The Truth About Gran Turismo | Up to Speed

When videogame developer Kazunori Yamauchi first pitched Gran Turismo, Sony said no. A few years later it became the best-selling title in the Playstation catalog, inspired followers like Forza, Dirt, and Project Car, and motivated genre giants like Mario Kart and Need For Speed to bring their A-game. How did this happen? What makes Gran Turismo so revolutionary? And what does the future hold for the world’s favorite racing game? Join host James Pumphrey as he finds out how Gran Turismo changed gaming forever.

New to Donut?

We upload almost every day, subscribe so you don't miss out!

Shop Donut Merch:

Donut Media is at the center of digital media for the next generation of automotive and motorsports enthusiasts. We are drivers, drifters, and car enthusiasts who love to tell stories.

[BOABModels]

Gran Turismo was the Wikipedia for cars before Wikipedia even existed. It has introduced so many people like me to cars I never knew existed and now I use so many of the cars on there to inspire my scale model builds.

[thatracinglife]

13:59 -- Hello from a GT Academy winner! I spent countless hours playing GT growing up. Then it completely changed my life in 2012 having won GT Academy. Thank you for covering the franchise and GT Academy. It was a fantastic opportunity for normal, every day people to get a shot at the world of professional motorsports. Forever changed my life and can not thank Sony, GT and Nissan enough!

[smithshift]

I remember playing GT3 non stop, driving a yellow EVO and telling myself, "One day im going to own a EVO." And here we are 20 years later and I have an EVO in my garage. All because of a video game.

[adenforst]

One thing that still stands out and sets GT apart from the competition for me is just how elegant every game is, regardless of when it was released. From the menus to the OST, to pretty much every detail, GT feels like art.

[roguestatus]

I remember being a kid and actually doing the whole 24hr race with my brother. Taking turns and never pausing the game. Hardest gaming I ever did but definitely worth it.

[thehopper]

Gran Turismo is THE reason I’m a car guy. So many hours spent playing each game. So unbelievably hype for GT7

[maxM]

No joke me and my mom actually played Grand Turismo on the PlayStation 1 when I was growing up. And she actually liked it so much she would play it by it herself. Also might have something to do with the fact that she used to drag race a 1972 Corvette in the 70’s.

[brandonlanham]

I remember playing grand Turismo 2 for days and days just to get that Red Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak hillclimb car. That car was the absolute beast of that game and would literally win you any course against anyone. That car made me love that game.

[dr_skipwith]

Gran Turismo 4 has the best menu soundtrack of any video game in existence. Change my mind.

[ORam...]

You forgot to mention how yout "drivers licence" and partial credits would transfer to the next release. It was always such a nice bonus for staying loyal to the game.

[michaelbutkus]

Gran Turismo 4 still has one of the best intros ever. From the symphonic going straight into Van Halen, it pretty much defined my childhood gaming

[taze]

Gran Turismo 1 was made from complete love and passion of cars. One of the all time greatest video games ever made.

[OddBawZ]

Gran Turismo was the catalyst for every JDM fanperson ever. It's the reason I can get a R32 GTR for less than ten grand now! :(

[christophermorin]

"Not bad, for a dude that wrecked his Skyline!"
Lol, that hurt.

[Madvizion]

Gran Turismo literally taught me how to race and drive properly. When the first one came out no believed me how accurate the feel of the cars were. Through every "game" released my skills only grew. It ultimately lead to me winning races and championships in real life racing. The thrill I get from racing people online is the same I get from doing the real thing. When I got on a real race track there wasn't a learning curve other than gravitational forces was non existent. I learned setup from Gran Turismo and the car I chose to race with was chosen from the catalog of cars I only learned about from Gran Turismo.
I can't give enough credit or thanks to this simulator for the driver I am today.
If you want an example of this monumental influence this game had on the planet, the FIA backs this simulator. Nuff said.
Thank you Kazi.
Thank you Polyphony Digital.
And thank you Donut Media for giving this simulator the credit it deserves.

[Acrylick.Official]

Me and my grandfather grinded through GT3 together when I was very little. This game birthed my love for cars first handedly. I am now obsessed with driving, rather than mechanics, specifically because of the way this game showed you the spirit of competition within the car scene. It is a masterpiece

[kidus_tv]

Gran Turismo 5, given to me as a gift by my mother 12 years ago, is the sole reason I am hardcore into cars. That game is a core childhood memory for me. I can’t wait to play GT7.

[brianonabike]

I remember going to my dads house on his weekend to have me, and accidentally erasing all of Grand Turriamo off of his memory card by mistake. My punishment was to complete all of the licenses before I went back to my moms. Seeing this typed out really makes me rethink my entire childhood.

[tomstypes]

Just 29 seconds in and nostalgia hit when I saw the racetrack of my childhood, the High Speed Ring. This game brings back so many great memories growing up with my brother. We'd take turns doing endurance races, we took the game so serious like it was our job. We even checked with each other before buying cars and upgrades like it was real money lol. Good times man, good times.

[rossedwardmiller]

So glad to see Burnout get a nod. GT3 and Burnout 3 were 2 of my most played PS2 games.