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In a change to previous years, the seven-round Nations Cup Online Series will run in a consecutive block with Round 7 taking place on June 3. The Manufacturers Cup will follow, with Round 1 on June 7 and the final round on July 1 

The results of the Online Series will determine which players will be invited to the two live events of the 2023 Series, the World Series Showdown in Amsterdam (August 11-12) and the World Finals, which will take place in early December at a venue to be announced. 

In 2022, a thrilling World Finals in Monaco ended with Subaru and Toyota tied on points in the Manufacturers Cup, but the trophy was awarded to Subaru’s Daniel Solis (USA), Takuma Miyazono (JPN) and Kylian Drumont (FRA) thanks to their victory in the final race. 

The Nations Cup was no less hotly contested with points tied at the top. This time it was popular Spaniard, and World Series veteran, Coque López who was crowned champion having taken the race victory after an incident-packed last lap. Chilean Angel Inostroza was second while Brazil’s Igor Fraga, the inaugural World Champion in 2018, took the final podium place. 

A change to the Nations Cup format in 2023 sees the Showdown and World Finals contested as a team event, like the Manufacturers Cup, with three drivers from the same country competing for the title. 

“It is always exciting when a new Gran Turismo World Series gets underway,” commented Kazunori Yamauchi, Producer of the Gran Turismo series. “Each year we see incredible battles among our established stars, but there is always some new talent bursting onto the scene at the top level. 

As well as the Gran Turismo World Series, 2023 will also see the Olympic Esports Series gathering top players from around the world in Singapore at the end of June. Another exciting milestone this year will be the release of a Gran Turismo film in August, around the time of our Amsterdam Showdown event, that celebrates the success of the Nissan PlayStation GT Academy programme. 

“In an echo of GT Academy, we’ll enjoy watching our 2018 Gran Turismo World Series Champion, Igor Fraga, racing in the Super GT 300 class and Super Formula Lights in Japan this year. He’ll be busy, but we still expect to see him take on the World Series as well, having finished third in the Nations Cup last year.” 

Michelin, Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR), Genesis, Mazda, Brembo, Sony Alpha and BBS continue their support as official partners of the Gran Turismo World Series. 

The Gran Turismo World Series is open to all players with any PS Plus membership for the online rounds through Sport mode in Gran Turismo 7. The Online Series is organised into a league format with three leagues determined by Driver Ratings, so that players compete in races against opponents of a similar level. Qualification for the World Series Showdown and World Finals is subject to terms and conditions which can be found on the Gran Turismo website. 

In addition to the Gran Turismo World Series, the Toyota Gazoo Racing GT Cup is already underway. Seven online qualifying rounds will finish on August 27 and the finals will again be staged alongside the Gran Turismo World Series Finals at the end of the year.

For the first time since Sydney in early 2020, Gran Turismo fans will have the chance to watch the Gran Turismo World Series live and in person at both the Showdown event in Amsterdam and the World Finals. Keep an eye on gran-turismo.com and the Gran Turismo social channels to find out how to get tickets.  

* Internet connection and PS Plus membership are required for entry

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Introduction of 5 new cars

Audi RS 5 Turbo DTM ‘19

A DTM machine with 2 victories in the Class 1 era.

In 2019, Audi introduced six of these RS 5 DTMs into the series in their works teams. With customer teams also added to the mix, the RS 5 DTMs were a force to be reckoned with, but the car that showed the most outstanding performance among all of them was car number 33, driven by ace driver René Rast. With victory after victory from the opening rounds, it finished the season with a pole to win in the final round of Hockenheim in race 2, winning against Nico Müller also in a RS 5. Not only did it take the championship title this year, Team Rosberg with René also won the team title, making car number 33 an iconic double title winner. The final round of the DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters) was a mixed class race hosted together with Japan’s Super GT GT500 class machines, and an interleague match was hosted in Japan. However, the outbreak of Covid-19 prompted Audi to withdraw from the DTM competition. Class 1 regulations ended after only 2 seasons as a result. The Audi RS 5 was a car that truly embodied the ambition and sparkle of the short-lived Class 1 regulations and has made its mark in motorsports history.

Porsche 959 ‘87

A four-wheel drive road car that shines bright in automotive history.

This was a design study of a four-wheel drive road car that was being developed for competition in the “Group B” top category of the WRC (World Rally Championship), introduced in 1982. After this study was revealed 2 years later in 1985, the road-going version of this model was unveiled – The Porsche 959. While it carried over the basic structure of the Porsche 911, it was packed with revolutionary technology. The engine was a 2,850 cc twin turbocharged horizontally opposed 6 cylinder, with a maximum output of 450 horsepower, all mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. But the cutting-edge feature of this car was the electronically controlled four wheel drive system that would convey the power of this high output engine without loss to the ground. The system actively controlled the drive ratio between the front and rear wheels according to the road surface conditions, and gave the option to select a drive mode that matches your current driving condition. It was a new generation of four-wheel drive systems that provided not only control stability at ultra-high speeds, but also ease of use. 292 units of the Porsche 959 were produced for Group B homologation, but due to the termination of the Group B category it never made it into the WRC. It did go on to set great records in competition, even winning overall at the Paris-Dakar Rally which is considered one of the toughest rallies in the world.

Porsche Carrera GTS (904) ‘64

A masterpiece that brought great success to Porsche’s GT racing efforts in the 1960’s.

Soon after its establishment in the 1950s, Porsche gained great fame in motorsports around the world with cars like the 550 Spyder, derived from the 356 series. One important milestone that followed was the Porsche Carrera GTS, born in 1963. It’s also referred to as the 904 GTS from its development code name and was a sports car that was designed to meet the changes in the Sports Car World Championships regulations of its day. In the 1950s, the World Championship races were fought in low production, pure racing cars. But from the regulation revisions in 1961, its main event became the GT Class using mass production sports cars. To compete in the GT Class, it was necessary to clear a homologation production count of 100 cars. The Porsche Carrera GTS was developed and produced using a ladder frame more suited for mass production, that would then be covered by a lightweight FRP (fiber-reinforced plastic) body. For Porsche this was the first time utilizing this format. The car is also known for the low and beautiful styling by Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, the grandson of founder Dr. Ferdinand Porsche. The engine mounted midship is an air cooled horizontally opposed 4 cylinders, with the capability to mount a 6 cylinder or even an 8 cylinder for racing.

Toyota Alphard Executive Lounge ’18

Japan’s premium minivan evolved into a high-class luxury car.

The minivan is a popular category of utility cars specific to Japan. It is a highly competitive segment with each manufacturer always vying for the upper hand. But the car that has held onto the undisputed title of the ultimate premium minivan, is the Toyota Alphard. Since its first appearance in 2002, there has been an ongoing pursuit and evolution of what makes a “premium minivan”. Today, the Alphard is often one of the first choices when looking for a limousine to host VIP guests and is one of the most premium luxury cars of Japan. The 3rd generation Alphard that appeared in 2015 was polished one step further for quality and comfort. A prime example of this effort was the “Executive Lounge” luxury grade model that really pushed the level of comfort in the 2nd row of seating. The “Executive Lounge Seats” made special for this model are independent seats that are one size larger than the seats of the standard model, equipped with heating and ventilation features as well as a folding mini-table. The quality of the leather and stitching was a major point of focus to provide a level of comfort equal to a first-class airline seat. A minor model change was introduced in 2017, with the 3.5L V6 engine being upgraded from 276.1 BHP to 296.8 BHP. The transmission was also optimized with more gears going from a 6-speed automatic to an 8-speed automatic. And with additional improvements to increase rigidity on the floor and openings, its driving performance and comfort has improved an additional notch.

Mazda Mazda3 X Burgundy Selection ’19 

An elegant fastback with a revolutionary combustion system.  

The Mazda3 is a 4th generation C-segment passenger car of Mazda first released in November 2018, and was called the Axela in Japan until then. With this 4th generation model being the first car in a new generation of products at Mazda, the name was unified globally under the “Mazda3” name. As before it features fastback and saloon models, but with the application of Mazda’s “Kodo” design, the character of each car became more defined. The shape of the fastback model was especially impressive, with the delicate form of the body panels beautifully expressing the transition of light. The engine powering the car is from the new generation SKYACTIV engines of Mazda. The mainstay models were the 1.5L and 2L direct injection petrol, and the 1.8L diesel turbo engine, with a 2L “Mild-Hybrid” (M-Hybrid) model following a little later. This Mild-Hybrid is powered by a SKYACTIV-X engine that introduces proprietary spark controlled compression ignition, and is a revolutionary engine that suppressesds NOx output without using expensive solutions like the Urea-SCR. The X Burgundy Selection is a special model with burgundy coloured interior on the Grade X model. Equipped with wine coloured genuine leather seats and dashboard, this is a special model with a classy, mature aura. 

Two new layouts for Nurburgring

Nurburgring Endurance

Total Length: 23,864m, Elevation Change: 300m, Number of corners: 85, Longest Straight: 2,135m

Nurburgring Sprint

Total Length: 3,629m, Elevation Change: 33m, Number of corners: 12, Longest Straight: 620m

Introducing two new layouts for Germany’s ‘Nurburgring’. The ‘Endurance’ layout combines the ‘Nordschleife’ and the ‘Grand Prix’ courses into a total 23,864m long track. This challenging technical course takes a shortcut through the Grand Prix section for a faster return to the Nordschleife. This layout has famously been used in races like the Nurburgring Endurance Series (NLS). The ‘Sprint’ layout takes a shortcut on turn 4 of the ‘Grand Prix’ circuit to form a 3,629m short course. The compactness of this layout makes it perfect for exciting races between lower speed road cars.

Scapes

‘Cherry Blossoms’ have been added to the featured section

120FPS Support (PlayStation 5 Only) 

Gran Turismo 7 will support up to 120FPS with the latest 1.31 Update. PS5 and display capable of 120 Hz output required 

*Internet connection and Gran Turismo 7 game required for update

We believe that through working with the security research community we can deliver a safer place to play. We have partnered with HackerOne to help run this program, and we are inviting the security research community, gamers, and anyone else to test the security of PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Network. Our bug bounty program has rewards for various issues, including critical issues on PS4. Critical vulnerabilities for PS4 have bounties starting at $50,000.

To date, we have been running our bug bounty program privately with some researchers. We recognize the valuable role that the research community plays in enhancing security, so we’re excited to announce our program for the broader community.

We have carefully considered what issues will be in scope at this time. You can find more information about the exact details of the program at our HackerOne page.

So what does this day mean for you, the gamer? If I’m honest, probably not a whole lot — at least not in the short term. But in the long run, it will mean everything. The formation of SIE will allow us to forge a unified PlayStation organization that can adapt more quickly to meet the needs of the gaming community, innovate with digital services like PlayStation Vue and PlayStation Now, and — above all else — drive consistent and constant innovation in the dynamic medium of videogames. You’re already seeing the early fruits of that effort with PlayStation VR, and the work will continue across a number of fronts.

Our full integration won’t happen overnight. But the work is well underway and I’m delighted to report that we are tracking ahead of schedule.

In addition to my role as President of Sony Interactive Entertainment America, I’m also honored to be taking on additional responsibilities supporting our excellent first party game development teams as Chairman of Worldwide Studios. Working with the inimitable Shu Yoshida, leaders like Scott Rohde, Michael Denny, and Allan Becker, I am committed to building upon our strong heritage to deliver ever more innovative and epic titles. That includes Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End from Naughty Dog in just a few weeks, and extending through Horizon Zero Dawn from Guerrilla Games, The Last Guardian from Japan Studio and genDESIGN, and beyond — and that doesn’t even include the powerful line up of VR titles we are developing worldwide.

As Blogcast listeners may already know, I have history with Worldwide Studios — in fact my PlayStation career began in game development in Japan and latterly Europe. I have enormous respect, and limitless devotion, for the creators, artists, and engineers within our Worldwide Studios, and I’m eager to be back in the business of helping developers realize their dreams.

And to our faithful and discerning PlayStation community, I thank you for your dedication, your enthusiasm, and your trust as we embark on a new journey as Sony Interactive Entertainment.

The future is surely bright.

We are announcing the formation of a new company called Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (SIE) that will serve as the headquarters for everything PlayStation. This new company, headquartered out of the United States in San Mateo, California, joins the forces of both Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. and Sony Network Entertainment LLC, combining the strengths and talents of both companies.

The formation of SIE will create an even stronger PlayStation. That means an even bigger emphasis on developing pioneering platforms like PS4 and PlayStation VR, world-class games from our Worldwide Studios development teams, and innovative network services such as PlayStation Vue.

It also means a renewed commitment to making PlayStation the best place to play.

Thank you for joining us on this important step in PlayStation history. And as always, we are deeply grateful for your continued support and feedback. We’re excited to undertake this next step in PlayStation history with you!