@bobobologna: "I remember reading that a couple car companies give Polyphony free licenses to use their cars because the game is so popular."
This is most likely true. Most car companies fall all over themselves to get their cars in the game. For example, Nissan is in absolute love with the GT series. If you've ever seen pics of the Polyphony offices, there's Nissan paraphenalia strewn about all over the place because they send over so much swag. The CEO Carlos Ghosn has gone on record to say that the popularity of the Skyline in America has almost everything to do with Gran Turismo. That free marketing has led to Nissan making their next generation version, the GTR, US legal. It's pretty safe to say that the companies that aren't in the game are the only ones demanding licensing fees (Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, etc). Most companies see the free marketing and just give their license away.
My Top 5:
Shadow of the Colossus, Metal Gear Solid 3, Shenmue, Skies of Arcadia, Chrono Trigger
My 2 nex-gen systems: PS3 
and Wii 
Prediction Aug '08: We see the PSP2 released fall '09. Graphically, it's basically the same as the current system. UMD drive ditched and replaced by 4-8gb on board flash memory. Other upgrades: 2nd analog nub, touchscreen, blutooth, motion sensor. Design: Flip-style or slider. Size: Think Iphone. Cost: $199. Will be profitable on day 1.
