We’re less than 100 hours away from Christmas, and while Santa Kaz has already dropped off a few presents (and yet more if you’ve got a few dollars for him), there’s even more fun to be had in our Photomode section this week. For our digital photogs, this update was welcome as it returned a few features that were mysteriously removed from Photomode during 2.01. Lens flare and bloom have returned, so before you’re stuffed to the gills with shortbreads and other festive treats, take a look at our competitions this week!

The latest batch of new downloadable content in Gran Turismo 5 is slowly becoming available in the PlayStation Store around the world. “Car Pack 2” contains the following new cars and can be purchased for $3.99 in the United States (check your local PSN Store for specific pricing information):

Corresponding with the release of Gran Turismo 5 2.02, a new Seasonal Event has also been made available. Here’s a closer look at the events, featuring American cars with no more than 600PP:

In a substantial update, Polyphony Digital has brought a wide range of tweaks, changes, and new features to GT5 with update v2.02. It’s available as a free download for all versions of the game, weighing in at 246MB.

Polyphony Digital has updated their title sales list, and the new numbers are impressive. Between January and September of 2011, Gran Turismo 5 moved an additional 1 million copies. This brings the game’s total sales up to 7.3 million, and helped push the entire series past 64.7 million sold.

Nissan and PlayStation are aiming to demonstrate the success of their  GT Academy programme with a ground-breaking driver line-up at the prestigious Dubai 24 Hours (January 12-14, 2012). All four winners of the innovative virtual-to-reality competition will tackle the demanding endurance race as a team sharing the wheel of a 410bhp Nissan 370Z.

New Time and Drift trials have just gone live in Gran Turismo 5.  Here’s a look at the new events, which feature the game’s karts and a double-feature of the Nurburgring GP/F circuit. The Online Car Dealership has also been updated – here’s a complete list of what’s available.

Kazunori Yamauchi has announced Gran Turismo 5’s next software update and new downloadable content will be coming on December 20, 2011. Via Twitter:

To put the finishing touch on an already incredible year, SPEED.com has announced original GT Academy winner Lucas Ordoñez as the 2011 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup “Rookie of the Year”.

Since Polyphony Digital announced the Gran Turismo 5 Spec II disc and box-art update for Japan earlier this month, there has been some confusion about the changes spreading to the rest of the world.

With former steering wheel market leader Logitech resting on its laurels, there’s been a flurry of activity fill the mid-to-high end range of steering wheels over the last few years. For Gran Turismo 5 players, the licensed Thrustmaster T500RS was generally considered one of the best options – until now.

Another week, another batch of competitions! This week’s themes are even more varied, and require some creativity to really get a competitive shot. Looking to enter? Click the links for each week’s theme and read the first post in the thread; make sure to follow the rules on submitting an image, and do so in that thread before the weekly deadline! Each competition has unique rules, so keep them in mind when submitting!

A new Gran Turismo 5 Seasonal Event has just gone live, featuring European “hot hatches” tuned to a maximum of 470PP. Here’s the races:

An extremely valuable piece of Gran Turismo memorabilia has gone up for auction on eBay: Lucas Ordoñez’s red couch. As of writing, bids for the stylish red sofa are already well over £400, and the auction doesn’t end until Monday!

After more than a year without any mention of Gran Turismo 5’s real-world visualization capabilities, the novel feature has suddenly returned to the spotlight with the debut of the Scion FR-S/Toyota 86.

One of the most ambitious online races ever organized is currently taking shape right here in GTPlanet’s forums. It’s a 24-hour, online endurance challenge at the famed Nurburgring, complete with every possible real-world challenge, including tire wear, fuel-consumption, damage, weather, and time change.

After many wallets are recovering from Black Friday madness (not to forget there may be new GT5 DLC this month), why not take part in GTP’s Photomode competitions, where you can win in-game prizes without having to drop a penny? Read on for all of the info on this week’s five contests!

The new Toyota 86/Scion FR-S was announced yesterday with a new GT5 trailer at the Tokyo Auto Show, though there was still no actual confirmation the car would actually be featured in the game.

New Time and Drift trials are now available in Gran Turismo 5, and one – at Monza – features the game’s original hyper-car, the X2010. The Online Car Dealership has also been updated. Here’s a complete look at what’s new:

Gran Turismo 5 will be getting a new cover featuring the Red Bull X2011, along with a refreshed disc that includes GT5 Spec II – in Japan, at least. According to the announcement posted on Polyphony Digital’s Japanese website, the new package will be available starting February 2, 2012 in the country.