10 Cars Gran Turismo Introduced To Americans

I’ll come right out and say it: I love racing games. Since the very first edition of Gran Turismo came out way back in the 1990s I’ve built four different racing cockpits utilising five different types of racing wheels. I refuse to add up how much I’ve spent in my pursuit of virtual racing nirvana - probably enough to buy a modest car and hit the track for real.

But I have hit the track for real, in everything from simple sedans to 500bhp muscle cars. And I’ll be the very first to admit that the sensation between real driving and sim driving doesn’t even compare. Of course, you’re looking at big time bucks to support such a hobby, whereas sim racing can still be satisfying and rewarding on its own level. And if you hit the wall in Gran Turismo or Forza, you can just click reset. And yes, for you GT6 fans, you just might catch me online sometime.

I’m not here to flame the debate over Gran Turismo or Forza. I have both, I play both, and I enjoy both. I’m here to showcase how these games have brought global auto enthusiasts closer together by assembling the great cars of the world in one place, for all to see and learn about - and even drive, albeit digitally.

Gran Turismo came first, and as a young American college student in the late 1990s who also was into cars, I had no idea so many cool machines existed around the world until the first iteration of this game graced the original Playstation. So to accompany Darren Cassey’s GT Academy coverage this week, I thought it would be fitting to share 10 of the amazingly awesome cars I discovered - as I’m sure many enthusiasts on my side of the pond did - because of Gran Turismo.

1. Nissan Skyline

What can be said about the Nissan Skyline that hasn’t already been said? How about this: I’m not a big fan of it. Shots fired, but wait! The original Gran Turismo release introduced me to this exceptional performer, but then the programmers crammed future games with 50-plus versions of the same freakn’ car. It’s good, I get it, and that’s why it’s on my top-10 list. But the same game that showcased this car also really overplayed it, so yeah, I’m a tad burnt out on the Skyline. It’s awesome, but for crying out loud it’s not the supreme deity of performance.

2. Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution

About the time I discovered GT I was also getting into rally racing. The WRC never came to America so my initial education came through the game. Being a Ford guy I already knew about the Escort Cosworth, and we did get Imprezas but not the turbo WRX. Gran Turismo and Gran Turismo 2 showed me everything I was missing in rally (as you’ll see with many of my top 10 choices) and the Evo IV, V and VI were among my all-time favourite rally cars.

3. Toyota 2000GT

When GT2 came out it was rather overwhelming with car selection, but am I ever thankful I found the Toyota 2000GT. Keep in mind that in America in the late 1990s, Toyota’s lineup was as thrilling as washing dirty socks. But here was this incredibly sexy sports car that is still among my first purchases whenever a new GT game comes out. In fact, look for me trolling GT6 online in a gunmetal 2000GT with wire knockoff wheels. It’s near the top of my bucket list of cars I must drive before I die.

4. Ford Falcon

As a big Mad Max fan, I already knew Australia had a pretty cool Falcon, at least in the 1970s. When I saw the XR8 race car in GT3 I instantly jumped on the interwebz to learn all I could about other Aussie Fords. Next to the whole engine sound fiasco, the lack of Australian performance vehicles in the Gran Turismo series is the biggest travesty, because the world is missing out on all kinds of awesome machinery. We got a taste in GT4, but there’s so much more to experience.

Plus, I’d love to get involved in a Holden versus Ford online battle at Bathurst. We got the track, now c’mon Kaz … axe some of the damn Skylines and give us some proper Australian muscle.

5. TVR Griffith

Here’s another one from the very first GT instalment that I had no idea existed, but am ever so grateful to have found. I’ve made some pretty good automotive connections through the years so I’ve been able to drive quite a few unique cars, but TVR isn’t among them. We didn’t get many TVRs to American shores, and they all predate the Griffith. I dig everything about this car, and pretty much every TVR model that followed.

6. Lancia Stratos

Prior to GT2, the only thing I knew about Lancia was what I’d learned as a kid watching Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo, in which the famous Love Bug has a "fling" with a Lancia (pronounced Lan-ka in the film). I’d seen old rally footage of the Stratos in action, but never knew what it was until GT2. And ever since it’s become another must-have in my digital racing collection.

7. Nissan Stagea

I think I’ve mentioned a few times how crazy I get over estate wagons. After discovering the Skyline in GT1, I pretty much flipped my lid when I learned about the Stagea in GT2. Up to that point the only fast estate I’d known was the Volvo 850, so discovering the turbocharged all-wheel drive Stagea turned my racing world upside down. I’m not too keen on importing JDM machines to America, but I just might make an exception for the Stagea once the 25-year mark hits.

8. Jensen Interceptor

By the time Gran Turismo 4 rolled around I had amassed a fairly decent knowledge of worldwide autos. Ironically enough, the Chrysler-powered Jensen Interceptor slipped past my radar until I found it in the game. It didn’t rock my world at first, but over time the styling really grew on me, and it’s since become one of my favourite digital cars. It joins the Toyota 2000GT near the top of my real-life-cars-to-drive bucket list.

9. Lancia Delta Integrale

Once I learned about the Stratos in GT2, filling in the gaps on my Lancia education became a priority. And to this day I don’t know which Lancia I prefer after the Stratos—the Delta Integrale or the 037. Nevertheless, the Integrale is on my list simply because, along with stupid fast estates, I love stupid fast hatchbacks. If I’m signed up for an online rally run, it’s always a tough call between the Lancia, the Escort, and of course the Evo.

10. Alpine A110

If I recall correctly, I won this car after completing one of the racing series on GT4. It looked neat enough, but being ‘Murican I just wanted cash to buy another Viper. Instead of selling it however, I gave it a whirl on a race—and what an epic little car it was! I thought perhaps it had just been “tuned” for the game, so I jumped into research mode to learn about the real deal. I’ve since developed a deep fondness for Alpine, and I never would’ve bothered to check if it hadn’t been for Kaz and his Gran Turismo series.