Gran Turismo 7’s major Spec IV update demonstrates that it is attentive to player feedback.

      Polyphony Digital

      Gran Turismo 7 is set to receive another major update before the year concludes, as series producer Kazunori Yamauchi revealed during this morning’s PlayStation State of Play event. The update will be rolled out in two phases—one in October and the other in December—introducing a total of 12 vehicles and two new tracks, alongside various features that fans have been eagerly awaiting.

      Let’s begin with the tracks, both of which are noteworthy for different reasons. The first track, Sportsland Sugo, is a staple on the Super GT calendar situated in Japan’s Tōhoku region, and will make its GT debut in October. Although it hasn’t been featured in many video games over the years, it did appear in the Project Cars series, and some may recall it from Sega’s Ferrari F355 Challenge from years ago.

      Sugo is a wonderful track—not overly long, with significant elevation changes, numerous enjoyable mid-speed corners, and stunning scenery. Personally, I’ve longed to see it included in GT7, and I’m thrilled it’s finally happening.

      That said, long-time Gran Turismo enthusiasts will surely be more excited about the other new track, which is actually a classic. Autumn Ring will make its comeback in December for the first time since GT6, and interestingly, it will feature two layouts. Kaz mentioned that players can race Autumn Ring in its original layout with faithfully recreated scenery, as well as an “expanded” version, a “much larger racing circuit that provides a variety of new driving experiences.”

      It’s unclear whether this new interpretation of Autumn Ring, one of the series' earliest original tracks alongside High-Speed Ring, Trial Mountain, Grand Valley Speedway, and Deep Forest, is directly tied to the original circuit or entirely independent from it, similar to the two variations of Dragon Trail Speedway. It's also uncertain if Autumn Ring Mini, the brief version of the track ideal for low-powered cars, will be included as well.

      The limited still images provided by Polyphony Digital do not offer a perspective to determine if the Mini layout is compatible with the new track design. However, both screenshots focus on the Mini’s start/finish line, which is located in a different area from the main straight of the full track, potentially providing a clue.

      Aside from the tracks, there are numerous other additions on the way, as listed on the official website:

      October

      - Six new cars.

      - A new Spec IV opening cinematic.

      - Vintage, a section featuring cars no longer available for new purchase.

      - Car Concierge, a service for ordering Used and Legend cars.

      - Experience, a mode offering brand-specific driving challenges.

      - Car Viewer, a feature to admire the cars in your garage.

      - An increased Collector Level cap.

      December

      - Six new cars.

      - Family, a new mode designed for players of all ages.

      - Shuffle Race, a luck-based race with randomly selected cars.

      - Online Drift Trial, a new mode for testing drifting skills against players worldwide.

      - The next evolution of Gran Turismo Sophy.

      - A new Power Pack difficulty level for advanced players.

      Notable features include the Car Concierge, which will enable direct purchases of vehicles not currently available in the used or legend dealerships. However, there will be a wait for these cars to become available, and they can be viewed like new cars, from a new “Vintage” section in each manufacturer’s menu. GT5 fans will likely be excited about the return of Shuffle Races in December, a multiplayer mode that establishes a performance cap and assigns each player a random car within that limit for unpredictable races.

      We don’t know the complete list of the 12 new cars that will arrive, but Polyphony has shared images of a few. Among them will be the E60 BMW M5, Citroen 2CV6, a revamped version of the Mazda RX-Vision GT3, and the Mugen Motul Civic Si Group A race car that participated in Japanese touring cars during the late '80s.

      It appears we might not receive more information about Spec IV until the Gran Turismo World Series esports competition takes place in Singapore exactly a month from today, so we’ll need to be patient.

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