The cars that have made Gran Turismo history

2/25/2022

As we wait for Gran Turismo 7 to come out, let’s look at the cars that have made it made it the most popular racing videogame ever

It’s not long until Gran Turismo 7 comes out on 4 March.

One of the latest edition’s biggest innovations is Brembo which is an official Gran Turismo partner for the first time. This partnership which give players the chance to try out the most powerful and reliable brake systems in the world, as demonstrated by Brembo's numerous wins in Formula 1, Endurance and Rally races.

All this does not mean that Brembo was not present, even if indirectly, in earlier instalments of the series. Founded in 1961 by Emilio Bombassei, Brembo began making original equipment brake systems for road cars back in the 1980s and numbers have increased over time.

In other words, many of the cars in the various instalments of the Gran Turismo series came with Brembo braking components as standard. With Gran Turismo 7, for the first time ever in a video game, you can also buy individual Brembo components and fit them on most of the cars.

While waiting to try out all the new features in the tuning section of Gran Turismo 7, we have given the previous generation consoles a dusting and played around with the previous series releases. From here, after getting together in the company, we came up with a sort of ranking of the most iconic cars in the Gran Turismo saga.

We have selected one for each release although we are well aware of how difficult it is to satisfy a wide range of preferences. Making everyone happy was impossible and we are dying to hear your suggestions and maybe reconsider our choices.

1) GT1: Subaru Impreza Rally Car

The Subaru Impreza Rally Car is one of the first rally car even to appear in Gran Turismo: it made its debut in the World Rally Championship in 1993 and two years later, won the Drivers’ title with Colin McRae as well as the Constructors’ title. Carlos Sainz also drove it in the two-year period from 1994 to 1995 with 4 wins for the Spaniard and two world champion runner-up titles. Its strong point is its 1,994 cm³ engine which delivers 584 horsepower with a top speed of 258 km/h (160 mph). It also has amazing acceleration and goes from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 60 mph) in just over 3 seconds. Driving fun is also guaranteed by its weight, less than one ton, and the four-wheel drive which can easily correct any trajectory errors.

2) GT2: Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak

In 1995, in order to take part in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, the famous uphill race that has been held in Colorado (USA) since 1916, Suzuki designed a special version of the Escudo (known in some parts of the world as the Vitara). The Escudo Pikes Peak won the race with Nobuhiro Tajima behind the wheel thanks to its 2.5-liter 6-cylinder engine that topped 1,000 horsepower and double wishbone suspension. Weighing just 800 kg (1,764 lb), it can cover a quarter of a mile in less than 8.5 seconds and has a top speed of 411 km/h (255 mph). The latest version of the Escudo Pikes Peak can be admired at the Penrose Heritage Museum in Colorado Springs (USA).

3) GT3 A-Spec: Pagani Zonda Race LM Race Car

The Italian car manufacturer Pagani, which has produced some of the most beautiful supercars of all time, made its debut in Gran Turismo in the third generation of the game series. It did this with three models, all variants of the Zonda: the C12, the C12S and the LM (LM stands for Le Mans, the historic venue of the oldest 24 Hour race in the world) Race Car, although the LM never actually materialized. With 137 units produced, the Zonda takes its name from a hot humid wind that blows in the Argentinian Pampas. Driven by an AMG V12 engine, the LM Race Car generates 661 hp and with its carbon fiber monocoque shell weighs just 1,150 kg. The latest generation Zondas also have Brembo 380 mm (15 in) carbon-ceramic discs and monobloc calipers.

4) GT4: Nissan R92CP

An excellent example of a Group C racing car built by Nissan, the R89C continued to race in Japan even after the FIA banned turbo engines from the world championship. The latest evolution is the R92CP whose 3.5-liter twin-turbo V8 engine delivers 953 horsepower and a maximum torque of 784 Nm at 5,600 rpm which enabled it to reach 400 km/h on the long straight at Fuji. In 1992, this model with 356 mm carbon discs on all four wheels won all 6 endurance races in the national championship: the first with Masahiko Kageyama, Masahiro Hasemi and Jeff Krosnoff, the last 5 with Kazuyoshi Hoshino with various teammates.

5) GT5: FERRARI F2007

After a long courtship and preview in HD Concept and GT5: Prologue, Ferrari appeared in Gran Turismo 5 for the first time. 12 cars were available including two Formula 1 single-seaters, the F2007 and the F10 which raced in 2007 and in 2010. This is huge recognition for Italian technology and Brembo which has been supplying brakes for all the Ferrari F1 single-seaters since 1975. The F2007 is the last Ferrari car to date to have won the F1 World Championship, thanks to Kimi Raikkonen who won by just one point. Powered by a 056 2.4-liter V8 engine, it has a top speed of 345 km/h thanks to only weighing 605 kg, all liquids and driver included. It also has a Brembo brake system guaranteeing performance and reliability.

6) GT6: Gran Turismo Red Bull X2014

As the editions have gone by, Gran Turismo has offered not only production cars but also prototypes and concept cars. One of the most incredible of all time is the Gran Turismo Red Bull X2014, created by Kazunori Yamauchi and legendary Formula 1 designer Adrian Newey who won World Championships with Williams, McLaren and Red Bull. The two intended to design the fastest car on earth by respecting all the laws of physics but without having to comply with any regulatory obligations. The result is a 798 hp model (2-liter turboV6 engine) weighing just 560 kg with wheel covers, glass canopy and a double plane front wing that produces high downforce.

Do you agree with our selection? Which is the car you loved most when you played on the previous Gran Turismo releases? Let us know on Facebook.