Gran Turismo 6 is a true giant of video games.
This latest instalment adds to the fun of what's gone before, offering more cars and more tracks. Some of Autocar’s favourite events like the Goodwood Festival of Speed are featured, too.
This latest instalment feels instantly familiar, the same career structure working through different race classes, cups and racing licences. You start off in a bright orange Honda Fit RS (Honda Jazz). It drives just as you’d expect: it feels slow in this virtual world, with plenty of understeer and a limited top speed.
The racing simulation in GT6 is way ahead of its previous iterations. Your computer-controlled opponents will actually try and race, whereas previously they would robotically stick to the racing line. Now you have opponents nipping at your heels and bumping you around the track. There is an entertaining sense of urgency to the racing, too.
But most enthrallingly, Gran Turismo 6 lets you take your pick of over 100 track layouts and 1200 cars. If you fancy racing your chosen steed around Spa-Francorchamps, your concentration levels had better be razor sharp. The handling and gear changes totally immerse you in the ultra-realistic digital rendition of the circuit. Tackle the ‘Ring in the Toyota GT86 and you're in for a sublime handling masterclass.
Choose to thrash around Nürburgring in a Shelby Mustang, however, and the experience becomes a hair-raising smoke-fest. The difference between classes of car on each track means you seriously have to think about what vehicle you choose for each outing.
At the end of it all, this latest Gran Turismo edition is still a petrol-head's dream. There's all the cars you could dream of (and a moon buggy), incredibly realistic driving simulation and an online community always ready to race all adds to the game's appeal.
The GT series also majors on the delight of racing and the art of carefully building up your dream garage through hard graft and long hours. We can forgive GT6 its small foibles, such as the lack of realistic car damage as well as the glaring omission of the McLaren P1, Porsche 918 and LaFerrari. This is still the ultimate real driving simulator.
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The video game is much safer
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