Our First Extended Look at Bathurst in GT Sport

Among the news onslaught that arrived with E3 2017, GT Sport added another real-life racing track to its roster — Australia’s Mount Panorama Circuit. Otherwise known as Bathurst, the track is a scenic climb, offering some of the best views in motorsport from the peak of the hill.

Gaming outlet IGN has posted some new videos giving us a look at how the track appears in Gran Turismo Sport. Both replays feature the Schülze Motorsport Nissan GT-R GT3.

An Onboard Look at Mount Panorama

The first of these videos give us a full cockpit-cam view of a race in the GT3 GT-R. Lighting looks especially impressive during the climb, with the sun bouncing in and out of the surrounding greenery and trees. Upon reaching the peak of the circuit, we can see why this track is considered one of the greats. A tight, twisting and claustrophobic challenge is presented during the on-board camera view.

What goes up, must come down and Mount Panorama Circuit exemplifies this. The twisting climb upward is complemented with a speedy downhill straight to bring you back down to earth and the starting line.

The drive itself is refreshingly decent from a mainstream games media outlet. The driver patiently navigates through the pack, waiting for the right moment to overtake.

A Spectator’s View of Bathurst in GT Sport

If you’re more intrigued by how the track and surrounding area looks outside the car, IGN has you covered too. The above shows a more traditional Gran Turismo replay. Panning around Bathurst, we get a good look at the Australian favorite. Incline changes and track camber realistically weaves the track together and replicates the circuit very well.

Tarmac level view-points highlight this the most and show why Bathurst is a truly unique racing venue. There aren’t many circuits that take place on the side of a 571 ft hill.

From a technical standpoint, game performance is stable and there doesn’t appear to be any observable framerate drops or slow down throughout.

Bathurst made its series debut in Gran Turismo 6 and we’re happy to see it return. The four mile circuit is considered one of the best out there and we’re sure it’ll host some intense online racing when GT Sport releases this fall.

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