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Gran Turismo: The Racing Game That Changed Car Culture

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Gran Turismo changed racing games forever, transforming PlayStation driving simulators, Japanese performance cars, car culture, and virtual motorsport into a worldwide phenomenon. From Kazunori Yamauchi’s ambitious original vision to the evolution of Gran Turismo across multiple PlayStation generations, the series pushed realism, car collecting, tuning, and racing simulation further than almost anyone expected. What began as a risky idea eventually became one of PlayStation’s defining franchises, influencing how millions of players understood and connected with cars. Along the way, Gran Turismo blurred the boundary between gaming and the automotive world, influencing real manufacturers, motorsport, esports, and even helping turn talented gamers into professional racing drivers. This is the story of how a racing game became something much bigger.

#granturismo #gamingdocumentary #gaminghistory

20 Comments

@reyrey623az 4 days ago Pinned

Thank you for a great retrospective of my favorite racing game never seen a better video than yours. Respect from Glendale, AZ 🇺🇸

@fernfernacelli 4 days ago

Long live Gran Turismo.

@Sam_Fisher_NSA 3 days ago

Thanks for the AI written video

@endgameaddiction 4 days ago

This was the game that got me into JDMs and car sims back in the days.

@estebancaro2334 3 days ago (edited)

Takes me back to 1998 when we got a PlayStation 1 with one dual analog controller and a regular controller and a demo disc. On that demo disc was a bunch of games and the most played on that disc was Gran Turismo. Only two cars were available and only one track. The Subaru WRX Sti and the Chevy Corvette. I already had a love for cars and this game took that love further.

@zacharyseay3089 3 days ago (edited)

In gt2 I found a 1992 Mitsubishi twin turbo, I forget the model maybe a spyder or the eclipse, faster than anything in the game, was insane, I learned how to drive with these games even tho I already had my license, I pulled myself out of some gnarly situations irl and my dad asked how I knew what to do in those situations, I said gran Turismo dad, I showed him the game and his mind was blown that we could have such accurate physics in an “Atari” game lol rip dad

Edit… I’m 42 now, and I’ve been driving for most of my professional life, I drive road trains, I’ve done oil field work on ice roads, haz mat , everything fun, I even drove the Russian ambassador to the United States in a motorcade in 2007, opened a beer for him with my cigarette lighter while driving him in Alaska

@user-ex6vp6mb9q 4 days ago

Great vid. I spent 1000's of hours playing these games as a teenager. Now daily drive a bugeye WRX.

@thecunninlynguist 4 days ago

my dad fell in love with this game and spent hours on end tuning cars, lol

@tinlunfromthetdot 3 days ago

The PSP version even had Jay Leno provide the announcer voice. Many of the cars sound effects were provided from his personal car collection.

@MarijnRoorda 3 days ago (edited)

For me that special car in GT1 was the Griffith 500. My friends racing me got so upset at some point that i was always beating them in it, they demanded i drove a different car. So i started driving the Dodge Concept car and kept winning.

In GT2 we played every saturday and people were showing up in ever more ridiculous cars. At one point a friend showed up in a car with over a 1000 HP and said he would smoke me this time... Sure, he was very fast in a straight line, but once he reached a corner, i would come sliding by at the edge of grip right on the corners apex in the right gear and show him how it was done. And then he barrelled past me on the straight only to plow it into the corner wall get turned around and watched me slide by in my 490HP rear wheel driven british racing green Griffith 500.

I only ever saw a real NSX once in real life and waited till the owner came back and had a nice talk with him. He even let me sit in it. I couldn't drive it since i didn't have a license. Still don't at the age of 48...

@drone124 3 days ago

long live GranTurismo

@vundizzle 3 days ago

Nice to hear Audit the Audit expanding their content to video games. 🤣

@Winstonthebrothadogof40K 1 day ago (edited)

December 1996 I broke my femur in a car accident. From January to September was spent driving and earning drivers licenses. Greatest driving game ever!

@lummatravel 3 days ago

The GT mode disc for gran turismo 2 definitely had the scratch and sniff petrol smell, on the uk version at least. There’s even an insert in the case saying “pit stop disc”

The other disc didn’t smell of anything

@TenseIntense 2 days ago

8:35 The German Version of Gran Turismo 2 in fact does have a flyer next to the manual explaining the Scratch and Sniff on the CD: "Use your fingers or a soft tissue and gently rub the front of the CD to experience the authentic smell of the racetrack – be careful not to accidentaly scratch the surface"

@LordMcKrakenVonLittleBits 3 days ago

I bought a real MR2 because of Grand Turismo. 20 years old with a red mid- engine sports car back in 1998 felt like a dream.

@jeffsanders7691 3 days ago

I remember wearing out the demo and when I found out a new friend that I met at school had an actual copy I somehow convinced him to let me borrow it. I spent the entire weekend and my grandparents without a memory card, grinding through career mode in Gran Turismo 1 without a care in the world.