The yearly festivities got underway here in Las Vegas yesterday, as the 2016 SEMA Show brought hundreds of modified cars together in Sin City. As usual, the Gran Turismo team is here, whittling down the list of finalists for this year’s GT Awards.
A tradition since 2003, the winner of the award will eventually find their car digitally recreated within the Gran Turismo series. Out of the five listed below, one will claim the title of “Best in Show” at tonight’s GT Awards party, joining a list that includes Mary Pozzi’s 1971 Camaro and last year’s winner, Sung Kang’s “Fugu Z” Datsun 240Z.
Best Asian Import
1975 Datsun 280Z by 3-time Formula D champion Chris Forsberg
RB25DET Engine Swap with upgraded turbo system, carbon G-Nose Conversion, carbon fiber / billet aluminum intake manifold, suspension & drivetrain replaced with modern adjustable components, carbon fiber interior work including custom dashboard, door panels, seats, and more.
Best Domestic
1965 Ford Mustang by Chris Marechal
Sequential gearbox, supercharged & turbocharged 1000hp Aluminator V8, Forgeline centerlock wheels, handbuilt widebody (a full foot wider than stock!), Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, full adjustable coilover suspension.
Best European Import
2008 Audi R8 by Ravikumar Ayyagari
Full carbon fibre LMS-spec body kit conversion plus turbocharged engine.
Best Hot Rod
1951 Ford by Bruce Levens
(Detailed parts list not available.)
Best Truck/SUV
2016 Dodge Ram 1500 “Hellfire” by Mike White & Dallas Speed Shop
775hp Hellcat motor, matte paint, wide body kit, ceramic brakes, race wheels.
If you had the power, which car would you select for the digital treatment? There’s a lot of variety on offer this year.
As mentioned above, the winner will be chosen by Kazunori Yamauchi himself, and announced some time around 20:00 PST (convert to your local time) at the GT Awards party. Like previous years, the GT awards will be held at the Marquee Nightclub in The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The party is open to the public, so let us know if you’re attending!
We’ll be announcing the winner immediately on GTPlanet’s social media accounts, including our Twitter (@GTPlanetNews) as well as our recently-launched Instagram (also @GTPlanetNews). Keep up to date by following us there.
Good luck to all the finalists!
See more articles on Gran Turismo Awards, Polyphony Digital, and SEMA.
The winner of GT Awards 2016 is the Ford Coupe ’51.
The source is here: http://www.gran-turismo.com/jp/news/00_1149423.html
A fast Ram would be a relief from the very slow Laramie
1000bhp ’65 Mustang, easy choice
I would vote on the Dodge Ram.
1951 Ford by Bruce Levens. But a truck would be cool to have as well. Either of these two.
How many of the past winners are still waiting to make it into the game?
Oh, Chris.. what did you do to your 280Z… it was so much nicer without the G-nose. Does this mean I can buy your old bumper? Ehehe. But yeah I agree on the Ram, I loved that GT4 included it. Except I hated it wasn’t the SRT10.
Fun fact – the Mustang and 280Z uses the same headlights. Both use 7″. ;)
Gotta say the RAM. I Want a premium truck in the game.
Another Z car as best import?
How does Rob Dahm’s AWD 4-Rotor RX7 not top that 280..?
Out of these Choices I’d go with the 51 Ford or the “Hellfire” Ram.
The only real nice car there is the Nissan. But it’s another Nissan. So do I want another Nissan in the game when I could choose something else? No not really. And if GT had bodykit’s in game then it wouldn’t be hard to recreate anyway.
So my choice is the 51 Ford. The front’s been ruined. Could do with an inch or 2 roof chop. But it’s the best of the rest imo.
1. 280z
2. Mustang (tied for 1st if not for that eye sore of an interior)
3. ’51 Ford
4. Ram 1500
5. R8 (Looks generic & impractically low)
Me Personally I’d like either Forsbergs 280 or the Dodge.
This is by far the ugliest Mustang in universe! Jesus christ this thing is horrible.
Please anything but the Audi and the Dodge Ram. The Datsun looks really cool.
I’d go for either the Asian Import or the Hot Rod.
I think the Datsun would make a nice rival for Sung Kang’s 240Z.
If I was Kaz I’d go with all of them and surprise everyone.
They’re all special in some way or the other.
Here’s my ranking:
1. Hot rod
2. Asian import
3. Truck
4. Domestic
5. European import
The ’61 Ford would get my vote, 2nd would be the Mustang and 3rd the 280Z followed by the Audi and last would be the truck.
typo… I meant ’51 Ford
Should create the WTAC winning Hammerhead S13
I vote 997 porsche bild lol
I’d go with either the Mustang or the R8.
Winner is 1975 Datsun 280Z
I’m a BIG Ford guy, so I’m going with the ’51 :)
That’s defiantly my personal favorite! That thing is insane! The others are really quite boring, apart from the 280Z, but that still looks like just another Z
I would like all 5 cars.
Trucks and Hot Rods are more of a local thing, a Z already won, and the R8 is basically a GT3 racer… i’d bet on the Mustang, since Kaz fell in love with 3 of them (?) already, but i’m hoping for that 51 Ford, because it’s badass!
(edit) By “Kaz fell in love with them” i meant american muscle cars…
I’d like the ’51 Ford or the Ram to win this year.
Was really hoping that the 4 rotor and rx7 would take the pick for best Asian import. I guess out of those choices, I would go for the, 51 Ford.
meant to be awd, not and
“One of these cars will be added to Gran Turismo in 2025.”
Ha ha! You’re so funny! I never heard a joke like that before! Wow! ::Giggles uncontrollably:: 10 points for you man! You’re my hero! Amaaaaaaazing!!! You so deserve all of these exclamation marks because of how funny you are!!!!!!! ::Tee hee:: 720 face palm power slide reverse entry air drift through flaming hoops with explosions Michael Bay status Doritos MLG!!!!!!!
Also, I’m sooooo not being sarcastic here… I am sooo serious…
Audi R8 needs to win!
Given the ‘GT’-spec emphasis of cars shown for Sport, that R8 would do.
All the kids would think it’s ‘wicked fast’ because ‘turbo’, then find out it rides awful because there’s no suspension travel.
“That car sucks, it rides like a brick!”
That mustang is pretty ugly, the interior is awful.
I would also pick the 1951 Ford Coupe given the choice.
What is the deal with that interior in the Mustang!! Horrific! And I owned ’65 Mustang!!
The 2016 Dodge or the 1951 Ford.
The game needs a good truck but the Ford would great addition to the Hot Rod category.
The Z would be great to have with the RB26 Twin Turbo engine inside, looks very similar to Wangan Midnight’s blue 240Z. Glad it was a finalist.
The game needs a hot rod. Sure, there are muscle cars, but the 1951 Ford is different. Sometimes, different is good. Understand, Kaz?
1951 Ford all the way.
Hope Kaz doesn’t choose the Z or the R8… they’re basically in the game already (and another Z even won last year’s GT Award).
The ’51 Ford or the Ram pls. The R8 is basically the race car which is already in, the Mustang is meh (and the interior is awful imo) and there’s already one around that year in the series, and a 240 won last year. C’mon Kaz, choose one of the original cars for a change.
1951 Ford
Yep, agreed, like the red interior of that Mustang, but the rest do nothing for me.
’51 Ford all the way.
Kaz will choose the Audi though haha.
I’d vote for that truck.
Seriously, if that truck doesn’t win, Kaz is blind :D …bet he’ll go for the Z.
I’m thinking the same thing.
Based on what?
He damn near always chooses an American car. The only recent JDM he picked is Kang’s Datsun. Still, that car is awesome. A joint effort to create fix that car up the way it ended up being and bought from a California owner. The 280z looks amazing and so does every other winner of each of these categories.