The latest pair of racing wheels to come out of Thrustmaster’s skunkworks may seem very familiar. That’s because the wheels themselves are the same, but now come bundled with an elite set of pedals.

If you’re still combing through the launch lineup of cars for Forza Horizon 3 and have yet to pick up the Car Pass, there may not be a better chance to do so than this week. Through the Deals with Gold program, the Car Pass is now available to Xbox Live Gold subscribers for $17.99.

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Playground Games’ third entry in the Forza Horizon series has moved from strength to strength since release last autumn. Not only was it a critical success at the GAME Awards, but it looks like a commercial success as well. According to GfK Chart-Track (link via NeoGAF), Forza Horizon 3 came in an impressive tenth position in terms of physical game sales in the UK last year.

Virtual reality is becoming a mainstay feature within the video game industry, seemingly growing by the day. Last year Microsoft announced their own entry into the growing market, and with a starting price of $299 the company’s own efforts are sure to become the most affordable entry point, undercutting the likes of Sony’s PlayStation VR, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift that dominate the market.

Late last week, Kunos Simulazioni announced that in an upcoming v1.12 console update for Assetto Corsa, players are to expect a slew of new Special Events. The offline affairs will revolve around the recently-included Red Pack and Porsche Pack Volume 2 downloadable content, as well as the highly anticipated finale to the Porsche content, Porsche Pack Volume 3.

During the month of December, the Top Gear website counted down its own version of the top 50 driving games ever made. The range of games included in its list was varied with realistic sims like GTR2 being placed alongside all-out fantasy games like Super Mario Kart. With so many different driving games included, the number one spot would have to be something truly special, and what better winner than the original timeless Gran Turismo on PlayStation—the game that redefined the genre.

Endurance racing is a war of attrition. That was certainly the case for the GT Academy team at last weekend’s Dubai 24H race, as the #123 car was met with numerous setbacks en route to an eighth-place finish in-class.

When I am asked what’s the best thing about GTPlanet, the answer is simple: it’s the people. Beyond the millions of posts on this site discussing racing games and cars, the GTPlanet Forums host a rich online community of people building real friendships around common interests.

If one were to make a list of innovations that have changed the way we play video games in recent years, eSports would be near the top. It’s safe to say that eSports has boomed over the last few years and could be well on its way to being classified as a regulated and officially-recognized sport.

One of the largest automotive shows in the world — the Tokyo Auto Salon — is currently in the middle of its 28th exhibition. Visitors attending the show will be able to try out GT Sport which, for the first time in Japan, will be playable on the PS4 Pro and with PS VR.

Sony’s official blog has released the list of the most downloaded PlayStation Store games from both December 2016 and the entire calendar year. Across both the PS3 and PS4 platforms, there were a few surprises.

The race is on for the GT Academy team in Dubai right now. With a little over 14 hours to go, the team has already experienced the highs and lows typical of an endurance event.

The Humble Store returns with another free Codemasters game after last month’s Race Driver: GRID was being given away. This time, DiRT: Showdown is available for PC players for the next 27 hours.

Amongst all the announcements, unveilings and showcases of the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Subaru brought along its record breaking WRX STI time-attack car. Piloted by Mark Higgins, the 600 bhp car shattered the the previous record — also set by Subaru — for the time set by a car on the Isle of Man TT circuit earlier last year.

PlayStation VR users rejoice, as Codemasters has announced that the highly-rated DiRT Rally will support PS VR in the coming weeks. The upgrade will be available as DLC to download from the PlayStation Store if you have the game, and it will also be available at retail, with a new physical version of the game complete with the VR add-on.

We’re just going to preface this with the obvious: we’re a little jealous. Okay, that’s that dealt with then.

Polyphony have pulled the trigger on the latest Seasonal Events for Gran Turismo 6. This week’s events take you to three power circuits where the number of horses under the hood are the key to victory. Three challenge levels cover this week’s events, giving you a choice of capable sporting metal.

GT Academy Team RJN has confirmed it will be taking part in the upcoming 2017 Dubai 24 Hours event, which will be held at the Dubai Autodrome, UAE from January 12–14.

With so much attention poured over graphics and sound design, it’s easy to overlook the role music plays in a game’s presentation. In Gran Turismo’s case, music has always been a key part of the experience, and Polyphony Digital clearly sought to establish a unique sonic aesthetic for the series from the very beginning.