Kazunori Yamauchi Prepares for the 2011 Nurburgring 24h
Kazunori Yamauchi has quietly returned to real-world racing. He was spotted at the four-hour ADAC Reinoldus-Langstrekenrennen Nurburgring VLN race in a Nissan GT-R, obviously inspired from the GT500 “Stealth” GT-R from Gran Turismo 5. His teammates include Tobias and Michael Schulze of Autohaus Schulze and Yasuyoshi Yamamoto, founder of Japanese tuning shop Opera Performance.
Their participation in the Reinoldus appears to be in preparation for the 2011 Nurburgring 24 Hours, as the team is now on the official entry list (car #71) for the event. As you may know, Yamauchi competed in several VLN races last year at the Nurburgring in a race-prepped Lexus IS-F, earning a class victory in a four-hour event and taking fourth-in-class at the 24-hour race.
Thanks to Bernhard for the tip!
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Newest comments are displayed first.
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June 22nd, 2011 at 1:46 pm - #Amac500
Jap car*** not Hal cars, dang iPod spell correct.
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June 22nd, 2011 at 6:20 am - #euros only
I wonder If hell delay tue start of the race like he dId with the game because there arent enough skylines on the track or rx7s or 3000gts
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June 21st, 2011 at 7:47 am - #hammertime
Give Kaz a break, he needs some radiation-free time.
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June 21st, 2011 at 9:07 am - #Meee
+12.5
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June 21st, 2011 at 7:09 am - #Ph1l
Many people on here forget that playing GT5 is a privilege. Without Kazs’ hard work throughout the many years of Gran Turismo, we wouldn’t even be on GTP.
Without his racing experience Gran Turismo wouldn’t even be half as realistic it is now.
(By the way, if Kaz wanted to have fun he would certainly not choose to race the 24hr race)-
June 21st, 2011 at 9:08 am - #Meee
I would choose the 24 hour race
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June 20th, 2011 at 11:38 pm - #Robotron2084
Try to finish this one in time,Kaz.
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June 21st, 2011 at 4:39 am - #Skiddy
Ouch..
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June 20th, 2011 at 10:01 pm - #Protocol
DAMN I want this car in the North American version of GT5. I have the freaking model from the collector’s edition sitting on my shelf, yet, only my friends from the UK can drive the car in-game. WTF.
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June 20th, 2011 at 7:34 pm - #RADracing
This is just a prologue for when he forms his own personal edurance team of GT Academy Graduates to race in the 24hr. Nurburgring.
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June 21st, 2011 at 9:09 am - #Meee
That would be so sick. Then other pro drivers might say, “Hey, those guys got a career out of a videogame, I’m going to try it.” And then we may end up racing online with our favorite drivers!
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June 20th, 2011 at 5:41 pm - #splemoni
Theres no glitching on this track, Kaz.
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June 20th, 2011 at 3:35 pm - #AlphaAndius
Kaz looks so full of awesomeness. The fact that he is to busy hearing the sound of his awesomeness in that picture is what may be preventing from listening to the fans, hehehe.
Yo for the record, what category is he competing the 24 Hours Nurburgring? Wanna give my cheer and see what racing skills he has. So excited!
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June 20th, 2011 at 3:14 pm - #BeefyPeeg
I wonder if he’ll win a Daihatsu Midget or a fancy new fire suit as a prize? :)
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June 20th, 2011 at 11:08 am - #sinister_300zx
ok so if he and and his team wins he should put that GT-R as a free DLC for the USA since the uk already got there stealth gt-r
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June 20th, 2011 at 11:19 am - #xavier
I’m tired of hearing this BS. If they didn’t put the Lexus of last year in the game what makes you think hes going to put this GTR?? Anyways KAZ, only wants you to experience racing thought its simulator. GT5 is drivers game and with all these car and tracks we have it is enough to make championship season after season. Real drivers careless about DLC in such a big world that is GT5. Theres so much to do in that game so much to read. please stop the BS and keep playing GT5. Kaz knows more than you what he wants for his fans and follower. this is not a collector or a fantasy car game is a drivers game.
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June 20th, 2011 at 12:05 pm - #Butters
Well said xavier. BUT, too strong man. Too strong.
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June 20th, 2011 at 12:09 pm - #R1600Turbo
The Lexus IS-F RM is actually a replica of the car he drove last year…
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June 20th, 2011 at 3:57 pm - #AnPrionsaBeag
Try the red pill, Xavier.
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June 20th, 2011 at 11:26 pm - #Anonymous
As if USA deserves anything
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June 20th, 2011 at 9:58 am - #xavier
watch the race at Magictv.co
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June 20th, 2011 at 9:46 am - #richard
I hope they make him do the race with comfort softs just to make him know how it feels !
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June 20th, 2011 at 9:37 am - #Lambob
While Kaz is enduring his 24hr, when he pits to regain his physical and mental strength, from his eeepad transformer, he will port his race event and AI data into the next seasonal for GT5. That would be “something cool” Kaz :) cheers, looking fwd to see some live coverage someplace!
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June 20th, 2011 at 9:24 am - #PSJunkie
10 bucks and my copy of GT5 say’s we’ll be seeing his 24 hour car in the game ;)
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June 20th, 2011 at 7:38 am - #Fureddo
I wish Kaz spent such time and money on giving us a GT5 that was worth 5 YEARS of development. Instead of fixing (many) graphics issues (aliasing, pixelisation…); Kaz is having fun in Germany.
For sure it’s a bliss for the car lover he is, but it also sends the message to the players that “no matter how unfinished my GT5 is, imma have fun with the money I made out from my lovely players!” Btw, did he thank us? ;p
Have fun in Germany Kaz, and try to notice that in Europe or the rest of the world, not everyone is called Hans Hokkinen, not everyone is blond haired wearing a yellow teeshirt, not everyone in the streets is a dude. Yeah, sth is strange with the “real world” created in the photo mode… Always an apprentice!-
June 20th, 2011 at 9:05 am - #GTAce
You do know that Polyphony Digital is a company and not just Kazunori Yamauchi? He doesn’t have to be in the studio all the time. Not to mention that other people have vacations too and that this is a promotion for the franchise.
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June 20th, 2011 at 9:26 am - #PSJunkie
Don’t you think it’s healthy for him to be doing this. Not only is it great insight into racing which he can bring to the game but it’s also a release from sitting behind a desk. What are you trying to say? he should be locked in the office for the rest of his life JUST making GT games? SLAVE DRIVER!!!!
;)
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June 20th, 2011 at 12:02 pm - #Butters
Lol thumbs up PS JUNKIE
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June 20th, 2011 at 7:05 pm - #Meee
Are you stupid? Do you work 24/7 at your job Fureddo? I bet you a trillion dollars you don’t. Kaz doesn’t work on videogames his whole life. He sleeps, eats, relaxes, and takes vacation days like the rest of us.
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June 20th, 2011 at 6:19 am - #Arumat
good luck Mr.K.Yamauchi
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June 20th, 2011 at 5:06 am - #Skiddy
Hope he doesn’t crash, and ends up in a hospital for a longer time (or worse). He’s got a lot of DLC production to manage..
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June 20th, 2011 at 3:04 am - #gulyo
He should released DLC’s very soon, not playin’ !!!
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June 20th, 2011 at 2:14 am - #Jack Dawson
This guy a nuts! He can’t even drive. Maybe he can drive by the book. But not naturally. A one hella of nerdy who just lucky to get a drive that is unfair for unfound talents in this unfair world of motor racing.
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June 20th, 2011 at 2:28 am - #Rage0329
Actually I think you’ll find he CAN drive.
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June 20th, 2011 at 3:41 am - #Dack Jawson
Well he can drive. And it’s not luck, the Gran Turismo sponsorship is all over the place so it’s not hard for him to join a team.
And it’s not unfair to unfound talents, it’s the unfound talents’ own fault that they are not found, noone else’s.
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June 20th, 2011 at 5:31 am - #shigllgetcha
you know him well then do you
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June 20th, 2011 at 9:47 am - #chump
Your argument is old. Kaz started racing in 2009. He competed in several VLN races, 24 hrs or Nürburgring (4th place, SP8 class), and 25 Hours Of Thunderhill (7th place).
“Not fair to unfound talents?”
-Lucas Ordonez would disagree.
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GTPlanet on Google+
So that’s why they didn’t make Le mans the most prestigious enduro in the game…. It was bias. But bias is also why there are so many Hal cars to, like over 100 nissians I think or something, almost 100 of another Jap company too, and in the 80′s on another. Come on, most of em’ are crap cars in the first place. We don’t even get that Nissain LMP2 the GT academy winners get though. Weird…..