“We Love Cars!”
That was the refrain leading up to Gran Turismo 5’s release. As a game that would end up cracking the 1000-car mark, it was hard to argue with the basic premise. That’s nothing: according to the back of my copy of GTPEDIA (shameless plug!), by late 2012 the franchise had accumulated 1484 models since conception. By my count, it’s well over 1600 now!
That huge garage presented us with an issue for GT Week celebrations. How would we cut through such a huge number to find the cars that truly said “Gran Turismo”? Would a Top Twenty even be enough?
The answer was to split the lists by PlayStation era. Over 100 cars were nominated, resulting in roughly a dozen cars per generation, give or take. There were upsets, and while some iconic models slipped through the cracks, we’re pretty confident in the final lineup. Here we go!
PlayStation 1 Era (GT1, GT2)
- Suzuki Alto Works Sport Limited (GT2)
- TVR Cerbera LM Edition (GT1)
- Nissan Daishin Silvia GT (GT2)
- Mazda AZ-1 Autozam (GT2)
- RUF CTR2 (GT2)
- Renault Espace F1 (GT2)
- Nissan Unisia Jecs Skyline GT-R GT (R33) (GT2)
- Honda CR-X Del Sol LM Edition (GT1)
- TVR Speed 12 (GT2)
- Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe (GT2)
- Peugeot 106 Rallye (GT2)
- Nissan R34 GT500 Race Cars (GT2)
- Toyota Denso Sard Supra GT (GT2)
- Suzuki Escudo Pike’s Peak Version (GT2)
- Mitsubishi FTO LM Edition (GT1)
We’ve got quite a spread here, going from one of the slowest cars in the PS1 days, right up to the fastest, most over-powered one of the lot. The Alto Works, alongside the Mazda AZ-1, was one of many Kei cars, a tiny class of car new to the series in GT2. While those two are present in the most recent PS3 games, it’s safe to say the Mazda has received more attention than the oft-maligned Alto.
Tellingly, a lot of these cars are unique to this generation. The Cerbera and Del Sol LM never saw the light of day after GT2, while the FTO Touring Car we have access to in GT6 is a far cry from the ultimate all-rounder presented here. The FTO out-pointed the insane Escudo, a car that has also survived through each following game, though it has never been as dominant as it was in here. PASM sums it up sweetly: “This annihilated everything in GT2. Enough said.”
Equally nutty is the Espace F1, the 3.5L V10-engined, 800hp minivan. It only ever appeared in GT2, an unfortunate story it shares with the similarly-powerful TVR Speed 12, which was supplanted by the Cerbera-bodied version in GT3. The beautiful Daytona Coupe seemed lost to the history books, until resurfacing in full Premium glory in GT6.
Surprisingly, the Denso Sard Supra proved popular with the staff, with the original Castrol Supra not even garnering a single vote. The team was less unified about the R34 Skyline racers, with the Calsonic and Pennzoil liveries splitting things right down the middle. Michael‘s take:
“4WD cars, racers in particular, were a strange breed in the earlier GT titles as they were virtually incapable of oversteer except when overexerted. Of course, by ‘overexerted’ I mean hitting the e-brake because there was really no other way; the steering was too precise and exact, and the grip levels were through the roof.”
PlayStation 2 Era (GT3, GT4)
- Nike One 2022 (GT4)
- Nissan R92CP (GT4)
- Ginetta G4 (GT4)
- BMW M Coupe (GT4)
- TVR Cerbera Speed 12 (GT3)
- BMW M3 GTR (GT4)
- Panoz Esperante GTR-1 Race Car (GT3)
- Ruf RGT (GT3)
- Spoon S2000 Race Car (GT3)
- DMC DeLorean S2 (GT4)
- Gillet Vertigo (GT3 Version)
- Chrysler Viper Team Oreca GTS-R (GT3)
- Toyota WOODONE Tom’s Supra (JGTC) (GT4)
- Honda NSX-R (GT4)
- Toyota SuperAutoBacs Apex MR-S (GT3)
- Mazda 787B (GT3)
The 787B let out its earth-shaking battlecry as it destroyed the competition in the second PlayStation generation. Race cars dominate this list, with 5 of the 6 top spots going to cars bred for competition. We all have our reasons: for me, the GT300-class Toyota MR-S always defined GT3. It was the first car I tried at an in-store setup, while the sales person went to go grab my copy from the back before they even finished getting them on the shelves!
Another SuperGT Supra scored highly this generation, though Touring Mars wants to be specific:
“The best sounding car in my GT experience, the Prologue version had a ripping/growling sound that was sadly absent in GT4 and made it exhilarating to drive… tanking this thing round Città d’Aria and Fuji still gives me goosebumps.”
Speaking of being specific, every member that gave the oddball Vertigo a nod, gave it to the GT3 version. “Red goes faster than yellow,” says MadMax.
Further down the list, the Spoon S2000 saw strong support from both myself and PASM. A sweet-handling car that doesn’t have excessive power to use as a crutch, PASM gave it the highest spot on his list. Brendan got the Nike One on the list, a wild creation that pre-dates the Vision GT program.
There’s a clown shoe mixed up in there, too. That was largely me: after winning a bunch of cars through GT4’s generous license prizes, the M Coupe was the first car I actually bought in the game. It became one of my most-used cars during the long wait for GT5…
PlayStation 3 Era (GT5, GT6)
- Lamborghini NOMAD Diablo GT-1 (JGTC) ’00 (GT5)
- McLaren F1 GTR Race Car ’95 (GT6)
- Alpine A110 1600S ’72 (GT6)
- Suzuki Cappuccino Touring Car
- SRT Tomahawk X Vision Gran Turismo (GT6)
- RE Amemiya Asparadrink RX7 ’06 (GT5)
- Ferrari F40 ’92 (GT5)
- Mazda Roadster (NA) Touring Car (GT5)
- Alfa Romeo GIULIA TZ2 carrozzata da ZAGATO CN.AR750106 ’65 (GT5)
- 1976 Ferrari 512 BB ’76 (GT5)
The two most popular staff picks for the PS3 generation mirror the changes found at Polyphony and in Gran Turismo: as the series gained more clout with events like the Pebble Beach and Goodwood, it took on a new appreciation for classic metal, for the beautiful sorts of exotics you’d be lucky to see even once in life. The Ferrari 512 showed up on the majority of lists, while the beautiful, comparatively compact Alfa wasn’t far behind.
Miata is almost always the answer, and if you’re asking “which modern car does the staff prefer in the PS3 age?”, it’s the correct one here too. It narrowly pipped the last car Enzo Ferrari signed off on, the seminal F40. Joining the little Mazda is the even-smaller Cappuccino, in peppy Touring Car form. When Polyphony originally announced the return of Racing Modifications with GT5, who would’ve expected this shot of caffeine would be one of the recipients?
On the other end of the list, the Nomad Diablo is placed here as it wasn’t easily accessible for all regions until GT5. You’ll also find a certain four-wheeled peacock, a graduate of the Vision GT program that tests the very limits of physics. There’s also, in the words of Touring Mars, “one of the most photogenic cars in GT5”:
It’s not long now. Get ready for the GT Sport reveal, later today!
Missed an earlier list, or need a refresher? Find all the GT Week goodness here:
GT Week: The 14 Gran Turismo Tracks We Can’t Stop Lapping
GT Week: Listen to GTPlanet’s 5 Favourite Gran Turismo Songs
GT Week: GTPlanet’s All-Time Favourite Gran Turismo Videos
Initial Announcement: Celebrate a Week of Gran Turismo with GTPlanet!
See more articles on GT Week 2016 and Polyphony Digital.
No AE86 race cars ?
GT1: viper gts, tvr Griffith.
GT2:Toyota GT1.
GT3: Chaparral 2j.
GT4: Sauber c9.
GT5: redbull x1.
A list such as this was alweays going to be subjective, as we have all had differing experiences with Gran Turismo. Personally, very few, if any of these cars would have made a list of forty-one cars that define Gran Turismo. I prefered production vehicles, to the faster race prepared varieties. The only glaring ommission, is the abscence of the Toyota Sprinter. In versions of Gran Turismo, where you could purchase the car, it was for me at least, the absolute first car that I bought. I am in no doubt that this fun little car would rank very highly on any list, and I am at a loss to understand why it is absent here.
I remember doing lap after lap of Autumn Ring Mini in the FTO, got it down to 29 sec. laps. That car was so sweey balanced.
NOMAD Diablo was in GT3.
Missing here the blue Viper GTS form GT1, one of the most iconic ones for me…
Personally, I’d have put the CSL instead of the GTR for the E46 M3, but that’s a very personal thing. Was the car I was basically introduced to “on-line racing” (basically time attack with leaderboards on a forum) with.
Two omissions for the PS2 era that I’d think feel a little more awkward are the Pennzoil Nismo GT-R and the Escudo Pikes Peak. For the GT-R, I always perceived it as somewhat of a poster child. As for the Escudo, that car got a lot of attention back in the day because of the wheelie tricks it could pull off, thereby messing up the physics engine :D
No blue/white stripes Dodge Viper GTS from the PS1 days? C’mon now lol.
GT came along while l was in the middle of collecting data for mine own racing game. I just needed a better racer… something better than the arcaic arcade racers of the mid 90s.
Vigilantly recording ESPN, Speedvision and SpeedChannel and other cable broadcasts and jotting downs notes from Road&Track, Car and Driver and MotorTrend mags… l wanted racers AND streetcars in my game… with more acurate charactorists.
So when l popped in GT and saw that road car version of the R33 LM roll of the back of the carrier… l was in for a real treat. Then along came the race car version. It hadn’t been a year since the race car had competed at the LeMans24.
Slow as it is today. I still troll the road car online for a victorious race replay. But alas, my skills aren’t enough to compensate for it’s… nevermind, l cain’t blame the car. Too bad they’d omitted the race version.
If they (PD) ever grace us with free livery creativity, the R33LM will be the first car l’ll be looking for.
Missing just one car; F-094S aka Polyphony-001 in GT3. Best overall car in the game, certainly one of the best ever.
#sadpanda
Jerome
Oh, and I 2nd PASM’s SpoonS2000 car too, best car in GT4.
Jerome
Love every car on this list ;)
Not putting the 88C-V down for GT4 is actually genuinely wrong. That was the GOAT in that game.
I’m shocked that the Nissan R390 road and race version didn’t make it.
The TOM’S Castrol Supra was allways my favorite along with the 787B from GT3
I wonder if the hidden Porsche 996 GT3 was on the list.
The TommyKaira ZZII is the most surprising omission to me.
Agreed.
Ah, but which version, GT2’s vaguely McLaren-looking one, or the GT3 one that lives on as GT6’s most affordable performance bargain?
For me, the cars that defined GT are by game;
GT2: Toyota Supra Twinturbo-R ’91
Chevrolet Corvette Gran Sport ’96
GT6: Red Bull X2014 Junior ’14
Toyota Supra 3.0GT Turbo A ’88
In GT2, if you never touched the simulation disk, and only played the arcade disc, the game only gave you a few cars to pick from. The Corvette Grand Sport was always my go to choice when I would race my dad at High Speed ring.
A bunch of years later, when I starte playing the simulation disc, the Supra was one of the cars that I remember the most. Mainly because I used it for my first endurance event, which was a half hour race at trial mountain.
You and l would have had a great deal of fun. Your Supra v my Skyline, Corvette v 300ZX
What about the Toyota TS020 GT-one? That car is an icon in Gran Turismo.
Seconded.
I was shocked not to see it on the list, at least for the PS1 era… Was the best car in GT2 along with the Escudo.
I’m surprised the R30 Super Silhouette and the HKS drag cars didn’t make the cut.
Also, where is the Benz and the Ford T? :p Those things would be fun as hell in multiplayer races.
Good call on both the R30 and the 1886 Benz – they both received nominations, but couldn’t quite crack the cut-offs for their eras.
No HKS drag skylines?
The very first car we ever got to see in a Gran Turismo game, the Nissan Skyline R33 GT-R LM Road Version, is sadly missing from this list. I also believe that the Tom’s Castrol Supra and Dodge Concept Car deserved a spot in the GT1/GT2 era.
No Tom’s Supra? No Nismo 400R or Nismo tuned R32? Mine’s R34? Maybe it could be subjective but these cars were what defined GT1-GT2 for my friends and I.
No lotus’s = Not a real list.
:P
I disagree with the Tomahawk being a defining car simply because it was introduced late into GT6 whereas the X1s were the special super fast cars since GT5 launch. So I’d say the Sebastian Vettel X2010 would fit better, being the easiest to access X1.
I’m also missing a modern supercar in the PS3 era since with GT5 the 458/Gallardo sort of supercars became popular and better represented in GT.
Interesting article none the less,
*none the less!
Suprised there wasn’t any road going GT-R’s on the list. For me, the R33 GT-R was the definitive car in GT1, while it was the R34 GT-R for GT3 and the R35 GT-R for GT5.
True, they always were connected. Difficult to pick one specifically tho
Touring Mars is absolutely right. That Woodone was amazing in GT4 prologue!
Spot on! Although I’m not an engine sound junkie, it was a bit sad to notice that the Woodone Supra noice had been downgraded in GT4 (as well as N.Y.C. graphics).
No TOM’s Supra. I am disappoint.
Wow you guys find a way to tick me off just about every list you do… I appreciate the attempt to split it up into generations (which maybe you should’ve also done for, say, tracks), but Gillet Vertigo (GT3 Version)?!
I liked the GT4 version. XD
It’s only a list. Just something to boost interest ahead of the GT Sport trailer.
Relax, bro. I know. I’m just having fun here. :P
The Gillet Vertigo GT3 version was one of my suggestions. I just love that sexy rare red variant. :D
I liked that red variant aswell. I’d love to see the Vertigo coming back with both Yellow and Red liveries, aswell with a Base Model. :p