Gran Turismo Sport is set to launch later this year, and will represent the biggest change to the series since its inception. Gone is the four-digit car roster, with a smaller, class-focused approach made up of “Super Premium” cars built for the PlayStation 4.
Our community has been vigilant in keeping a Master Car List up-to-date. Currently, we know roughly two-thirds of the planned 140 cars, spread across 28 manufacturers. With series stalwarts like Subaru and Chevrolet present and accounted for, we’ve compiled a small list of marques we think would add the most to the game’s more curated car list.
Staying true to what’s been revealed so far, the five manufacturers listed below all focus on modern offerings. The oldest car we know of so far in GT Sport is the 2009 Lotus Evora, so we’ve tried to stick with lineups made this decade. Sadly, that means no Lancia (a shadow of its former self) or Plymouth.
Oh, and why no Porsche? With the Electronic Arts exclusive deal a thing of the past, and seemingly every developer gaining access to the brand (iRacing’s got one, Project CARS 2 has at least two, Assetto Corsa has over twenty), it’s a forgone conclusion that Porsche has most-wanted status here. We wanted to look at the less obvious candidates, starting with…
Citroën
The quirky French brand deserves a spot on the roster for a few reasons. Chief amongst them is a modern rallying pedigree that’s second to none. Sure, the days of Loeb domination are behind us, but with WRC cars reportedly being limited to the official games from now on, the Polyphony-designed Gr.B class offers an opportunity for all sorts of madness consistent with the double-chevron marque. C4 Cactus Gr.B, anyone?
The other reason Citroën has our vote is that it arguably kicked off the Vision GT project, years before that title existed. The GTbyCitroën is almost nine years old already, yet to our eyes, it still looks new. The original concept had an out-there fuel cell system, but the later road and race cars used a rumbly Ford V8. A 2017 successor, utilizing Citroën’s modern design language, would fit in perfectly with the Gr.3 cars.
Fiat/Abarth
We’re going smaller for this next one. Whether Polyphony uses the more pedestrian Fiat offerings, or the scorpion-badged hot versions, we think GT Sport could definitely benefit from some compact Italian vehicles.
By our admittedly rough estimations, there are approximately two million variations of the little Fiat 500. Certainly, the 695 Biposto (a car featured in Forza Motorsport 6) would flesh out the N200 sub-class, being the riotous, 190 hp baby supercar that it is.
The ND Miata has been featured in GT Sport since the game’s initial announcement in 2015. With the fourth generation of Mazda’s little roadster already being included, why not include its sister car, the Abarth 124? Boasting a 164 hp turbo engine in place of the Miata’s naturally-aspirated unit, the Abarth would provide a contrasting experience. With the physics engine of GT Sport, it’d be a great way to explore the smaller differences between the two cars.
Of course, the entire Abarth lineup is also ripe for modifying. Imagine a 695 Biposto with comically-flared fenders dicing with Mustangs and 4Cs in Gr.3. Think of the 124 modified to do the same thing. Maybe rallying is more your thing: there’s already a dirty-sounding R-GT version of the 124 Abarth making its way across the globe. A Gr.B version would stack up nicely against the PD-designed rally cars we’ve already seen.
Pagani
On the surface, Pagani may seem like an odd suggestion. This is a boutique hypercar manufacturer: outside of competing with high-end road cars like the already-confirmed La Ferrari and Lamborghini Veneno, there’s not much room for Horacio’s creation.
But Pagani has a long history with the Gran Turismo series. Before other games had cottoned onto the lure of the brand, Polyphony included it all the way back in 2001’s Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec. For many people, this would be their introduction to the manufacturer.
The Huayra BC (which has already appeared in both Project CARS and Forza Horizon 3) could keep the afore-mentioned hypercars honest in GT Sport’s top-rung road car class. That’s all well and good, but the old Polyphony-designed Zonda LM Race Car could use a modern successor…
Cadillac
The Corvette may get all the glory, but Cadillac has some serious tin-top racing chops. A pair of ATS-V.Rs did extremely well in last year’s Pirelli World Challenge, and the GT3-spec vehicle would blend right in with the burgeoning Gr.3 class in GT Sport.
There’s another racer from the wreath-less crest brand too, one with a recent golden result to boot. The new Cadillac DPi-V.R won its first major outing at last month’s Rolex Daytona 24 Hour, immediately making it a more successful car than its predecessor, the Northstar LMP.
While the classes in GT Sport run roughly parallel to real-world series, Polyphony has shown — via the Bugatti Vision GT — that it plays fast and loose with the limitations for the top-shelf Gr.1 class. With a little performance balancing of its own, the DPi-V.R would bring a truly modern prototype to the game.
Bentley
So far, we’ve suggested a French manufacturer, two very different Italians, and an American company. That leaves us with the United Kingdom, and in terms of manufacturers not already featured in GT Sport, Bentley stands at the top of the pile.
The crew from Crewe has gotten back into sports car racing in a big way recently. The big Continental makes a surprisingly great-looking race car in GT3 guise, and a successful one too. The road-going lineup has the GT3 R, but even the car on which its based (the V8 S) would be a solid choice. It may weigh as much as a small house, but the V8 S still packs 520 hp, resulting in low-4s for 0-60, and a genuine 190+ mph top speed.
If the W12 is the engine for you, there’s always the new 700 hp Continental Supersport, the most powerful production Bentley ever.
What do you think of our picks? Have some of your own? Let us know!
Gran Turismo Sport is set to release later this year on the PlayStation 4.
See more articles on GT Sport Car List and GTPlanet Lists.
