When PSVR2 launched, I played a couple hours of Horizon Call of the Mountain because it was a great showcase for the tech advancements since the original headset. Eye tracking, resolution, foveated rendering, yadda. But in the year since firing up Gran Turismo 7, I’ve played virtually nothing else while newer games keep arriving. Twenty-two thousand miles of white knuckles, meanwhile my real-life car (also rendered precisely in the game) has only 15,000 in five years. Sheer coincidence, the feature film announced soon after, which added to the excitement.
VR can be fatiguing, so I limit most gaming sessions to 30 minutes … but not GT7. Maybe it’s the simple controls: steer, gas, brake, paddles—all while seated. It’s also the only game that’s ever inspired me to invest in accessories, namely a racing wheel and adjustable stand (which someday will make a storied addition to my tech-museum closet). I continue to be amazed how unique and authentic they’re able to make each car feel with a combination of wheel resistance, sound, height, space, and of course physics. Being able to turn your head and check that blind spot is a huge advantage. It also makes for some shiny distractions when trying to capture environmental gameplay details like the tracks and weather and lighting. (Seriously, check out the way the cabin interior blooms when headlights hit your rearview.)
Once I realized I’d have to sell everything in my garage to afford the multi-million-dollar cars needed to unlock game progress, I started recording races of them first. I’m not much of a gearhead—my obsession is more like a kid’s Hot Wheels collection—so I don’t really get into tuning adjustments. But I did enjoy swapping some high-performance engines into smaller cars for thrilling, chaotic results. The quickest concept cars (called VGTs) outperform my own human reflexes! The couple dozen cars I skipped either cost too much, were unavailable, or too similar to ones I already featured.
The playlist at the bottom showcases my complete unedited races of 450 unique cars, grouped by country/maker/model/year. Choose one from the pop-up menu at its top right (visit YouTube for the complete list). Each features the VR view followed by a cinematic replay. But first, here’s a killer highlight montage of every car in the same order, with chapter markers. Crank up the sound and get your pulse revving!
My Favorite Cars to Drive in Gran Turismo
1) 2001 BMW Z8
2) 2013 Porsche 918 Spyder
3) 2013 Bugatti Veyron
4) 1966 Shelby Cobra 427
5) 2002 Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type A
6) 2016 Aston Martin DB11
7) 1996 Suzuki V6 Escudo Pikes Peak Special
8) 1980 Maserati Merak SS
9) Red Bull X2014 Standard
10) McLaren Ultimate VGT
This post replaces an earlier one to update progress with more cars.
