


Launching in 2001, Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec was the first PS2 entry, becoming the highest-selling GT game with over 15 million units sold. But Gran Turismo’s Simulation mode engrossed players for hundreds of hours, setting the template for racing game career modes. Creating the CARPGīefore Gran Turismo, arcade racers provided short bursts of fun. Gran Turismo wasn’t the first driving simulator game, but it was the first to bring a realistic driving game experience to a mass audience on the original PlayStation. You could immediately tell the difference between cars with a front-wheel and rear-wheel-drive layout. Gran Turismo earned its tagline of "the real driving simulator." Its revolutionary physics model made every car feel distinct and behave like you would expect them to in real life. Mitsubishi, Subaru, and Nissan even credit Gran Turismo with boosting sales of the Subaru WRX, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, and Nissan Skyline GT-R outside of Japan.

Aside from a few western models like the Aston Martin DB7 and TVR Cerbera, Gran Turismo featured predominately Japanese cars, introducing western car enthusiasts to Japanese car culture.
