Gran Turismo 7 Teases Three New Cars With Update 1.52

GT7 will expand its car roster tomorrow, expected to include the Mitsubishi Evo, Nissan GT-R, and Toyota HiAce, based on the usual tricky silhouette teaser.

TL;DR

• Gran Turismo 7 Update 1.52 is coming tomorrow
• Three new cars, likely the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo (VII or VIII), 2024 Nissan GT-R R35, and Toyota HiAce
• All three have proven track records in drifting (even the HiAce enjoys some tail-happy action!)
• Update follows speculation about potential Gran Turismo 8 development focus
• The update, originally intended to be version 1.51, unexpectedly skipped to 1.52, sparking confusion and speculation

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After a quiet September, Polyphony Digital is back with Update 1.52 for Gran Turismo 7, which will be released tomorrow, October 3, 2024, at 8 a.m.

The update adds three new cars to the game’s roster. CEO Kazunori “Kaz” Yamauchi teased them on his X (formerly Twitter) account with the usual difficult-to-decipher silhouettes.

Update is coming next week.
来週、アップデート来ます。#GT7 #GranTurismo #GranTurismo7 #グランツーリスモ7 pic.twitter.com/2gHe4GVb5P

— 山内　一典 / Kaz Yamauchi (@Kaz_Yamauchi) September 28, 2024

While not as extensive as the previous major update, 1.49, which introduced new drift-friendly features and some hilarious glitches, the latest update continues the tradition of expanding the in-game vehicle selection.

Unlike the clearer teasers from upcoming titles like the Tokyo Xtreme Racer reboot, GT7’s silhouettes are notoriously tricky to figure out. However, we’ve done our best to identify the newcomers:

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (VII or VIII)

The car’s hood on the left strongly suggests a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. Given that the Evo IX recently joined the game, we’re likely looking at either an Evo VII or VIII.

While not an obvious choice for drifting fans due to its AWD drivetrain in stock form, the Evo has some surprising potential in the sideways department. Fans of “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” will likely remember the Evo’s tire-shredding antics.

Interestingly, Japanese drifter Nobushige Kumakubo of Team Orange, who was the stunt driver for the Tokyo Drift Evo in the movie, was so impressed with the car’s handling that he went on to build his own RWD Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 (IX).

Kumakubo’s unique project packed a rotated stroked 2.2-liter 500+ horsepower turbocharged 4G63 engine, which he used to compete in the D1GP series in Japan.

2024 Nissan GT-R R35

The lower right silhouette bears a striking resemblance to the VR38DETT-powered Nissan GT-R R35.

While it can be challenging to distinguish between GT-R variants, of which there are already nine in the game, the lower splitter suggests this is likely the latest 2024 model.

Like the Evo, the GT-R’s AWD system might not scream “drift machine,” but it still has some record-breaking sideways credentials.

Japanese drifting legend Masato Kawabata holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest drift, set in an RWD Nissan GT-R. During his record-setting run, Kawabata clocked an insane 189 mph, obliterating the previous record of 135 mph set by Polish driver Jakub Przygoński.

Toyota HiAce

The top silhouette is the trickiest to identify. It could potentially be a Nissan Caravan, as they both look similar, but our money’s on the Toyota HiAce.

While it’s not likely everyone’s first choice for racing or drifting, it’s great to see a little variety thrown into the mix, and the HiAce has some surprising performance potential.

The most powerful variant features a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 280 horsepower, which should provide plenty of fun and something a little different to throw around the track.

For those skeptical about the HiAce’s drifting capabilities, we imagine this guy would say “hold my beer” in Japanese before throwing down these lines:

The lack of updates in September made fans wonder if work on Gran Turismo 8 might be the reason for the update drought.

We still think there’s a good chance this may be the case since Update 1.52 arrives later than expected despite not having more content than usual. However, Polyphony may also be hesitant to roll out another significant overhaul anytime soon following the last disaster!

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