BBC and Top Gear team up with Gran Turismo 5 dev on PS3

Polyphony Digital, the creators of the Gran Turismo series and the are teaming up to offer Top Gear episodes for download via Gran Turismo TV on PS3.

GT TV plans to offer users the latest news from the world of motoring and is due for launch in 2008. In this new deal there will be 40 episodes of Top Gear available for download.

We'll also be able to drive on the tracks!

[P4KY B]

I was waiting for something magical to make me buy a PS3.
And being able to drive on the top gear test track is it.

I'm sold.

[HarryEtTubMan]

But do you think this is it? It's the Sony Playstation and there is tons more coming its way for a long time. People only like to hate whos number one... especially when they've won by so much the last two generations. GO PS3!

[CG]

Thats excellent news.

[predator]

sounds really good, just need a few more good features like this and ill go out and buy one.

[popup]

I was beginning to wonder how GT-TV was going to be of any real value, then I downloaded the clips on the demo and like magic I was all hyped up to play again. Now that the track(s) will be available after the show (maybe more from German TV etc too), I see its genius.

All the game needs now is some normal and fun cars in like the old GT's.

[andy001]

Very cool. I wonder how realistic the times will be, compared to Stig's of course.

[mighty_douche]

how cool would it be if they put in The Stig as a 'ghost' car or something but they could use actual stig racing lines (real life) not just get him to play the game.

does that make sense?

[andy001]

I did think that too. It would be a natural extension, although I suspect that it would be too easy to beat him. No matter how much they try and make it accurate, the games still allow you to drive a car way more aggressively than in real life, thats why I mentioned the balancing of the times.

[mighty_douche]

Top Gear is one of my favourite shows...
GT is one of my favourite games...
put them together... im happy :)

basically your getting every box set series of Top Gear for free (plus other stuff), hopefullyt you can store them to save redownloading, or they might stream, either way, good stuff.

EDIT @ frizshizzle, lol yeah dude, you mean the one built on the 3 wheeler? one of the funniest tv momments ever!

[frizshizzle]

I hope they have the episode when they built a space shuttle. Good times.

Edit: yea Del Boy's Robin Reliant too bad the latch didn't release but best explosion evarrr.

[Zhuk]

that's a pretty cool deal, good game and good show

[mistertwoturbo]

that's just F&CKIN awesome... i shat my pants. I love top gear, and I love gran turismo. And they just combined them both. sweet jesus...

[wil4hire]

I was telling my buddy the other day how cool it would be to get Top Gear episodes..

[mighty_douche]

yep, and GT5 will be cheaper than you can even buy the top gear dvd box sets for, a bargin!

[wil4hire]

about the differences.

Since top gear drivers never ram into other cars, or walls. Would be cool

[MJY2K]

Hopefully the Lacetti will be in the game to try and get the best lap for Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car

[mighty_douche]

they could add a world leader board to. "noobs in a reasonably priced car".

[wil4hire]

I love Top Gear... its one of those little known secrets, in the US at least...

[Hutchy]

Top Gear is my favourite show. My Fiancee will even sit and watch it with me, which is unusual!

During the development of Forza 2 a lot of people begged for the Top Gear test track to be included.

The test track has some terrific racing lines as well as the difficult "Gambon" corner.

I believe Top Gear has many fans the world over, its great to know our cousins over in the US have an appreciation for it, either if they sometimes dont get some of the dry, witty British humour.

I AM THE STIG!!

[wil4hire]

I just caught that!!!! Oh my.. a Polyphony replication... my heart is going to stop soon.

no my friend...

I am teh stig.

[Strider1979]

an awesome idea!! I love Top gear and this collaboration just makes the game even sweeter.. Im happy :-)

[techie]

Sweet! this is going to be a hit!

[nekon]

This is yest another reason if you didn't have enough already. I might start losing sleep thinking about c0ckpit view in the F430 with my G25 and stereo screaming. Then they go and announce something cool like this.. T10 announces a $7.50 DLC track while PD announces the Top Gear Test Track is in GT5. Sick.

[The Wood]

that 'the stig' is actually Tiff from 5th gear. he was on the topgear team many years ago and is a top top driver.

[Hutchy]

Im not sure who the 2nd generation Stig is. Its someone who is familiar with F1 cars as on an older series he drove a Toyota F1 car indoors at high speed.

Theres a hell of a lot people it could be, profession wise I think he'll be a test driver for a manufacturer, a lot of those guys have been through the GP2 / F1 ranks. He could even be a BTCC driver, i.e. Jason Plato!

[techie]

Wait we get to drive on the test track!!!??? WoW

[AngryHippo]

BRILLIANT news....gran turismo- amazing racing game....top gear- amazing car programme....the perfect combo which equals a must buy.

[Hutchy]

After some quick digging, it seems its still not 100% confirmed who the Stig is.

However the clues lead to either;
Olivier Panis - Ex F1-driver
Paul Rees - Young Formula Renault driver

Theres talk that there may even be multiple Stigs. Id be sad if there was, as that means the lap times would be inconsistent.

Apparently the 1st stig, Perry McCarthy, was replaced as he couldnt keep his mouth shut and was spoiling the whole hype of who the Stig was.

[BrassMonkey]

hell yes... i love top gear... i bet i can beat all the f1 drivers time lap on the top gear test track... i hope the stig will be feature on the game...:)

[MaximusPrime]

Top Gear is the best motoring show. Despite some of the stupid humours, the show is still enjoyable, interesting and the best.

Im glad this will be available to download using GT5.

[Hades1337]

Top Gear is one of the best shows on British TV atm, so Im sure that it will be very popular in Britain at least, although the humour could appeal overseas.

[Vip3r]

This is awesome. Top Gear is one of my favorite TV shows. All the challenges they do with the military are definately worth watching.

[nix]

i'm more happy to know that the upcoming version of GT is going to be easy to drive because they've included 'easy' mode. i was one of those 90% who said - "the game is tough" q:

[Shadow Flare]

I wonder if Gran Turismo 5 will include the 'Star in a reasonably priced car' car. Then we could actually compete against the times that they have on Top Gear. What a brilliant idea, Top Gear is the best thing on tv and Gran Turismo is simply legendary. PS3 is brilliant. I can't wait to see if they have a section about Gran Turismo 5 on Top Gear. You can imagine Jeremy Clarkson going mental over the graphics

[Hutchy]

There was one old show dedicated to the demise of the Honda NSX where Clarkson tried to beat a lap time he did on GT4 on the PS2. He went to a US track, forget the name, the one with the legendary cork-screw.

Anyway, was very interesting how similar the virtual and real track were, barring certain areas which were different. Very good episode that, you may find it on youtube. He was emphasising that on a game you can simply hit retry, where in real life the results are more significant. Therefore it was all about how much he dare push the limits in real-life compared to the game. Good stuff.

[Shadow Flare]

I know the episode you're talking about, it was the one where he went to the Laguna Seca track. It was a brilliant episode. (Notice how he used GT4 and not Forza....). I think on Fifth Gear (crap clone show) they did a similar thing and made a gamer who played racing games alot but never raced a real car race on a track to see how he did. What the co-driver noticed was because in games, you don't get real damage, its fake and you can hit retry. And the co-driver was scared of his driving cos he said 'he had no fear' due to the games. So he was hacking it round this track with no concern. I thought that was pretty cool. I guess thats what the army does actually. They make soldiers play FPS games to nullify their sense of hesitation. When you play it so much in games, games that have no consequences, the real-life becomes a little less dramatic. That side of it is disgusting actually

[sandip787]

it was laguna seca i think. the one with the massive corkscrew, i remember that episode!

one word - WOWWWWW
this is amazing news
lol does anyone remember when he outran the harrier jet in a lotus?
imagine doing that !
oh and maybe they will do lap times and announce the best on the show?>

[Shadow Flare]

was when they converted a Robin Reliant into a real-life space shuttle. It was absolutely awesome. It took off and the side rockets detatched and everything but the car couldn't detatch from the big orange fuel tank and just fell aaaaaaaaalllthe way back to earth BAAANG!!! LOL. It was so awesome

[mighty_douche]

you american? because im just wondering if Top Gear is screened in the US, cos all we seem to get here in the UK is crappy US dramas like lost/heros stuff like that. it would be nice to know that a piece of british tv made it over in the states and installs my faith that america has a few 'normal' people in it.

[Shadow Flare]

Your on my ps3 buddy list and you didn't know??? I'm from merry old england, london to be exact. But i do know that in america they have a channel that shows Top Gear. Why, they even screened Trigger Happy TV over in america before

[Hutchy]

Thats the one guys yes, Laguna Seca. Excellent track.

Fifth Gear is like the poor little cousin of Top Gear. I still watch it, but they cant match the photography, comedy and exclusives of Top Gear. They do have Vicki Butler Henderson, but she seems to look very rough nowadays, shame! More recently theyve seemed to target different consumers, trying to please folk who are looking to buy their next family saloon. I suppose theres place for both Top Gear and Fifth Gear as long as they dont overlap interests.

Great episode with the Lotus and Harrier, I bet the forces love being involved with Top Gear. Remember how Stig 1 died? Driving off an aircraft carrier? lol

[Lex Luthor]

fix the gameplay please.

[Leg-End]

OUCH said turn 10

[BlackCountryBob]

Thats very good and a great idea, I wonder if they will make a big deal of that episode where Clarkson did a lap of Laguna Seca on GT3 and then in real life, some ace advertising would be if they got him to do it again on GT5 and see how it worked out.

[lov2bugu]

probably the stig could have matched that time lol

[lov2bugu]

Wow that is really really cool idea. well entertaining program for ps3. I hope also best motoring magazine cane make it too. but i really really hope that it wont end up adding stupid programs like pink which is offred on speed tv. DEAR GOD make them bring LIVE F1 to this. DEAR GOD KEEP NASCAR AWAY, we love racing not crashing. and cars that can make right turns.

[rich3000]

they could hav a bit on the show, showing the best times people have done online on their track

[pandabear]

This is the best PS3 new I have heard in a long long time - I can't wait this is going to be amazing - Bring on the Stig!!!