PlayStation has announced it is returning to the SEMA car tuning show in Las Vegas next month where it will again run a competition to turn one of the cars on display into a PlayStation Gran Turismo car.
Gran Turismo 5 launched at last
Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi will visit the show and choose from a shortlist of extra-special cars. The car he chooses will be reproduced digitally and then appear in a future edition of Gran Turismo.
Entires for the eye-opening competition are open now: show visitors are being asked to enter their car via an online form, detailing all the engine, interior, exterior and other modifications that have been carried out.
The car can be one of five types: truck/SUV, European import, Hot Rod, Asian import or a domestic auto. Judges from each category will select an overall winner in each, and Yamauchi will personally inspect the five finalists and select an overall winner.
Past victors in the highly respected ‘GT Awards’ include an HPA Audi TT, Cuscoo Infiniti G37 S, 1970 Ford Mustang Trans-Cammer and, last year, a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro that puts out 762hp.
The SEMA show runs from 1-4 November at the famous Las Vegas Convention Centre.
Of course, it’s not the first time the Gran Turismo experience has transferred from computer screen into the real world. Earlier this year, MSN Cars attended the GT Academy challenge, which chooses one top video gamer to try and turn them into a real-life racer.
This year, Jann Mardenborough won the competition, and was this weekend racing for real in the Silverstone Britcar 24 Hours endurance race. He’ll be hoping to emulate the inaugural winner of the GT Academy, Lucas Ordonez.
Why? Because this year, Ordonez actually raced at the Le Mans 24 Hours… and, coincidentally, this weekend also won the 2011 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup LMP2 title at the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, USA.
