Red Bull Says Pikes Peak is in Gran Turismo 5
A bizarre post on the official Red Bull blog is raising quite a few eyebrows around our forums – and for a good reason. It’s a substantial discussion with Rhys Millen (rally driver and Tanner Foust’s co-star in the U.S. Gran Turismo PSP commercial) about the fastest way up the Pikes Peak rally course in GT5. Of course, there’s just one big problem with that: Pikes Peak hasn’t been seen in a GT game since Gran Turismo 2, and it’s obviously not on GT5‘s track list (yet?).
In other words, this is either a severe editorial mistake or a not-so-subtle hint the legendary hill climb track is coming to the game. Adding to the intrigue, observant users in our forums noticed the first round of comments questioning the article’s accuracy were deleted early this morning, yet the article itself remains unchanged. More comments have been posted since then, but as of yet have not been removed.
This wouldn’t be the first time the Red Bull blog revealed information about GT5. As you may remember, they published an exclusive GT5 video last fall which revealed the X2010, the Lexus LF-A, and El Capitan (another track which did not make it into the game). After only a few hours online, however, the video was quickly pulled and I cooperated with Sony’s request to remove it from GTPlanet’s blog, never to be (officially) seen again.
Hopefully, with this additional exposure, we’ll be able to find out exactly what this odd article is about and why it exists. Stay tuned for more developments, and thanks to everyone who sent this in. Here’s a complete copy of the original Red Bull post as of December 30th, archived for posterity just in case:
Did you find Gran Turismo 5 under the tree? Getting frustrated by the Pikes Peak International course? Well, even if you feel you’ve mastered it, Rhys Millen has a few tips that might help even the most experienced gamer squeeze a bit more speed out of their console.
With a new class world record in a modified Toyota Supra at the 1998 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in his pocket, there’s no doubt that Millen knows how to race to the clouds.
So, for gamers attempting to conquer the famed circuit in Gran Turismo 5, here are a few tips from a record setter on how to negotiate the 12.42-mile (19.99-kilometre), 156-turn course up the Colorado mountain that just might come in handy.
Millen says that the sheer length of the course on the mountain face is one of its biggest challenges. It rises almost a full mile — 4,721 feet to be precise (1,439 metres) — from its starting point on Pikes Peak Highway, which is already almost two-miles up at 9,390 ft (2,862 m), with both gravel and asphalt sections to keep things interesting.
“The hardest part about Pikes Peak is course memorisation, with its 156 corners over 12.5 miles — although many sections that repeat in look, they are totally unique in execution,” Millen said.
“Pikes Peak has several sections that repeat themselves in style and feel. The key as on any course is to know what’s around that blind corner and carry speed onto the straightaways.”
Millen recommends that gamers study the surroundings to help serve as memory markers to what’s coming up. A tree here or a boulder can help offer handy reference points for specific corners to help gamers prepare for what’s coming, something that’s been known to help a driver or two in actual race cars, he adds.
“As for picture painting, running most video-based course layouts will aid a driver in course recognition prior to laying sight on the course. This will also help in corner exit speed as to placing the car in the correct position on track.”
While Gran Turismo 5 gives an accurate reflection of the actual Pikes Peak circuit, there are some things that the video game simply can’t do. And, even though Millen sees the quality of the gaming experience increasing, he still thinks there’s nothing like the real thing.
“As far as a true dynamic sensation, the crossover from the virtual world to reality, although better, still has a large element of disconnect. This typically comes in the form of terminal speed,” he said.
In addition, the changing conditions typical at Pikes also makes things more interesting in the actual car: “You only get one chance around each of the corners and surface temp and grip levels change every minute in a mountain climate.”
But, having the next best thing isn’t so bad when you think about the fact that, as a gamer, you don’t have to deal with the sobering reality of cliffs and drop-off that are some of the biggest in the world — more than 2,000 feet in some spots — which would certainly not be fun to experience after a mistake.
That said, Millen insists that the prospect of diving over a cliff doesn’t scare him at speed in a race car.
“When you’re strapped in the race car your focus point is so intense you create tunnel vision blocking out the surroundings, cliffs included,” he says. “I get more freaked out driving up in the mornings before practice days in a rental car.”
Millen also offers some advice that applies to any mountain course that appears in any video game: “If you are travelling around the right face side or face of a mountain, you can pretty much bet the left hand corners are a larger radius and rights are tighter purely based on the nature of rain runoff and valley shapes. This is the opposite for travelling clockwise.”
And what favourite cars would he love to try out on the challenging circuit given the chance? Unsurprisingly, it’s a stable of high-performance rockets that he’d certainly push pretty hard up the mountain: Ferrari F40, the Ferrari 599XX and the Porsche Carrera GT.
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Newest comments are displayed first.
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December 31st, 2010 at 7:41 pm - #Simon
The 608Mb update included all previous updates. I know this because I got the game on Christmas day and only had to download the 608Mb update to get to 1.05.
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January 1st, 2011 at 3:55 pm - #Brandon
It’s always like that. You only have to download the mosgt recent patch for a game, not all the ones that came previous to it.
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December 31st, 2010 at 3:36 pm - #Markyy
OMG! I miss this Pikes Peak amazing track! I hope they will put this track in an update this coming year. If that will happen, I would love to drive my S2000 R1 Titan which produce a 443 Grip track monster.
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December 31st, 2010 at 1:27 pm - #Tvensky
thanks for the video jordan.. I just now downloaded ALL GT soundtracks so I can play them on my GT5.!!!
PS. if you want to just search Google – torrent gran turismo 2 soundtrack mp3
change it to GT4 and GT3 to download from other series!
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December 31st, 2010 at 4:00 pm - #Geo_212
Ugh… please don’t tell me this is going to be another “checkpoints” thing…
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December 31st, 2010 at 12:18 pm - #Praggia
BORING BORING BORING ZZZZZZZ
PD does not do Rally well admit it guys so why are they even bothering if they are really bothering, this is just speculation or a hoax or whatever. Fact of the matter is the Rally feel is just not there somehow. Why not skip Rally all together and focus on fixing the multitude of bugs in this game. How long does it take to fix the issue with the shadows?? Instead we get a 600+ mb update which basically or for the most part addresses online issues.
Where is Midfield raceway? Apricot Hill? Why does the topgear test track have freakin cones all over the place? People who dont know the track can turn on the racing line isnt that what its there for? why are the sounds still so crappy? how hard can it be to fix that? NFS FORZA seem to get it spot on. Why isnt there an option to increase the volume for engine sound or rather exhaust note. The SFX sound audio adjustment just increases the volume of everything, tyre noise, wind,crowd and when driving over the rumble strips. I despise the NFs franchise but what i do like about them is the way they accurately recreate the authentic car sounds. PD catch a freakin wake up call…..and please get over yourselves we dont need 700 japanese cars.
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January 1st, 2011 at 7:03 am - #Rios
Cool story bro.
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January 1st, 2011 at 12:23 pm - #Ryan J.
I’m fairly certain there’s also more reason than PD’s ability to “get over themselves” for there being 700 Japanese cars. Maaaayybee it’s the fact that Japanese cars play a huge role in Motorsport?
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January 1st, 2011 at 12:55 pm - #Brainfade
@Ryan J …if that was the case in motorsport then why has only one Japanese make won Le Mans? why is sportscar still dominated by the west?
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January 1st, 2011 at 12:56 pm - #Brainfade
90% of motorsport is based in Europe, UK and US, barely 10% is in Japan’s thin insular world of SuperGT, Super Taikyu and Formula Nippon
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January 1st, 2011 at 2:54 pm - #Cod=best
u r so wrong ryan j. i agree with brainfade motrsport is 4 white people. jap ruined it they can’t even make a game right i went to fm3 which is much better.
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January 1st, 2011 at 7:51 pm - #brainfade
Cod=best there is no need for blatant RACISM like that, you clearly have motorsport mixed up with NASCAR
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December 31st, 2010 at 10:30 am - #ExclusivesMostly
I want El Capitan
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December 31st, 2010 at 1:22 pm - #ripped
Yes!
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December 31st, 2010 at 10:23 am - #AuToNoMy
awesome love GT5 keep the updates coming it makes a brilliant game better. best game ever !!!!
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December 31st, 2010 at 8:46 am - #Craigles
I dont understand why polyphoney dont put tracks from old gt’s into gt5. My 5 favourites in gt4 El Caption, The test course (to get to the top speed), costa di amalfi, seattle circuit and of course opera paris.
I would love to see all those in an extension pack of some sort along with SPA and Porsche(s) then gt5 would be perfect.
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December 31st, 2010 at 8:38 am - #Jack
I like the guy in the comments who says Red Bull tastes like turpentine :)
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December 31st, 2010 at 8:37 am - #GTP_COBRA
HOAX or not be great to have a couple of name tracks that was in the old versions of the game…maybe they just did’ny have time to finish some tracks before its rushed release date?
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December 31st, 2010 at 8:10 am - #Stune
How strange …
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December 31st, 2010 at 7:40 am - #Rios
What What What???
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December 31st, 2010 at 7:30 am - #PedanticNerd
We’re getting more tracks!
OK it’s not confirmed but more likely than ever!Here’s hoping for Pikes Peak, El Capitan, Midfield, Test Course, hey maybe even Grindelwald. It’s been a long time since I’ve played that one.
Oh and how are they going to implement these tracks?
MORE A-SPEC EVENTS!!!!! -
December 31st, 2010 at 7:20 am - #Spiike
I love how on the redbull site they have the front of a ferrari, one of their main competitors in f1 in 2010 :)
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December 31st, 2010 at 6:48 am - #NEEDFORFISH
I want SSR11, Pikes Peak, Seattle and test course.
IF possible, I want japanese mountain roads too!!(e.g. Akina) -
December 31st, 2010 at 6:42 am - #DrTrouserPlank
Very strange
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December 31st, 2010 at 6:29 am - #Gaz
Seattle would be an awesome addition. I think we need all previous gt series tracks in gt5. I’d be happy to wait for more cars if they gave us all the tracks. Can’t believe they missed out midfield raceway, that was my favourite track!!
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January 1st, 2011 at 7:03 pm - #lee
Midfield rules ok. had some of my best ever 2 player races at midfield!
Midfield forever!
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December 31st, 2010 at 6:00 am - #ryanb98
Let’s hope that pikes peak is in a pack with Seattle, Midfield and SSR11
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December 31st, 2010 at 6:07 am - #Bernd
And the wishlist continues: El Capitan, Red Rock, Spa, Hockenheim, Apricot Hill …
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December 31st, 2010 at 8:27 am - #kekke2000
Wishlists are stupid. Everybody wants different tracks. Would be better with a rumour list. Tracks that have been hinted. Like the weather things in GT5 Prologue or this article. I think we have more tracks than we can see. I wonder how you unlock it….. Up, Down, Up, Left, Left, X, X, O, X maybe…. hmmmm
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December 31st, 2010 at 5:55 am - #Tim
Mmm intresting , this would not suprise me afterall , Kaz did say there is going to be serveral updates during the upcomming months, or did it get added in 1.05 and it is just locked , look at Prolouge ok we cant play them but that had a hidden menu which had more tracks.
I always though 604MB is alot considering most of the other updates were only 140MB
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December 31st, 2010 at 5:52 am - #Jordan P
I am sensing a release of the track (via patch) and a seasonal event Time Trial to go with it :P
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January 3rd, 2011 at 2:35 pm - #slimLINE Drift Team
Us Too!
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December 31st, 2010 at 5:04 am - #Gulyo
In GT5 rally mod must fix : I push full the throttle in a sharp curve and NOTHING HAPPEN … I mean in the firts or second gear no acceleration AT ALL !!! WHY ???????
Fix it please !!!
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All things considered, 608mb for the 1.05 update seems a little large for what it was – who knows, maybe we were slipped track data for Pikes Peak on the sly.