You didn’t think Sony would let Xbox get all the Aussie racing love did you ? Fantastic news this morning for racing fans, as Grand Turismo 6 confirms they, like Forza 5 will have Bathurst (Mount Panorama) track in the game. Widely regarded as Australia’s best track, the mountain is an incredibly challenging and technical track to drive in real life and you’ll get to experience it in the game. This mean that regardless of which gaming camp you fall into, you’ll be able to take on the mountain.
Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit, Bathurst, to give it its full name, is the home of motorsport in Australia. Located in New South Wales, it has a rich motorsport history – the first race held there was the 1938 Australian Grand Prix and it now hosts the Bathurst 12 Hour and the Bathurst 1000 races amongst others. The challenging circuit is 6.213km (4 miles) long with surprisingly steep inclines, a twisty, narrow section across the top of the mountain which proves difficult to master even for the very best racing drivers, and very little run off area to allow for mistakes.
Polyphony Digital’s legendary attention to detail when recreating a location, and next generation technology making the 3D model rendering better than ever, the result is a virtual carbon-copy of the Bathurst track. Strangely the press release around this announcement lists GT6 as a PS3 exclusive, leaving us wondering about a PS4 version. Surely Sony would want to show off that sweet elevation and conrod straight in the highest quality possible, the PS4.
Australian GT6 fans will have the opportunity to be the first in the world to take the wheel of Gran Turismo 6, and experience the most accessible way to race Mount Panorama this week at the Sydney EB Expo being held at Sydney Olympic Park from 4th to 6th October. Grand Turismo will launch on December 6th, while Forza 5 is an Xbox One launch title, which means November.
Gran Turismo 6 will be released on 6th December, 2013. Available now to pre-order, fans of the franchise can choose from either the GT6 Anniversary Edition (RRP AUD$114.95) or the Standard Edition (RRP AUD$99.95) and will feature over 1200 cars.
You can watch the announcement trailer below, spoiler, it’s gorgeous. While the track is synonymous with V8 Supercars, there sadly isn’t a Ford or Holden in sight.