Gran Turismo players! Update 1.54 brings an rush of exciting cars, events, and challenges, including an update to the Gran Turismo Sophy AI agent for the classic Trial Mountain Circuit and Tokyo Expressway – East Clockwise. Be sure to not miss the Gran Turismo World Series Celebration Race where you can experience the same races featured in this year’s grand final!
Update 1.54* for Gran Turismo 7 will be available as of Wednesday, November 20 at 10:00pm PT / +1 Day, 6:00am GMT / +1 Day, 3:00pm JST.
Five new cars added this month
Ford Escort RS Cosworth ’92
(Can be purchased from Used Cars)
A WRC homologation special with a unique double-decker wing design.
Ford bagan their 1990s World Rally Championship (WRC) campaign powered by the Sierra RS Cosworth 4×4. Then in 1992 came the Escort RS Cosworth, a homologation special developed for even higher performance. The original Escort was a masterpiece, widely being used in rally races in the late 60s going into the 70s. Years later, Ford Europe took the compact body of the 5th generation Escort, installed the highly tuned four-wheel drive powertrain from the Sierra, and adorned the rear of the vehicle with a large dual-level wing to complete the fearsome makeover. At the heart of the beast lies a longitudinally mounted 2L turbocharged twin-cam engine built by Cosworth, as per the car’s name. The bore-stroke ratio has been overhauled, resulting in a total 1,993 cc displacement, and producing 223.9 BHP/30.4 kgfm on the stock tune.
On the four-wheel drive system, the central differential uses a combination of viscous coupling and planetary gears for maximum reliability. The Escort RS Cosworth began production in 1992, and gained homologation status the next year when it would start full-scale competition in the WRC’s Group A category. The “Cossie”, as fans called it, took a 1-2 finish in the round 3 Portugal Rally and went on to achieve two consecutive victories in rounds 5 (Tour de Corse) and round 6 (Acropolis) before repeating the achievement in rounds 11 and 12 (San Remo and Spain) reinstating Ford’s reputation as a strong contender on the rally circuit.
Mercedes-Benz W 196 R ’55
(Can be purchased from Legend Cars)
A legendary F1 car that made motorsports history.
The W 196 was produced by Mercedes-Benz after their return to motorsports in 1951, developed under the 2.5L engine regulations that Formula 1 had introduced in 1954. It was developed in tandem with a model for sports car racing that shared the same basic components. The W 196 entered the F1 competition, while the W 196 S competed in sportscar races with both cars finding success in their own fields. The chassis was based on a tubular steel space frame, and first appeared in its debut race at the 1954 French Grand Prix with a streamlined body covering the front and rear wheels with an aerodynamic shell.
However, after the subsequent British Grand Prix it became apparent that this body style obstructed the driver’s view and required too much maintenance, so for the German Grand Prix onwards, the car primarily ran with the open-wheel style body, saving the streamline design for high-speed circuits only. These were not the only two body types though, the chassis was configured with thre different wheelbase lengths, two types of brakes, and two engine positions for a total of seven variations. The engine used was an inline-8 design constructed similarly to two four-cylinder banks joined longitudinally. At its peak, it produced 285 BHP from the 2,496 cc displacement and propelled the car to a top speed of 180.2 mph. The W 196 went on to dominate the 1954 and 1955 F1 World Championships, winning two consecutive drivers champion titles for Juan Manuel Fangio.
Porsche 911 Turbo S (992) ’20
(Can be purchased from Brand Central)
The top performance model of the eighth generation 911.
The icon of the Porsche line-up for over 60 years, the 911 entered its eighth generation in 2018 under the ‘992’ codename. On its exterior, the 992 is a refinement of the motifs introduced by its predecessor the 991. The body size has increased slightly, but extensive efforts were made to keep weight down by increased usage of aluminum. Another notable change is the narrow body base model from previous generations was scrapped. A point of note on the car’s construction is the new MMB modular development platform. This flexible platform comprises a front axle, floor and rear axles with the ability to adapt to a rear-engine or midship design by adjusting the position of the rear axle. On the powertrain, a move was made towards downsizing, with the base model featuring a 3L turbocharged flat-6 engine.
The power output is tuned according to the model, with Carrera models producing 379.7 BHP while Carrera S models produce 443.8 BHP. The standard transmission is an eight-speed PDK unit, with a seven-speed manual available on the Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S models. In April 2020, the Turbo S model was added to the 992 family as the top-level performance model. Featuring a slightly shorter stroke than previous Turbo S models, this 3,745 cc flat-6 twin-turbo powers its four wheels with a colossal 641 BHP/800 Nm (81.6 kgfm).
Porsche Mission X ’23
Can be purchased from Brand Central
A hypercar concept to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Porsche.
June 1948, the first ever car to bear the Porsche name, the 356 ‘No. 1’ Roadster is approved, setting in motion the rise of one of the greatest sports car brands in history. 75 years later on the same date in 2023, the company unveiled a new concept, an interpretation of a possible future of sports car technology that takes inspiration from Porsche’s numerous classic car legends. This concept is known as the Mission X.
The two-seater fully electric concept of a hypercar is actually relatively compact, at only 4,500 mm long and 2,000 mm wide. Measuring just under 1,200 mm tall, the low-slung design features an almost sculptural form with bold lines, which goes to show that a hypercar doesn’t necessarily need to look hyper-aggressive. Within each area of the exterior lives the motifs of historic racing cars. The headlights are a reinterpretation of the quad lights that adorned cars like the 906 and 908, while the doors use the same upward opening motion as the legendary 917 endurance car. Moving to the rear, an illuminated clear ‘Porsche’ logo sits in the centre of the light units which extend out from the side of the body. Looking carefully, the Porsche emblems on the bonnet and steering wheel feature an updated, more modern interpretation of the classic logo. The interior expresses a strong affinity with motorsports. The steering wheel uses an open yoke style design, fitted with paddle shifters and several mode switches. The passenger seat can be fitted with a stopwatch module created by Porsche Design, featuring both analog and digital timers. Additionally, the driver can press the record button on the multi-purpose controller at any time to begin recording video footage from the numerous cameras installed across the car.
The Mission X has the potential to be crowned the fastest road-legal car on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, a theory that can be put to the test in Gran Turismo 7. It has a power-to-weight ratio of over one PS per kilogram and canis able to create considerably more downforce than even the current 911 GT3 RS. The concept also features radical charging capabilities. With a 900 V system architecture, charging speeds are greatly improved, allowing it to hypothetically charge around twice as fast as Porsche’s current front-runner EV, the Taycan Turbo S.
Suzuki Jimny Sierra JC ’18
Can be purchased from Brand Central
A chunkier Jimny with an eye on global success.
While the Suzuki Jimny’s diminutive stature allows it to fit into Japan’s kei car regulations, under its skin is a tenaciously rugged off-road vehicle with a true ladder-frame construction. The Jimny Sierra is a model for the global market that takes that off-road ability and frees it from the constraints of kei regulations. Introduced in 2018, the JB74 chassis is the third generation since the model’s initial debut in 1994.
Compared to the previous JB43 chassis, the new model is 50 mm shorter and 45 mm wider. This is accentuated further on the body design which takes on a bolder, more square aesthetic. The car is fitted with the 1,460 cc inline-4 DOHC K15B engine, producing 100.6 BHP/13.3 kgfm. At a glance, these figures may not seem like much, but the sustained low-end torque makes it absolutely perfect for off-road crawling. The four-wheel drive system is a part-time setup with a mechanical transfer case. Employing rigid axles on both the front and rear, the excellent suspension makes the car feel just at home when crawling over rocks or trudging through mud as it does coasting along paved roads.
Café / Extra Menus
The following Menu has been added to the Extra Menus section:
- Extra Menu No. 42: Ferrari Speciale (Collector Level 48 and above)
GT Auto
New Rotiform wheel brand added.
World Circuits (event)
The following new events have been added to World Circuits:
- Jimny Cup – Grand Valley South
- Porsche Cup – WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
- Race of Turbo Sportscars – Mount Panorama Circuit
Scapes
Colorado has been added as a featured Curation in Scapes
Gran Turismo World Series Celebration Race
(Players must be at Collector Level 6 or above)
The Gran Turismo World Series 2024 World Finals ‒ Amsterdam takes place on December 7-8 and will be contested by the top drivers from around the world to determine this year’s champions. To celebrate the event, we’re releasing a special Gran Turismo World Series Celebration Race on November 21, where players can experience the same races featured in this year’s Grand Final at the World Finals.
Two events will be available: the Manufacturers Cup, a competition where automobile manufacturers face off against each other, and the Nations Cup, where drivers represent their home countries or territories. Players earn up to 500,000 Cr. for each event, with a total of 1,000,000 Cr. available overall. Access the event from the event panel at the top right of the World Map screen during the event period.
Gran Turismo Sophy
The next-generation racing AI agent, Gran Turismo Sophy is now available on the following courses. Look for the Sophy icon in the Quick Race menu on each track to test your skills against Sophy.
Trial Mountain Circuit
Tokyo Expressway – East Clockwise
*Internet connection and Gran Turismo 7 game required for update.
