It’s time for the 7th annual Gran Turismo Awards at the SEMA show in Las Vegas! As you may recall, this unique event is a big deal for GT fans and car tuners alike, as Yamauchi picks his favorite car from the show to be featured in the next GT game. Award winners from previous years have brought us some of the series’ most memorable and cars, including the 1962 Buick Special (’03 winner) in Gran Turismo 4 and the 1960 Art Morrison Chevrolet Corvette (’06 winner) in GT5 Prologue.
This year will be a little different, though, as Sony has just announced that the 2007 and 2008 award winners (HPA Motorsport’s Audi TT and JR Rocha’s Infiniti G37) will be playable in a fresh new Gran Turismo 5 demo on the show floor. Kazunori Yamauchi himself will, of course, be on hand to personally select the 2009 winner, so we should also expect several new interviews popping up in the coming week.
On a considerably more somber note, it has just come to my attention (via Chronos in the forums), that JR Rocha, the personal owner of the 2008 award-winning Infiniti G37, passed away just last month from a heart attack. Presumably, SEMA 2009 would have been his first chance to play his own car in the game, making this turn of events all the more tragic. We’ve lost a great automotive enthusiast and car designer – may he rest in peace, and may his creation live on forever in GT5.
Here’s a video clip from last year’s show, with a look at each of the finalists and JR’s impressions after getting top honors:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF7OuABJnCQ
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
See more articles on Kazunori Yamauchi and SEMA.
If you have yet to see the GT5 SEMA cars, I urge you to do so.
That sucks about JR. But, what an honor to get a car you built into the GT series. People that don’t even know this story will still find it out once they get this car in GT5. Those other cars were nice as well. I really liked the Camaro Road Race Car. I hope cars will be downloadable in the future so that Polyphony can add things to the game like this, even after it is released.
Yeah, his car should be on GT5 cover-box!
And to think I wanted to get his car anyways. Now driving it is going to be a real special occasion. RIP
R.I.P JR
RIP JR ROCHA
rip jr
so sad he wont get to see his dream…
RIP JR.
I will purchase the car first hand.
His car should be the fastest in the game, better than the F1 imo.
RIP JR Rocha!
His car should be in every Gran Turismo game just in memory of him.
I wonder if Kaz knows that he passed away. I wouldn’t be shocked if he didn’t considering that it has just come to our attention that he doesn’t and I wouldn’t think that Kaz has had a lot of direct contact with Rocha within the last 6 months.
I would be curious to know what his feelings on the tragic turn of events are.
Rest in Peace JR!
I feel sorry of him and hes family but hi lives in they hart and in the game for ever. :’)
r.i.p. , Jr Rocha!
R.I.P. JR Rocha
When the game is released I will get your car and do justice with it.
I second the idea of his JR’s G37 being placed on GT5. Atleast put it as a limited edition case of the game to honor him. Really, anything that shows respect to a fellow auto enthusiast.
While I am NOT a proponent of High End Performance or their tuning philosophy (*bling*bling* yo!), it is unfortunate that JR passed away at such a young age. Our prayers go out to his family and friends.
his car should be on the gt5 box
in gt5 there should be a jr jocha race series just with his car or secondly but i know not alot of people will like this. if his car is put on the playstation store and costs 1 euro we could play it on gt5p then gt5 and the proceeds from the money of the car go to jr jochas family
Sweet. Yuss.
And yeah sorry for that guy.
I find it funny that if you bring a Porsche to SEMA, no matter how good it is, it can’t win the GT award.
R.I.P JR Jocha
as soon as i get GT5 i’ll buy that car and drive the wheels off it.
Interesting video above, but those rap morons really brought it down at the beginning.
R.I.P JR
That’s really sad, for his family. I will drive the heck out of his car when GT5 arrives. (To show some respect)
Sorry for that guy… but he will live thanks to GT5 and Sony!!!!!!
Is there going to be a DOWNLOADABLE playable demo or is this in reference to playable demos at booths?? Sorry about the ignorance…
RIP JR Rocha.
Passed away…
Rest in peace.
Wow man. I feel sorry for the guy’s family. It’s cool his car will be in the game. It will be like a way of honoring him of sorts.