- 1,605
- Greece
- Giorgos_Ferrari
- Updated text for Bugatti,Maserati and Tesla.
For the last few days there has been some discussion about the SCG-PD license shenanigans and that got me thinking: GT has been a host to a big number of different brands over the last 2 decades. Naturally some are treated better than others, but which brands received the short end of the stick? .
· AC Cars (GT4-GT6)
Sure AC hasn't made a ton of different models, but 1 car in 12 years was such a waste. On top of it, the AC Cobra was overshadowed by the superior Shelby variant, making the license even more of a waste.
· Bentley (GT4-GT6)
I don't understand what’s the deal with their license PD clearly is interested as they wasted resources to make the Speed 8 premium, but is this as far as their interest goes or did Bentley restrict them and then cut the plug out of nowhere? GT Sport seemed the perfect GT game for the brand to expand its presence in the series, with 3-4 continentals for the N and GR classes at the very least.
· Bugatti (GT PSP - present)
It’s actually insulting how little PD values one of the most important car brands in history (or in the last 15 years more specifically). Never mind, including them in GT PSP as their debut title, i would've included them straight into GT5 as the cover car, but that’s just me. They didn't even bother to make it premium for GT5, forcing players to search for it on the awful used car dealership. Now that’s no way to treat the most talked vehicle at the time, as the Veyron Super Sport broke the top speed world record a few months before GT5's release. If it ended there I could live with that, but no no no. The regular 16.4 model didn't become premium until GT6, 3 years later, and for some 🤬 reason a 2013 model year Veyron came with it (for god's sake PD, the 16.4 model's production ended in 2011. How did you mess this up?). The long overdue inclusion of the regular Chiron is a small, but at the same time huge step all things considered. But its not enough for me to remove Bugatti from the list, because the other issues and especially the one regarding the eligibility for the manufacturer championship are still here.
· Buick (GT4-GT6)
Just another wasted license, no update in 14 years.
· Cadillac (GT4-GT6)
The second consecutive American brand and an even bigger waste in my opinion, but at least it received an update for GT6 at least.
· Callaway (GT4-GT6)
Another American brand with plenty of choices lost to time.
· Caterham (GT4-GT6)
Sure the only model Caterham produces is the 7, but the Fireblade was a pocket rocket so they surely could include a few newer premium models.
· Chaparral (GT4-present)
One of the few brands to survive the nuclear bomb thrown into the car list, thanks to the 2X VGT, but if we don't count that one their lineup isn't updated at all.
· Chrysler (GT3-GT6)
Umm... I have nothing to say about them honestly.
· Citroen (GT2-present)
The first long standing European brand of the list to survive, and yet PD is treating it like the lesser half of the PSA group, because while Peugeot's lineup is updated consistently, Citroen has been updated once in 7 years thanks to the inclusion of the DS3 Racing. Citroen might not be the most exciting brand out there, but it deserves better than that.
· Daihatsu (GT2-present)
I know what you are thinking: "What? A japanese brand is one the list?". Yep, turns out no one is safe from Polyphony's mistreatment. Specifically, Daihatsu went from their highest total of 18 models in GT2 to 15 in GT5, and their lineup hasn't been updated since then. And no, I will not even address their sorry excuse for a VGT car.
· Dome (GT Concept-GT6)
While Dome doesn't have anything beyond the Zero in terms of road cars, they have a history in prototype racing so it’s a big shame none of them appeared.
· Fiat (GT2-present)
Fiat's presence in the series is nothing less of a roller-coaster, from 6 cars in GT2, to just 1 in GT3, to 7 in GT4, to 9 for GT5/6, to 2 as of this posting. That's no way to treat one of the most prestigious Italian automakers, but it would've been fine if most of them weren't Fiat 500's (over 50% in GT5/6 and 100% in GT Sport).
· Ford Australia (GT4-GT6)
The first brand from down under. Its inclusion as a separate brand seemed redundant to begin with. I can understand splitting Dodge into Dodge and SRT, as the latter was a separate brand at the time of GT6's release, but that was over the top and their only car was the only V8 Supercar in the series, leaving it to a no man's land anyway. What’s next? Splitting Ford into Ford Europe, Ford Germany etc? .
· FPV (GT4-GT PSP)
Mostly the same case as Ford Australia.
· Ginetta (GT4-GT5)
One car in 3 games is a shame, considering they too could've been eligible for GTS manufacturers’ championship. Instead, once they realized they were nothing more than filler, they jumped ship to Project Cars.
· Holden (GT4-GT6)
Three out of three for Australia, and another brand with plenty of choices bites the dust.
· Infiniti (GT2-present)
Mostly a Nissan clone until GT6.
· Lancia (GT2-present)
Same case as Fiat, although Lancia has a better range of models.
· Lister (GT2-GT6)
I don't blame PD for not adding more Listers, as they haven't done much the last few years but for the mistreatment of the Lister Storm GT, turning a very capable race car and multi FIA GT champion into a mobile chicane (seriously PD, the poor thing weighs 1.100 Kg, not 1.438).
· Maserati (GT5-present)
Maserati is very close to be removed from the list thanks to the recent quick additions, breaking the 12 year long monopoly of the 2008 Gran Turismo S.
· MG (GT2-GT6)
I guess that was coming from a mile away, considering PD's record with Chinese owned companies (having said that, the takeover took place in 2006 but the brand was part of the series since 2016), and I don't see PD wanting to re-include them as their new cars leave a lot to be desired, but still they deserved more than 2 cars.
· Mugen (GT2-GT6)
Mugen didn't get as much love as it deserved. It started well with 10 cars in GT2, only to get reduced to a single S2000 that wasn't special in any way.
· Opel (GT2-GT6)
Most German brands are treated very well by PD, but Opel is possibly the worst treated. The region lock thing aside (I’ll address that later), Opel had a decent 6 car lineup at first, but it barely changed. Some cars got replaced with newer counterparts (E.g. Astra, Vectra etc.), some got removed like the Andros Trophy Tigra etc. and some returned, but at the end only 2 new models debuted and the overall count went from 6 to 7 in GT4, were it was last updated.
· Panoz (GT3-GT6)
Panoz hasn't made many different models, but PD surely could include more, like some of their LMPs.
· Pontiac (GT Concept-present)
A grand total of 7 cars in 5 main games, with only 1 car new from GT4 to GT6. The resent inclusion of the GTO judge is a step in the right direction, but not enough to change my opinion.
· Re-Amemiya (GT4-present)
They might be specialists with rotarys only so that limits their range, but still 3 cars aren't enough.
· RUF (GT2-present)
Yes, RUF may have returned with the CTR3 making its debut but, as nice it may be, the simple fact is that its still a 13 year old car. RUF is the 2nd brand on the list to get downgraded from 8 cars in GT2 to 5 cars in GT4-GT6, with only 3 new models being included in a decade.
· Saleen (GT2-GT6)
Another brand with fine choices not getting the attention it deserved. A shame, considering the S7.R was scheduled for inclusion in GT5.
· SEAT (GT4-GT6)
One of more random inclusions in the series, with just 1 car, while PD could've done so much more with them. It feels like PD simply included Seat in order to boost sales in Spain.
· Spoon (GT2-GT6)
Spoon had it much better than many on this list, but they could've been a much bigger part of the franchise, and 1 new car since 2005 (a CR-Z no less) left much to be desired.
· Spyker (GT Concept-GT6)
Their range may be limited, but only 1 car in over a decade was more than underwhelming.
· Tesla (GT5-present)
PD seems to have little regard for them.
· Triumph (GT4-GT6)
One car in 2 decades, nothing more to say.
· Vauxhall (GT2-GT6)
Simply an Opel clone, with the purpose of replacing Opel in English-speaking European country's, for some reason.
· Volvo (GT4-GT6)
A grand total of 3 cars (pretty mediocre, no less) in 3 games, updated just once in GT5.
What do you think? Have I got any of them wrong or have I forgot any other brands?
Last edited: