A game about a girl who goes for a drive-thru McDonald's? Well I guess its original, I'll give you that.
But seriously, Gran Turismo has had barely any characterisation (mostly just voice-overs telling you how to do license tests). I think its proven it doesn't need any, its simply a driving game. Not an RPG or adventure game.
I've yet to meet a racing game (or film for that matter) which uses heavy plot and character use that doesn't turn out really bad. Steve McQueen's Le Mans was a great film beacause of its pure emotion and simple depiction of the experience of Le Mans, no need for intricate characters. Stallone's Driven is a good example of why characters and racing don't really match up too well (though I think its a decent film anyway).
