Car Culture

When the official first trailer (and name) for Need for Speed Heat dropped in August, it was very difficult to miss the car taking center stage. Leading much of the chase action, and highlighting the game’s customization options, was a heavily modified Polestar 1.

Car manufacturers spend a veritable fortune making sure that their seats are as comfortable and supportive as possible. After all, you’re going to spend hundreds of thousands of miles — and thousands of hours — sitting in it.

As I rolled through the front gates at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, a legendary racetrack just outside the small town of Lexington, I could already hear bellowing exhaust notes, whining superchargers and a dash of cheering from the crowd.

We’re all guilty of saying it, or something like it. “I know this road so well I could drive it blindfolded”.

If we were to start telling you how big esports is, we’d be preaching to the choir. Almost everyone is getting on-board with the message these days, right up to the governing body of motorsports itself, the Federation International de l’Automobile (FIA).

It’s one of the great pre-war classic cars and, thanks to recognition in California, it may be immortalized in a future version of Gran Turismo. This year’s Gran Turismo Trophy winner at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is the 1931 Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Corto Spider Zagato.

Formula One has confirmed that Netflix has renewed documentary series F1: Drive to Survive for a second season.

Whether you realize it or not, if you’ve followed GTPlanet or Gran Turismo over the past few years, you have probably heard Tom Brooks. After commentating on many of our own early live-streamed racing series, Tom was hired by Polyphony Digital and became the “voice of Gran Turismo Sport“.

The Goodwood Festival of Speed is arguably the biggest public celebration of motoring in the world. For four days each year, the Duke of Richmond’s famous family residence, Goodwood House, becomes a focal point for any kind of road vehicle — from 19th Century pioneers to modern-day electric race cars and all points in-between.

Forget what you may or may not have heard of Tesla’s recent electric pickup truck promises. One Model 3 owner has already beat the Californian company to the punch, transforming it into what you see above: the Truckla.

If you like driving the newest car you can get your hands on, new car finance is a wonderful thing. Leasing a car this way allows you to spread some of the cost of a brand new car over a long period of time, then give the car back and get a new one. Those folks who have a brand new car every three years like clockwork? Car finance.

After it showed off the movie’s poster last week, Fox has released the first trailer for Ford v. Ferrari. The movie, starring Christian Bale and Matt Damon, will focus on the ’60s Le Mans fight between the two automakers.

Racing films are few and far between. But car enthusiasts will get to see one of the most famous stories in the automotive world play out on the silver screen this autumn when Ford v. Ferrari lands in theaters.

The last few weeks have been amongst the busiest I can remember. Between commentary, video making and incredible real-life driving opportunities, time to sit down and write has been limited. But my most recent opportunity needed to be shared with you all.

France knows a thing or two about unusual and quirky cars. However, for this week’s Want, we might have found the oddest French car around. Called the Citroën 2CV Sahara, it takes the concept of AWD and stands it on its head.

Igor Fraga is taking a break from collecting podiums on the race track — digitally and physically — to take part in the historic Mille Miglia. Not only that, he’ll be sharing driving duties with Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi.

Nurburgring. Stuttgart. Munich. These are the locations that first come to mind when you think of car-lover destinations in Germany. Not Hamburg.

Welcome to the 100th edition of the Wednesday Want! To celebrate in style we are once again bringing you a piece of Gran Turismo history. However, unlike the Art Morrison Corvette and the ‘51 Ford Coupe, this car is not from the GT Awards. Instead, it has an important connection to GT Academy.

Making idle bets on Twitter is never a good idea. This is something that Busch Beer — the official beer of NASCAR (because that’s a thing) — forgot when it laid down a marker last November.

Given the time and money Toyota has spent on developing the new GR Supra, you’d have to be nuts to challenge it to a race. Specifically, you’d have to be peanuts.