in the class, the GT Academy should be extremely proud.

Who said video games are a waste of time?

Apparently the regular-sized edition of Gran Turismo 5 wasn’t good enough for public consumption anymore. Polyphony Digital and Sony have decided to super-size the popular racing simulator, releasing a new XL Edition that’s set to hit store shelves on January 17th.

Naturally the XL Edition will include all of the original GT5‘s contents but now includes all of the updates up to and including Spec 2.0 on the game disc. In addition, those that shell out $39.99 for the game will also get a voucher that’s good for $20 of DLC content. That means you can grab yourself Racing Car Pack, Car Pack 2, Course Pack, Racing Gear Pack and/or Paint Pack.

Those that just want to impress visitors to their homes though will also be able to show off a new reversible inside cover sheet that features the Red Bull X2011 supercar.

It’s a great buy for those that haven’t taken the plunge to purchase the original Gran Turismo 5 yet.

Gran Turismo 5 will be getting an update (version 2.02) on December 20th and with it will come the addition of Toyota‘s GT 86 to the game for free. A new downloadable content (DLC) Car Pack 2 will also be available for just $3.99 adding four new cars to your collection.

The second Car Pack DLC will add the 2012 Nissan GT-R Black R35, 2010 Volkswagen Scirocco R, 2010 Volkswagen Gold VI R and the 2011 MINI Cooper S to your garage. In addition, those that purchased the first DLC will receive the Gran Turismo Racing Kart 125 SP in the 2.02 patch.

The update will also come with some interface tweaks and will award virtual racers with 10 oil change and car wash coupons.

Click here to read AutoGuide’s 2013 Scion FR-S Review

After a half a decade of waiting, Gran Turismo 5 failed to really live up to the hype. But at the driving simulator’s launch the game’s creator Kazunori Yamauchi promised that this was just the beginning; and now we have a clear idea of what he meant.

Starting October 11th, a “Spec 2″ updated version of the game will be available for download with plenty of added features. Two of the most significant additions include the ability to save progress during an endurance race, as well as a new interior view for all “standard” cars. Previously only premium class cars were available with a view from behind the wheel.

Additional upgrades include 11 new NASCAR race cars from the 2011 season, adjustable weather conditions during a race, shortened load times, improve car physics, an improved and enhanced user interface, new features added to the Online Lounge and the ability to use the new Logitech G25/G27 steering wheels. But perhaps the best news is that the entire “Spec 2″ package will be available for download for free.

Happening right now out in Cologne, Germany is Gamescom, the world’s largest trade fair and event for video games and entertainment. And with all the passionate automotive enthusiasts in Germany, it’s no surprise that Sony wanted to make a statement in their booth by teaming up with Audi to show off a whole new way to play Gran Turismo 5. Custom built by quattro GmbH in Neckarsulm, the PlayStation Racing Simulator that’s currently setup at the booth is a full-on carbon-black Audi R8 LMS imitation race car.

The cockpit features the same bucket seat that one would find in the GT3 car, while they’ve added an additional one for a passenger to spectate. The roll cage has been simplified to make it easier to get in and out of the simulator, but players get to hold onto an authentic race steering wheel that’s been hooked up to the PlayStation 3 and enjoys full Dolby Surround Sound as they power their way through twists and turns.

What puts it altogether though are the pneumatic cylinders located where the race car’s suspension would be. This allows the virtual racer to really feel the physics of driving while in the cockpit of the simulator. That means they feel every bit of the centrifugal forces while cornering, braking and accelerating. According to reports, it took Audi and Sony six weeks to assemble the entire unit, far longer than it takes to build a real car.

The famed creator of Gran Turismo, Kazunori Yamauchi, has returned to racing on the track with a Nissan GT-R that has clearly been inspired by the GT500 “Stealth” GT from Gran Turismo 5. His team recently participated in the four-hour Nurburgring VLN race and looks poised to compete in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring.

Yamauchi competed in several VLN races last year in a Lexus IS-F and even took a class victory in the four-hour event. His team also took 4th place in their respective class at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring.

This year Yamauchi will be with teammates Tobias, Michael Shulze and Yasuyoshi Yamamoto in the #71 GT-R. Hopefully Yamauchi will draw some inspiration for a much better Gran Turismo 6.

[Source: GTPlanet via Autoblog]

It can be pretty boring picking out furniture for your house. But how about it was much more than just furniture… what if it pulled double duty as something really cool and fun? How does a coffee table that turns into a virtual car that hooks up to your favorite racing game sound? It sounds pretty sweet, and now, it’s a reality.

Thanks to Austrian company Race-Star, the two come together without looking like an eye-sore in the ConverTTable.

In its basic box table design, you’ll find a special gaming secret. Just unfold the ConverTTable to reveal a driving wheel, adjustable pedals and a track mounted racing bucket. When it’s time to play Gran Turismo 5, just move the flower arrangement and coffee-table books to a safe spot and tear up the asphalt. When company comes over, just  fold the table back up for a respectable looking living room.

You can buy the Race-Star ConverTTable setup for €4,999 (that’s about $6,605 US). If the price doesn’t deter you, the long argument with your wife to convince her you really need it could.  Watch the video after the jump to see it in action.

[Source: Autoblog]
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AutoGuide.com is giving you the chance to own THE driving simulation game. That’s right, with GT5 having just launched, AutoGuide has obtained two copies and we’ve giving them away to our fans on Facebook.

To enter to win, all you have to do is visit AutoGuide’s Facebook page here and click the ‘Like’ button. It’s that easy.

Winners will be drawn from our list of Facebook fans with one draw on December 15th and another on January 4th. (Anyone who already ‘likes’ AutoGuide on Facebook has been automatically entered – aren’t we nice!)

Already own GT5? We’re sure you could use an extra copy to give as a present over the holidays; using the world’s greatest racing simulator to buy the love of a friend, relative or even a stranger.

And why not? That’s what we’re doing.

Get full details and enter to win GT5 here.

After having been delayed more times than the second coming, Sony recently announced the official launch date for Gran Turismo 5 as November 24th. But with that many delays there are still skeptics and so Sony has now rolled out its adds in an effort to drum up interest in what will no doubt be the most popular gift this holiday season.

The spot features PlayStation 3 front-man and “VP of Add More Awesome” Kevin Butler, who has made us laugh in pretty much all of PS3′s earlier commercials and this one is no different.

See the commercial, plus an extra Japanese-market ad after the jump:

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The time has come for automotive enthusiasts and gamers alike. Gran Turismo 5 has been given an official release date for the umpteenth time this year, with November 24th as the official date.

The date conincides with the start of the Thanksgiving holiday, giving you a convenient excuse to ignore family, eat lots of turkey, and sit in front of the television.

We’re anxiously awaiting the chance to experience the game, as well as Fanatec’s wheel and pedal package . Plus, you have another reason to avoid Black Friday shopping – you’ve already got what you need to keep you satisfied for the rest of the year.

[Source: Playstation Blog]