Nurburgring & Spa Featured in Latest GT5 Seasonal Events

Two of Gran Turismo 5‘s most legendary and popular circuits are both taking the stage in this week’s Time & Drift Trial Seasonal Events! Here’s all the details:

Time Trial No. 34

• 600PP Racecars: Nürburgring Nordschleife Time Trial
  Period of Availability: 2012/04/18 23:00 – 2012/05/02 23:00
  Gold: Cr.250,000 Silver: Cr.150,000 Bronze: Cr.100,000
• 700PP Spa-Francorchamps Time Trial
  Period of Availability: 2012/04/18 23:00 – 2012/05/02 23:00
  Gold: Cr.250,000 Silver: Cr.150,000 Bronze: Cr.100,000

Drift Trial No. 34

• Race car Drift Trial at Clubman Stage Route 5
  Period of Availability: 2012/04/18 23:00 – 2012/05/02 23:00
  Gold: Cr.250,000 Silver: Cr.150,000 Bronze: Cr.100,000
• Toscana Reverse Drift Trial
  Period of Availability: 2012/04/18 23:00 – 2012/05/02 23:00
  Gold: Cr.250,000 Silver: Cr.150,000 Bronze: Cr.100,000

http://www.gtplanet.net/nurburgring-spa-featured-in-latest-gt5-seasonal-events/

GT5 Bundled with PlayStation 3D Display in Europe, Enables “SimulView” Gameplay

Monza & Monaco in Latest GT5 B-Spec Seasonal Events

Gran Turismo 5‘s B-Spec mode unfortunately returns to the game’s Seasonal Events this week, but at least you’ll have some nice scenery to watch as your fastest drivers make their way around the Côte d’Azur and Monza circuits. Here’s a closer look at the details:

• 400PP Monza Circut / 5 Laps
  1st: Cr.178,400 2nd: Cr.108,600 3rd: Cr.95,400
  500PP Autumn Ring / 5 Laps
• 1st: Cr.223,900 2nd: Cr.136,300 3rd: Cr.119,700
  650PP Côte d’Azur / 10 Laps
  1st: Cr.441,900 2nd: Cr.269,000 3rd: Cr.236,300

The game’s Online Car Dealership has also been updated; take a look here for a complete list of the new inventory.

http://www.gtplanet.net/monza-monaco-in-latest-b-spec-gt5-seasonal-events/

2 years after release and I can finally buy the Pontiac GTO (Any Pontiac for that matter). PD really needs to stop trollin and let us buy all the used cars without hoping they show up in the dealership randomly.

Mitsubishi’s Evolution Stars in Latest GT5 Time & Drift Trials

Despite the focus on GT Academy, Polyphony Digital have stuck to their Seasonal Event cycle schedule and added two new Time and Drift Trials. This week’s focus is on the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution road car, with an unusual appearance from a snow circuit in the Time Trial section:

Time Trial No. 35

• 500PP Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Time Trial
  Gold: Cr.250,000 Silver: Cr.150,000 Bronze: Cr.100,000
• 500PP Chamonix West Time Trial
  Gold: Cr.250,000 Silver: Cr.150,000 Bronze: Cr.100,000

Drift Trial No. 35

• Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution Drift Trial at Deep Forest Raceway
  Gold: Cr.250,000 Silver: Cr.150,000 Bronze: Cr.100,000
• Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca Drift Trial
   Gold: Cr.250,000 Silver: Cr.150,000 Bronze: Cr.100,000

All events are available from 03.00 GMT/UTC this morning through to 03.00 GMT/UTC on May 17th. The game’s Online Car Dealership has not been updated this week. As always, head on over to GTPlanet’s GT5 Seasonal Events forum for more analysis and discussion.

http://www.gtplanet.net/evolution-stars-in-latest-gt5-time-drift-trials/

The new GT competition is up.

Twin Ring Motegi to Appear in GT Academy 2012?

A very interesting new screenshot emerged today on German video game news site PlayFront, in an article they posted about GT Academy 2012. Included with a batch of various promotional images is one screenshot labeled “Round_8_Twin Ring Motegi East Short Course”, which you can see above.

GT Academy’s PR teams in North America and Europe have been steadily releasing screenshots on their respective Facebook pages of different tracks that will be featured in the 2012 mini-game’s time trials, but so far, they’ve only shown circuits from Gran Turismo 5. As you likely already know, no variation of the Twin Ring Motegi circuit been seen since Gran Turismo PSP, making this a potentially very exciting revelation.

First spotted and tipped to GTPlanet this morning by “hrusa2″, it is plausible PlayFront simply re-published a German press release’s material without realizing the significance of that particular image.

The screenshot appears to be unique when compared to other games, including previous Gran Turismo titles and iRacing, which recently added the circuit to their simulator. It is also worth noting that Twin Ring Motegi’s logo was one of over 25 new circuits discovered on Polyphony Digital’s GT5 website last year. Twin Ring Motegi is also home to the one-and-only Gran Turismo Café, a GT-themed restaurant which opened in 2009.

That said, as always when dealing with unofficial sources, this information has not been confirmed. Assuming the image’s title is correct, the track’s existence may not be verified until Round 8 of GT Academy 2012, which starts on June 19. Until then, stay tuned!

http://www.gtplanet.net/twin-ring-motegi-to-appear-in-gt-academy-2012/

Three New A-Spec Races in Latest GT5 Seasonal Events

If you’re looking for a break from those GT Academy 2012 time trials, Gran Turismo 5‘s latest A-Spec Seasonal Events may offer just what you need. Here’s a closer look at the new races:

• 400PP Grand Valley East Section / 3 Laps
  1st: Cr.150,900 2nd: Cr.91,900 3rd: Cr.80,700
• 500PP Indy Road Course / 3 Laps
  1st: Cr.307,000 2nd: Cr.186,800 3rd: Cr.164,100
• 650PP Suzuka Circuit / 5 Laps
  1st: Cr.456,500 2nd: Cr.277,900 3rd: Cr.244,100

The game’s Online Car Dealership has also been updated with new inventory; GTPlanet user Blitz24 offers up a complete list of what’s new. As always, stop by our GT5 Seasonal Events forum for more discussion!

http://www.gtplanet.net/three-new-a-spec-races-in-latest-gt5-seasonal-events/

GT Academy 2012 Round 1: Leaf G(GT Academy)'11

In this test, you'll be driving Nissan’s all-electric car, the Leaf, to take on a simple, straightforward corner.
Make sure you don't crash or drive off the track, and try to reach the finish line within the given time.
Once all of the events are cleared, you can progress to the next round.

The secret to getting a good time is finding the most efficient racing line, one that allows you to maintain the highest speed. 
Turn the “Driving Line” feature ON to see the optimum path.

• Simple Right-Hand Corne
• Simple Left-Hand Corner
• Simple Series of Corners
• Series of Blind Corners
• Driving with Opponents

http://us.gran-turismo.com/us/academy/2012/event/round1/

GT Academy 2012 Round 2: SILVIA spec-R AERO (GT Academy) '02

You'll be tested on more complex, higher-speed corners here.
Your weapon will be the Nissan Silvia Spec-R Aero, a sports coupe that's front-engine/rear-drive (FR).
Because the car is much more powerful than the Leaf, you’ll be carrying much more speed throughout the course. Be careful not to go too fast entering the corners.

Cars with FR layouts usually have more optimal handling traits than front-wheel-drive cars (FF). 
Still, these cars can be quite delicate to manage, so make sure you display precise control or you may spin out during acceleration. Keep this in mind when you manage the throttle.

• Long Banked Corner
• Hard Braking Before a Corner
• Series of Corners on the Rome City Course
• S Curves 1
• High-Speed Approach to a Series of Corners

http://us.gran-turismo.com/us/academy/2012/event/round2/