With E3 2017 in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look back at all the madness. The event in LA brought with it one of the largest expansions to GT Sport’s car list since the unveiling event in May 2016. We’ve rounded them all up in three categories — road, race, and rally — to get a better idea of what players can expect when the game launches this autumn.
Road Cars
The new road car offerings were in short supply at the show. That’s not a bad thing, since Polyphony put a heavy focus on the racers. Nonetheless, E3 was the first place for fans to put the rubber to the road in the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. It’s felt like ages since the initial confirmation of the brand, so it was great to see the bewinged Porsche tearing up the track.
The road-going Lamborghini Huracan was the main standout here. In the latest GT Sport trailer, the V10-engined Lambo can be seen dicing with the new-age NSX and GT3 RS.
Rally Cars
We’ve known for over a year that rallying was going to play a role in GT Sport. In that time, we’ve seen a small collection of the same vehicles: Evo, WRX, Genesis, Focus and Mustang. E3 2017 nearly doubled that selection.
For starters, we finally saw the Peugeot RCZ in off-road spec. This car was name-dropped as a pre-order bonus way back in summer 2016. It’s joined by what is arguably the mascot for the modern GT franchise: the Nissan GT-R. You can see it up above, sliding around Sardegna in a new black and orange livery.
One unexpected car to get the Polyphony-designed Gr.B treatment is the new Honda NSX. Once we stopped to think about it though, it made sense: the car is all-wheel drive after all (thanks to electric motors). Kazunori Yamauchi himself ran the car up Pikes Peak last year. We dig it.
Speaking of Pikes Peak, the 1987 Audi Quattro S1 that climbed the mountain was included in the E3 build as well. This is especially important as it marks the first car older than 2009 to appear in GT Sport. From our brief time behind the wheel, it offers a vastly different experience from the other rally machines. We wonder what other surprises are in store for the dirt…
Race Cars
It was the race car ranks that swelled the most at E3. After months of it hiding in the background, the Dodge Viper finally got its time in the spotlight, in Gr.3 and Gr.4 forms. The Viper isn’t the only V10-engined racer in those categories either, as the Huracan joins it in both. In the faster category Grasser Racing Team represents the Lambo in GT3 spec. Down in Gr.4, the Huracan channels the Super Trofeo.
The Gr.4 class sees a substantial number of additions. The full list:
- Audi TT Cup ’16
- Aston Martin V8 Vantage S Gr.4
- Bugatti Veyron Gr.4 (yes, really)
- Dodge Viper Gr.4
- Honda NSX Gr.4
- Jaguar F-Type Gr.4
- Lamborghini Huracan Gr.4
- Lexus RC-F Gr.4
- Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X Final Edition Gr.4
- Peugeot RCZ Gr.4
- Subaru WRX Gr.4
Gr.3 is arguably more startling. The Peugeot RCZ gets what looks like a wild, mid-engined version, duking it out with dedicated race machinery. There’s even a mad looking Volkswagen Beetle, complete with exhaust exits aft of the front wheels. Both marques already had Vision GT models in Gr.3 — it’s interesting that these new models have seemingly replaced them. Even stranger in the Beetle’s case, as we’ve not (yet) seen a road car.
The Mazda 6 joins the Gr.3 ranks looking nearly identical to the diesel race cars that the company campaigned in the Grand-Am GX class a few years ago. It too is missing a road-going companion. Meanwhile, what some would call the very first Vision GT — the Citroën GT — returns from the PS3 era in full-on race mode. It’s a decade old but still looks great to our eyes.
What’s Next?
Prior to E3, the targeted car count for GT Sport was 140 “Super Premium” cars. However, alongside the release of the new trailer, Sony put out a fact sheet that stated the game will launch with “over 177 cars.” An oddly specific amount, it nonetheless means there are now a few dozen unknowns as we head towards the game’s autumn release.
We’ll be keeping an eye on the next big gaming convention — Gamescom in Germany, August 22–26 — for the next batch of reveals. To stay up to date on the full list of known cars in GT Sport, head to our Master Car List thread.
See more articles on E3 2017 and GT Sport Car List.
