Gran Turismo 7 January 2025 Update Prediction & Discussion Thread

[Famine]

Fine then...

Please use this thread to make your predictions for, and discuss, Gran Turismo 7's next update.

We're calling it the January 2025 update because January has been stated to have an update and it's anybody's guess what the actual version number will be.

Thus far we have one-and-a-half confirmed vehicles:

• Gran Turismo F3500-A - only noted as coming soon, following its debut at the GTWS finals in Amsterdam
• Hyundai IONIQ 5N

Notes:

• DON'T POST WISHLISTS
  There are no second chances on this because we've wasted too much time with people who want to divert threads from their purpose and we've gone out of our way to give them enough other places to get it out of their system...
  
  Apropos of that, wishlists go in the Car & Track Wishlist Thread which we made specifically for that purpose:
  
  
  

  The Gran Turismo Car & Track Wishlist Thread...

  It seems that making wishlists is a particularly popular hobby for many of you :D No matter what the thread may be, someone, somehow, seems to shoehorn a list of cars and/or tracks that they'd like in the game into it - and we have more than one thread that's basically a wishlist with extra...

  www.gtplanet.net
• Predictions are guesses with evidence. Given that the entire past history of free Gran Turismo game updates (with one exception) has given us the expectation of the number of cars (single digits) and tracks (one or zero), if you're posting ridiculously long lists of cars and multiple tracks then that's a wishlist. See the first rule. So are lists of brands (multiple) which have never been in the game series before or which have been cut and are showing no signs of returning (coughs Lotus *coughs).
• bUt We DoN't HaVe AnY eViDeNcE. Sure you do. There's been, like, 26 content updates now. That shows you what volume of content you can expect and what type of content PD is focusing on. Lately it's been filling in generational gaps of certain model lines, but there's been a few surprises in the past, some well-placed cars from our Suggestions forum (hey look, another place to express your car/track wishes!), and some 4K-era upgrades to cars from previous games.
• Go

 

[MIE1992]

My likeliest guesses:

-At least one other car will join the F3500-A and Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, but it's anyone's guess as to what it could be. I don't think a formal racecar that goes into Gr.4/Gr.3/Gr.2/Gr.1/Gr.B is likely but who knows?

-I'd be surprised if there's not a new Bonus Menu that introduces a one-make event for the F3500-A, especially since we never got a similar event for the F1500T-A. As far as the Ioniq 5 N goes, I think it'll be "featured" in a new round of the WTC 600, seeing how it's not Japanese/American/European and it's an EV.

-New scapes are incredibly likely, but the locale could be anywhere.

-At least one new quintet of engine swaps are also highly likely, and they could involve some cars getting a second alternative engine. From the two cars that've been revealed thus far, I don't think any of the engine swaps will involve the F3500-A or Ioniq 5 N as donors/recipients.

 

[mobilmasher]

I suspect we may be getting Pike's Peak. In a recently posted video from Ford Performance, it showed a specially prepared F-150 Lightning making a run to the clouds and it showed a "Gran Turismo" windshield banner from the inside. Of course it could mean the Lightning is coming to the game.

 

[Famine]

I suspect we may be getting Pike's Peak. In a recently posted video from Ford Performance, it showed a specially prepared F-150 Lightning making a run to the clouds and it showed a "Gran Turismo" windshield banner from the inside. Of course it could mean the Lightning is coming to the game.

Gran Turismo has been a sponsor of PPIHC for a decade. All the cars have it on the windscreen.

Pikes Peak International Hill Climb to be Sponsored by Gran Turismo in 2015

The most famous and dangerous rally race in the world announces Gran Turismo sponsorship, suggesting the track may return to the series.

www.gtplanet.net

 

[mastretta_mx]

• Hyundai Ioniq 5 N 2024 : Announced during GTWS finals
• Gran Turismo F3500 -A: Announced during GTWS finals and according with Lucas Ordonez on the spanish stream is cinfirmed to come in this update
• Mazda Autozam AZ-1 1992: Part of the infamous datamine list
• BMW M4 CS 2024: Alongside the Inoniq 5 N, the car got a specific post from GT Media while other cars present on the event a(M2 CS, AMH GT, Genesis SUV) didn't got that special spot

 

[SnakeOfBacon]

I was going to write something elaborate about how a coffee stain told me the AZ-1 would be coming this month but the post above beat me to it! If we keep predicting it, surely we'll eventually win, this is like a martingale bet with no money.

 

[Zenwarrior]

hyundai ioniq, gran turismo formula, renault espace f1, bmw suv

10 new swaps

that's all

 

[MrHorsepower]

Apart from the Ioniq, I can see 3 more cars:
One from the leaked list: AZ1, 812 Superfast, Vantage...
A completely new car to the series: can be the f3500 or another
A returning car from previous games like an Evo or STi Subaru
A couple of scapes, maybe some extra menus (the ones about collecting cars, I believe that Touring car and jgtc menus will come before the servers' shutdown but not now)

 

[GTP_reddevil]

Alongside the IONIQ 5N and the F3500-A, I predict:

• Caterham Seven R500 Superlight ‘12 - datamine car and would introduce a new (returning) manufacturer to kickstart 2025.
• Mini Cooper S JCW GP ‘20 - a newer Mini I feel would make some sort of sense to keep the manufacturer a little more up to date.
• Ferrari 296 GTB ‘23 - similar reason to the Mini and would be a newer supercar to the game.

 

[Snake55wildcat]

I definitely feel we're a little overdue on a VGT being added, it's been half a year since the last one but that's just me

 

[Johan]

Since we have seen a few gapfillers:
Honda Civic Type-R EP, FN?
Not yet. We got the Sir EG not too long ago.

Lancer Evo is pretty much complete by now so time might be ripe for one of the two last Impreza-based STI:s (generations GE & GR).
There’s an canyon sized gap in the VW Golf-family as well…

Since the missing Subarus and the 05 Golf GTI are on the list of ”datamined cars…” Perhaps, one of these three?
Yes. It’s circumstantial rather than hard evidence… (see: Lotus)

So:
Formula 3500
Hyundai Ionic 5
GE or GR Subaru or VW Golf mk 2 or newer

It seems fitting to begin 2025 with a new or expanded location.

 

[hajunf]

Cars

Genesis GV80 awd 3.5 model
Mercedes AMG G63 GWagon
Bmw XM
Bmw M4 CS or CSL (G80)
Porsche 911 GT 2 RS

I've mentioned these cars as possibility being that they were spotted during the World Finals 2024 in Amsterdam

 

[Nakano219]

I'm going to be the boring one who says the two World Finals cars, the NB Mazda MX-5, a Scape, and nothing else.

My reasoning:

• January has not been a big month so far. 2023 had no update, 2024, in eerily similar circumstances (no December update, two cars known going in from the World Finals) was only the standard update. PD seem to take their winter break seriously.
• Given a modern car and a race car, both of which aren't in the datamine, the safe call seems to be an older road car that is in the datamine for the third car. The MX-5 is one of a bunch of cars that fit, I have no reason to pick it specifically beyond that it's just the one that caught my eye when I looked at the list this time.

 

[Famine]

Predictions are guesses with evidence.

Which took six posts before it was ignored, and 14 before it was ignored four times.

Despite being given a chance to address it, three of those four would rather just ignore that too and now not only can't post in this thread, but have enough thread bans that their next will carry a site ban.

🤷‍♂️

 

[Sugivaz]

In my opinion it will be an update with 5 cars and 3 events. I say this because now the updates come out every 2 months and not every month. We hope for other new conten

 

[rmac923]

• Hyundai Ioniq 5N (Confirmed)
• GT F3500 (All but confirmed)
• BMW 2002 (Both variations in datamine)

I’m avoiding my usual doom pick of the R390 GT1 as we’re getting a “90s” race car already this month. I don’t think this will be a big update either despite coming off the heels of MFGT.

 

[Nakano219]

In non-car list discussion: I've seen a couple of people throw 23 January around a couple of times in other threads talking about the update.

Did PD actually confirm the 23rd (and not the expected last-Thursday-of-the-month 30th) anywhere, or is that just speculation?

 

[watto79]

In non-car list discussion: I've seen a couple of people throw 23 January around a couple of times in other threads talking about the update.

Did PD actually confirm the 23rd (and not the expected last-Thursday-of-the-month 30th) anywhere, or is that just speculation?

It's speculation. I think PD said the new Hyundai would be added in the January update but nothing more specific than that.

 

[wagnerFAM98]

Welp, I predict no more than three cars with two slots already taken, being for the IONIQ 5 N and the F3500-A.

That leaves us with one possible remaining slot.

...and since neither the Hyundai nor the F1 car are enough to be considered duplicates of some kind, well... looks like we need one!

Therefore, I predict the third and final car to be the Mazda éfini RX-7 Type R (FD) '91.

Though I like the early FDs way more than the later ones.

 

[newmedia_dev]

My reasoning:

• January has not been a big month so far. 2023 had no update, 2024, in eerily similar circumstances (no December update, two cars known going in from the World Finals) was only the standard update. PD seem to take their winter break seriously.

I think that's pretty fair there are some subtle differences this time round to the general macro environment that would allow for some deviation to previous patterns (not saying these factors will make a difference though)

PSVR 2 and PS5 Pro as platforms that are or becoming established (would aid sales)

Expanding on the hype from Xmas and the Demo (to aid sales and add more "reason" to go full fat game)

But an early spring larger update may fit their timelines better as well as post holiday sales start to stabilise/dip?

2p/cents

 

[VXR]

I might be a fool, especially as it didn't debut at the World Finals, but perhaps we will start the year with a new track. Any reason for it not being at the WFs, could be that it is a series classic, not so suited to competitive racing in the way Eiger is.

 

[Pzynen]

Imagine introducing the F3500-A without fixing the current lack of FFB on all formula cars…🫠

Wonder how the lads drove it during the Amsterdam world series, surely they had proper FFB..

 

[Spongeinside]

I might be a fool, especially as it didn't debut at the World Finals, but perhaps we will start the year with a new track. Any reason for it not being at the WFs, could be that it is a series classic, not so suited to competitive racing in the way Eiger is.

It’s of course not impossible, probably very very unlikely though… but with PD you never know 😅

Eiger is okay-ish for racing, just for a very specific type of car. I personally rarely drive the new Eiger because it reminds me of how they again screwed it up by changing key characteristics of the track; the old tunnel was perfectly fine, the old pits were a bit cumbersome, but worked fine… They did the same for Grand Valley by placing it in a completely different environment… This ‘trend’ scares me for future returns of original tracks… Sure Deep Forest and Trail Mountain were ‘modernized’ a bit more subtly but still…

 

[RCKakashi14]

Predictions:

- A Formula Gran Turismo series of events, possibly mixing F1500T-A and F3500-A in the field, considering PD has a knack of making races utilizing the latest additions.

- New Scapes

- And as for cars, I can only predict one car joining the aforementioned ones:

Mazda Roadster RF-RS

 

[suomi1]

I will stay on my first 5 car update prediction. Quoting myself :

I was looking at the history of updates around Christmas and realized that there was a certain pattern. Everytime there is a month without update, either December or January. But if you do the car count for the updates that come before and after, we have 10 new vehicles each time.

• 12/2022 (5 cars) & 02/2023 (5 cars).
• 11/2023 (7 cars) & 01/2024 (3 cars).
• 11/2024 (5 cars) & 01/2025 (?).

I don't have datas from GTS updates, but I wouldn't be surprised if we get 5 new cars for January.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5N is an obvious one, but I'm not 100% sure about the Gran Turismo F3500-A.

The 3 others could be anything else, although I don't see two race cars in the same update, (and three in two updates). Nor a second EV for the same reasons.
A japanese car sounds like an easy pick, statistically speaking. This let two spots for American cars and / or european brands.

Then come the usual scapes, little events and engine swaps.

 

[05XR8]

Just going by 2024 updates, I don't know if it's too soon for PD to add another highly requested car in this website from the "Sorted by Likes" Car Suggestions.

We just got the Escort. Four months before that we got the E36. Four months before that we got the TS020(Race Car). Though the TS020 Road Car is 21 of 35 on the first page. Four months before that was the last update of 2023 and didn't have any top 35 Suggested cars in that update.
The 10th highly Liked car is the BMW M1 1979. 9th is the Koenigsegg Agera S 2013. 8th is the McLaren 12C GT3 2013.

If 2024 was just an outlier in terms of the selection and spacing of those additions so be it. If that four month interval continues into this year, we'll see.
The 22nd and 23rd cars being the Peugeot 208 Pikes Peak and Lancia 037 Rally Car, respectively. It could be either of those in addition to whatever else may be added in the next update.

Anyway, I would predict a Japanese car from Asia in this update. Just based on the Hyundai and FT3500-A being in Asia Brand Central. That lead me to the only highly suggested Japanese car left in the top 35, the aforementioned TS020 Road Car 1998. Again, it would be too soon based on how cars were added last year, but it's what I'll go with.

 

[FGBraz]

• Hyundai Ioniq 5 N 2024 and Gran Turismo F3500-A, both announced during GTWS finals and a third car beyond my knowledge, keeping the average of 3 cars per update;
• Gilles Villeneuve circuit (datamined in April 24, i think);
• F1 events for F1500 and F3500 at Montreal, Spa, Interlagos, Monza, Brands Hatch, Catalunya, Fuji, Nurburgring GP, Red Bull Ring, Suzuka and Watkins Glen, since these all are/were F1 tracks;
• Sophy AI for two or three of the tracks above;
• It's unlikely they will create events for EV cars against each other, but maybe some one brand Ioniq events like they did with Afeela;
• Some new scapes and engine swaps for old cars (very unlikely that Ioniq or F3500 will be receivers/donors).