Presently, dear comrades, marks a wonderful occasion as it is one that fans of Gran Turismo like myself have been eagerly awaiting for an extended period. The official unveiling of March’s update has just taken place, and it is set to become active during the early hours of Thursday. Resembling most of the monthly updates in Gran Turismo 7, this update introduces three new vehicles, with one of them being truly remarkable. Enter the Toyota GT-One—a Le Mans prototype from the late ’90s that engaged in the 24-hour race for an overall triumph. The GT-One is personally acclaimed as the most aesthetically pleasing race car in history. By the way, did I mention that last weekend was my birthday?
Forgive me for focusing on myself, but the anticipation for this moment has been immeasurable. The GT-One made its debut in the series within Gran Turismo 2, offering both the 1998 and 1999 variants of the machine, along with the extremely rare homologation-special street version. While the ’98 models featured more attractive liveries, the ’99 edition achieved greater success, with the No. 3 car driven by the all-Japanese trio of Ukyo Katayama, Toshio Suzuki, and the renowned Drift King, Keiichi Tsuchiya, securing a 2nd place overall finish and winning its LMGTP class at Le Mans in that second attempt.
Regrettably, that marked the final appearance of the GT-One in the global endurance racing scene, as Toyota redirected its focus towards Formula 1, a move that ultimately proved futile. Why would one dispose of such an exquisitely beautiful race car, deemed the most stunning creation to ever hit the tracks? It’s truly a disgrace.
Nevertheless, the GT-One has been absent from Gran Turismo for a considerable period. It was a staple of the series up until the sixth installment, and during the dark days of the PlayStation 3 era, the car was featured as a “Standard Model” of notably subpar quality. It skipped GT Sport altogether, making this the first appearance of the car recreated with Polyphony Digital’s meticulous attention to detail in years, leveraging the capabilities of modern hardware. The vehicle looks exceptionally impressive, and it is likely to pose a formidable challenge against the 1999 Mercedes-Benz CLK-LM and the 1998 McLaren F1 GTR in the Gr.2 class.
Regarding the other vehicles added in March, we welcome the 2016 Audi R8 V10 Plus and the 2018 Lamborghini Urus. The arrival of the second-generation R8 coincides with the discontinuation of the actual car, and its inclusion in GT7 is long overdue, given that the GT3 variant of the car has been present since GT Sport. As for the Urus—well, there’s probably an enthusiast following for that.
Neither is there a track here—only a Jaguar Extra Menu and three fresh World Circuit races, including a World Touring Car 900 event at Circuit de la Sarthe. I can accept that; the Toyota GT-One is returning home.
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