The long-awaited 5th installment of Sony’s flagship racing simulator is finally ready to be unveiled. Although an official release date has not been announced, some speculate it will hit the shelves in March, 2010.

Gran Turismo 5 has been “designed from scratch” over a period of three years, with a near-record breaking budget of $60 million spent on research and development in order to provide the most realistic racing experience possible. Notable features will include World Rally Championship and NASCAR simulators in addition to 20 track locations and over 950 cars.

Head tracking via the Playstation Eye will allow players to look around the 3D cockpit without using buttons. Also for the first time in Gran Turismo, external and mechanical damage will be realistically modeled. Compatibility with the PSP is also expected.

 

GT5 will most likely compete with Forza Motorsport 3, Microsoft’s prized racing simulator for the Xbox 360. FM3 was released in October and has received praise from numerous game critics for its’ impeccable graphics and realism.

 

A demo for GT5 will be released December 17th on the Playstation Network, and is likely to include a Nissan 370Z and possible race location at the Indianapolis Road Course. This teaser is sure to keep interest peaked until the full release.

Source: interview of Kazunori Yamauchi, CEO of Polyphony Digital, creator and producer of Gran Turismo