Gran Turismo 7 Introduces the Most Impressive R34 GT-R in July Update

Gran Turismo 7 Introduces the Most Impressive R34 GT-R in July Update

      Sony Interactive Entertainment

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      If you’ve been keeping up with the updates for Gran Turismo 7 this year, you might have noticed an unusual trend. Polyphony Digital seems to be increasingly focused on crossovers. This is a bit disappointing; in the last six months, the game has added the previous-generation Honda CR-V, Peugeot 2008, Mazda CX-30, and Toyota C-HR. As July comes to a close, it appears the Nissan Qashqai will soon be added to these vehicles. However, I can accept this since we’re also receiving the wildly popular R34 Skyline GT-R, known as the Nismo Z-Tune.

      GT7’s Update 1.61 will be released early Thursday morning, bringing these two vehicles along with the Honda N-One RS: a modern kei car equipped with a six-speed manual transmission and a turbocharged three-cylinder engine that produces the maximum allowable 63 horsepower in its class in Japan. This small Honda feels like one of those cars you’d expect to stumble upon and adore in a Gran Turismo game.

      In contrast, the Qashqai serves as a cynical reminder that the automotive market today is quite distinct from the one that inspired the series back in the late ’90s. While I understand the notion that today’s crossovers are akin to the compact cars of the past, they simply aren’t as enjoyable to drive or modify due to their higher centers of gravity and powertrains designed for efficiency at the expense of performance. For instance, the CR-V that was added to the game this past spring features a CVT, which limits its upgrade potential. The Nissan is anticipated to behave similarly since it’s a hybrid. In GT’s earlier years, you could take a starter used Civic and upgrade it to compete with Lancer Evos and Supras, but that’s not the case with these small SUVs.

      This leaves us with the Nismo Z-Tune, which is certainly not a disappointing addition. This is the ultimate R34 GT-R, marking the 20th anniversary of Nissan’s performance division in 2004. For this model, Nismo enhanced the twin-turbo RB26 engine to produce an impressive 500 hp and 398 lb-ft of torque, and added features like a titanium exhaust, Sachs bolt-on dampers, and custom Brembo brakes, among other performance enhancements.

      Only 20 Z-Tunes were produced, both to celebrate the anniversary and because the R34 GT-R was already out of production by 2004. Gran Turismo has always been known for its accurate representation of the Skyline GT-R lineage, possibly a bit too much, but the Z-Tune has never been featured in the franchise before, making this a significant addition.

      Elsewhere, you can anticipate the usual series of races, a new track for the Sophy AI to compete on (High-Speed Ring), and new Scapes locations for photography. I mention this every time I discuss these updates, but it raises the question of how many more updates Polyphony has lined up before moving on from GT7 to GT8. Of course, that might not arrive until the PlayStation 6 is released.

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Gran Turismo 7 Introduces the Most Impressive R34 GT-R in July Update Gran Turismo 7 Introduces the Most Impressive R34 GT-R in July Update Gran Turismo 7 Introduces the Most Impressive R34 GT-R in July Update Gran Turismo 7 Introduces the Most Impressive R34 GT-R in July Update Gran Turismo 7 Introduces the Most Impressive R34 GT-R in July Update

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Gran Turismo 7 Introduces the Most Impressive R34 GT-R in July Update

The newest update for GT7 introduces the ultimate R34 GT-R, a delightful Honda kei car, and yet another crossover that has us puzzled.