Psychology researchers at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management in Illinois have discovered a funny thing about podium finishers. Often, the happiest person on stage is the one with the bronze medal around his or her neck. Despite having missed first place by two spots, competitors on the lowest rung of the podium tend to find themselves deep in the throes of counterfactual thinking. They aren’t focused on how close they were to winning an event; instead, the third-place competitors are thinking about just how close they came to missing the podium entirely.
That may help explain why Lucas Ordonez, Jordan Tresson, Bryan Heitkotter and Jann Mardenborough are so thrilled at the moment. The four drivers helped bring RJN Motorsport a third-place finish at the recent 24 Hours of Dubai. That’s no small feat for any professional race team, which makes the win even more unbelievable. The four drivers aren’t pros in the normal sense. Each driver started his career behind a controller as part of the NissanPlaystation GT Academy.
Heikotter and Mardenborough had less than a year to transform themselves from gamers to racers. The two won the most recent GT Academy competitions in the U.S. and Europe, respectively.
The original Grand Theft Auto video game debuted for the Playstation in 1997, but it wasn’t until the power of the Playstation 2 arrived that we were introduced to the sandbox-style of gameplay that has made the GTA series so iconic. Part of what has made that sandbox style so appealing is the ability to jack any vehicle in the game and go joyriding across its ever expanding locales.
The last full-fledged GTA was the fourth installment that came out in 2008. It’s been a long time coming, but next year the game’s developers at Rockstar North will debut Grand Theft Auto V, which sets itself in a fictional and stylized version of the Los Angeles and Hollywood areas of California. The story is set around a father who moves to the area to start a new life, but as usual, his old one catches up with him.
Rockstar North debuted the game’s first trailer today, and as usual, the selection of vehicles to steal, drive and use as tools for vehicular manslaughter are featured front and center. Check it out for yourself .
In the interest of full disclosure, I should make it clear up front that I have always been a loyal devotee of Gran Turismo. The series helped craft my automotive knowledge through middle school and high school, helped me choose the proper spring rates for my track rat in college, and generally consumed days and days of my young life. So when Turn 10 introduced Forza Motorsport for the Microsoft xBox in 2005, I was skeptical. Whereas Gran Turismo seemed to push the realism line ever further, Forza Motorsport felt laced with traces of Cruisin’ USA or some other relic of the arcade circuit. But that was then.
The Forza Motorsport series has matured significantly over the intervening six years, and Forza Motorsport 4 has debuted as the pinnacle of xBox automotive entertainment. With over 80 manufacturers on hand and 22 tracks, each with multiple configurations, this latest version promises to be an eruption of digital motorsports glory.
With Gran Turismo 5 currently collecting dust and wallowing in a tepid pool of disappointment, it was finally time to give Forza another shot. Turn 10 was kind enough to provide a review copy as well as a loaner xBox 360 for a week. I tried not to look my Playstation 3 in the eye as I wired up the rival machine, brushed off any traitorous feelings and hit the power button. It was time to go racing.
Five years ago, a gent named Art Morrison won the Gran Turismo Award at for his . A come-hither restomod, Morrison had tucked a bucket of modern internals – like his own chassis supporting an aluminum V8 with 538 horsepower and a Viper transmission – under the body of a 1960 Corvette. The prize meant that his car would appear in Playstation’s GT5, which it did the following year (as seen at right).
Matt Farrah, in his guise as Mr. Smoking Tire, got the 3G Corvette out of the video game and onto the cambered apexes of Nevada’s Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch. What happens after that looks and sounds a lot better than anything you’ll see in GT5. to check it out.
If you’re looking for the ultimate example of life imitating art imitating life, look no further than the /Playstation GT Academy. The program pits thousands upon thousands of gamers playing Gran Turismo 5 against each other in a fight over a spot on Nissan’s actual racing team. Now that competition is jumping onto television screens as a reality program.
The international competition is the subject of a new reality TV show that is set to air its first of five episodes on the Speed Network starting tomorrow, September 20. The show documents how a group of gamers were honed into a select team of actual racers, and the series was shot at England’s legendary Silverstone race track. As is typical with such reality shows, the winner will be announced in the final episode.
Whether you had opportunity to enter the competition or not, it looks to be an interesting watch. for a preview video and for the full press release for all the details.
Lucas Ordoñez takes off on a 24-hour road trip – Click above to watch video
Oh, what a life…
Lucas Ordoñez went from . After winning the /Playstation GT Academy contest, Ordoñez earned a shot at putting his virtual skills to the test. , which includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Nissan is prepping him for a full day of racing, and to do that they’ve sent him and his teammates on a trip around England.
Armed with a , an RV, trainers and a dietitian, Lucas Ordoñez and his team will split driving duties as they travel around the country. The team knows this isn’t as dramatic as spending hours behind the wheel of a racecar, but it’s still a good warm-up to the real thing. to watch Lucas and friends on their research road trip.
History and the contemporary automotive market hold no lack of examples of F1 teams translating their checkered flags into road cars. It’s practically ’s raison d’être, after all. McLaren’s following suit, as well. Even Williams has collaborated with Renault on performance-oriented Clios, and now with on the . But though each of these teams has claimed its share of championships and then some, these days it’s Red Bull Racing that’s on top. Trouble is – notwithstanding – Red Bull doesn’t make automobiles beyond a small batch of single-seaters for Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel. That’s where comes in.
Powered by sister company Renault’s engines, the Red Bull team this year features prominent – a move which is expected to turn into a more comprehensive re-branding scheme in the future. In the meantime, Infiniti is keen to capitalize on its tie-in with the world champion F1 team (particularly since its only previous racing activities involved limited success in converting the Q45’s V8 for Indy racing), and now reports are suggesting that a collaborative road car project between Red Bull Racing and Infiniti could be underway.
Citing the Renault Clio Williams as precedent, the Japanese luxury automaker is reportedly looking into making a performance-oriented version of one of its current products to go beyond the current Infiniti Performace Line. The would be the likeliest basis, but a substantial re-engineering effort could (unlike the Renault Williams tie-up) involve the F1 team’s engineers to transfer their competencies to the road. Sources expect the project to be complete within two years from now.
Of the more than 52,000 contestants who originally entered into the United States version of GT Academy, jointly hosted by and Sony, just 16 have advanced to the final competition being held in Silverstone in the United Kingdom. The top 32 virtual racers from the four U.S. regions descended on Orlando, Florida this week to go pixel-to-pixel for a spot among the sweet 16. But this is about more than just bragging rights. Those that made it into the final round will face a battery of new challenges, including physical fitness tests and evaluations behind the wheel of real-live race cars.
The top winner will have a shot at becoming a professional race car driver by joining a legitimate team, just like GT Academy Europe winner . As you may recall, Ordonez and his team managed to finish second at the 12 Hours of Sebring with a Signatech Nissan LMP2 racer, and the 25-year-old Spaniard is headed to this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans for a shot at taking home the checkers at one of the world’s most grueling race events.
Nissan and Sony are currently working up a reality TV show about the GT Academy’s U.S. contestants. While the winner will be chosen after the throwdown in Sivlerstone this summer, look for the show to hit the airwaves this fall. for the full list of final contestants.
Lucas Ordoñez – Click above for high-res image gallery
Lucas Ordoñez, the Spaniard who won the inaugural , is racing in the 12 Hours of Sebring today in Sebring, Florida. Ordoñez is at the wheel of a Nissan-powered LMP2 machine entered by Signatech.
This is Ordoñez’s first trip to the big time, and won’t be his last, with a full LeMans Cup schedule ahead of him this year, including the 24 Hours of LeMans in June. After singling himself out of a field of 25,000 GT Academy contestants, Ordoñez’s first race was at the 2009 Dubai 24 Hours, where he drove a 350Z.
This may not be Ordoñez’s first endurance racing rodeo, but LMP2 is a completely different beast than GT cars. We’ll keep you updated on his status.
Cars 2 video game trailer – Click above to watch the video
Cars 2 is coming to theaters everywhere on June 24, and if we’re honest, we’re pretty stoked. The original Cars movie was, after all, a great flick with an all-car cast. And thanks to the popularity of the first Cars movie, Disney and Pixar plan to make a Mater-load of cash with this second round, and not just on the movie itself.
Disney Pixar is (predictably) working on the video game Cars 2: Spies Wanted, which will reportedly become available in July for the Sony PlayStation 3, XBOX 360, Nintendo Wii and DS. And this time, it looks like Lightning McQueen and the gang won’t be maxing and relaxing in secluded Radiator Springs.
Judging by the post-jump trailer, there appear to be bad guys, guns and rockets. We’re typically not all that thrilled about games that are based on a movie (because they usually aren’t that great), but since we always fans of games that involve driving, we may be willing to give this one a shot. to watch the trailer.
Lucas Ordonez is a 25-year-old Spaniard who began competing in and Playstation’s GT Academy when it first got started back in 2008. Of the initial 25,000 participants, Lucas weeded himself out as the quickest and was given the chance to take his skills from Gran Turismo to a real race track. Three years on, Lucas is preparing himself to take on a full LeMans Cup schedule in 2011.
Lucas’ season begins in March, behind the wheel of a Signatech Nissan LMP2 machine at the 12 Hours of Sebring in Florida. From there, it’s on to the holy grail, the 24 Hours of LeMans, followed by five more LeMans Cup races across the globe.
There are likely to be more people like Lucas coming down the pike: the European GT Academy will start its fourth installment on March 4, and Nissan and Gran Turismo recently started the American version. More details can be found in the official release after the jump. Thanks to everyone for the tips!
Porsche 911 GT2 gaming wheel by Fanatec – Click above for image gallery
No one ever said getting behind the wheel of a was going to be cheap. Especially not a GT2. But if the $245k that the new road car would set you back strikes you as a bit steep, check out the latest rig from Fanatec.
The German gamewear concern has a penchant for making steering wheel set-ups for your favorite gaming platform, like the and wheels we’re reported on previously. But the latest takes the cake.
Modeled on the 911 GT2, this wheel gets all the details down pat, and then some. The 12-inch rim is covered in hand-stitched Alcantara, and three force-feedback motors are there to provide as darn-near-real an experience as we’ve ever seen.
It can work with the XBox 360, PlayStation 3 or your computer, but like the car it’s modeled on, it don’t come cheap: $250 is the retail price for the wheel alone, which can be hooked up with pedals and shifter if you’ve got those already. If you don’t, the full $500 Clubsport edition gives you the foot gear and a variety of shifting choices, including paddles, a sequential lever and an H-gate. Check it out for yourself in the gallery below.
November 2010 was a big month for driving simulator-loving PlayStation 3 owners. finally hit store shelves nearly six years after GT4 set the gaming world aflame. GT5 is a PS3-only affair, though, so xBox fans have little to get excited about. But then again, most xBox champions probably feel they already have a hyper-realistic driving simulator courtesy of the Forza series. And according to the official Forza Motorsport website next Fall will see the debut of Forza 4.
That’s right; just one year after GT5 finally graced our presence and only two years after was minted, an all-new Forza is waiting in the wings. We’re a little shy on details at at this point, but we’re guessing the game will build upon the 500 cars in the Forza 3 Ultimate Collection, with more tracks, more racing styles and, hopefully, even more stunning graphics. to watch the Forza Motorsport 4 teaser, and chime in on the battle of Forza versus Gran Turismo in our poll below. Thanks to everyone for the tips!
Gran Turismo 5 vs… Mario Kart 64? Click above to watch video .
? Pfft. Please. The best side-by-side comparo yet involving Polyphony Digital’s Playstation 3 opus comes from the gang at , who pit the new Gran Turismo 5 karting feature against the beloved classic, Mario Kart 64. Snap judgment: One of these looks (a lot) more fun than the other. Sorry, Yamauchi-san: Miamoto’s legendary plumber wins this duel without even having to toss a single banana. Now, time to dust off that N64 in the garage…
We’ve already when it comes to Gran Turismo 5, but reports keep coming in that early adopters are having a grand old time playing Polyphony Digital’s opus on their PS3s. Didn’t camp out at Best Buy last week to purchase your copy at midnight? No worries, that’s why you read Autoblog. We’re giving away one unopened copy of Gran Turismo 5 on our Facebook page, and entering is easy peasy.
In order to enter, simply “Like” the (just click the button above), then check our FB page in a few minutes for this post to appear on our Wall (). Once it’s live, leave a comment on that Wall post () to enter the giveaway. Done. Feel free to “Like” the post itself so your Facebook friends can see the giveaway, and remember to allow direct messages in your Facebook privacy settings. So no one gets confused, we’ve turned off commenting on this post since only a comment on the Facebook post will earn you an entry.
To enter the Gran Turismo 5 giveaway:
“Like” the . Leave a comment on the Facebook Wall post titled ““
You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the U.S. or Canada, excluding Quebec.
Limit 1 entry per person.
The entry period ends at 3:00PM ET on Friday, December 3.
At that time, we’ll select 1 winner from the eligible commenters to receive a copy of Gran Turismo 5 for the Playstation 3 valued at approximately $60.
Make sure your Facebook privacy settings allow for direct messages to receive notification in the event you win.
Gran Turismo 5 fans, it’s time to rejoice! On the U.S. Playstation blog, the manger of the public relations team has posted a North American on sale date of Wednesday, November 24. Fingers crossed that this doesn’t get pushed back yet again! We have a feeling this date is going to stick, though, because Kazunori Yamauchi, the President of Polyphony Digital Inc. has added this statement:
“Gran Turismo 5 is an ambitious project, with challenges and complexities which have made it our version of the Apollo Space Program! When we created the original Gran Turismo back in 1997, we wanted to set a completely new precedent for the racing genre.
With the technological leap onto PlayStation 3, our objective with Gran Turismo 5 was to create another great revolution which would not only satisfy our own high expectations, but would meet or even exceed the anticipation of the fans.
Satisfying the loyal Gran Turismo followers is at the heart of all of our efforts, which is why it was such a difficult decision to delay the release of the game, and one which we did not take lightly.
I can only apologize to everyone for making you wait so long, and I hope that when you try out the wealth of driving experiences available in Gran Turismo 5, you will not be disappointed.”
He wasn’t kidding when he says .” Even though it’s still two weeks away, we can’t decide if we want to hit the WRC courses or the street courses first. Regardless, our Thanksgiving celebrations just got rearranged. Top tip, Martin!
Gran Turismo 5 may be the most hotly anticipated driving game in a decade. It’s continually moving release date has been teasing (and disappointing) us for years, but the waiting appears to be drawing to a close. Our friends over at Joystiq are that the game is showing up at retail outlets in Europe. What’s more, we now know precisely what the box art and disc looks like. The above image is reported to be the retail-spec set, complete with the open gullwing of the gracing the cover.
The delays associated with GT5 have our defenses permanently parked in high gear. But with select gamers in Europe already playing the game and Polyphony Digital chief Kazunori Yamauchi insisting that the game is in production, we’re beginning to dare to hope to have this game in time for the holidays. Heck, we’re already hearing that development on GT6 is , which means we our children could be playing that game on our PlayStation 5 before we know it.
We know there are a lot of you out there who are just like us; itching to get your hands on Gran Turismo 5. Checking the Sunday paper this morning, we ran across ads from Sears (above) and Target (right) that say that the highly anticipated (and eternally delayed) driving sim will hit store shelves this Tuesday (its former “confirmed” release date). Don’t bother getting in line, though.
As has been well documented, the official saying, “we can confirm that Gran Turismo 5 will not be available this November 2nd, but the game’s release will be coming this holiday season.”
So what gives? It’s pretty simple. Retailers’ national print ads like these are finalized weeks or even months in advance (you can expect the big Black Friday circulars to start leaking any day now). This is likely just a case of the stores getting burned by Sony’s most recent late-in-the-game GT5 postponement after the weekly sale flyers had already been approved and gone to print.
if you take a look at the Target ad, it includes something very important: an asterisk with the warning, “release date subject to change.” Prescient, given Sony’s history GT5 “release dates.” So, despite what you may see in your Sunday paper’s ad inserts, don’t plan on picking up GT5 this Tuesday. The wait continues…
Gran Turismo 5 continues to while enraging with baited breath, for that one day when we can place the disc into our Playstation 3. The game was supposed to be released on November 2nd, but an announcement on the US Playstation blog said it was pushed back… again. The only clue to the new release date was that it would be available this holiday season. What does that mean exactly? Apparently it means that you will have to shake off your hangover and pick up a copy of the game on New Years Day… or Eve… or the day after New Years Day. Honestly, we’re not entirely sure and we don’t think Polyphony Digital is either.
Best Buy, Gamestop and Amazon.com have updated their respective pre-order pages to reflect a new release date. lists 12/31/10, has 01/01/11 and shows a date of 01/02/11. For some reason, believes the game will be available on November 1st, which is awfully hopeful. Wal-Mart has apparently given up listing a release date, which may be the wisest move of all. Thanks for the tip, Billfred!
Red Bull X1 – Click above for high-res image gallery
Ever wonder what would happen if they threw out the rule book and created a no-holds-barred, we-don’t-need-no-freakin’-badges track car? The talented (though ) brains behind Polyphony’s long-awaited Gran Turismo 5 racing simulator for the SonyPlaystation 3 did. Turns out, so did the boffins at Red Bull Racing. The result is the .
The Red Bull X1 is the brainchild of the team’s star designer Adrian Newey, the aerodynamicist who’s probably responsible for more checkered flags than any other engineer on the real F1 grid today, with input from the team’s star driving talent Sebastian Vettel. We could best describe the result as looking rather similar to the Caparo T1 – that is to say, some freakish cross between an F1 car and an LMP1 racer – but the specs would eclipse both.
Instead of a conventional internal-combustion engine, the X1 packs a (theoretical – remember this exists entirely in the binary) gas turbine driving 1,483 horsepower and 527 lb-ft of torque through a CVT to the rear wheels. Simulated performance stats give it a top speed of 249 miles per hour, while lapping Suzuka in 1:11.540. (For comparison’s sake, Vettel’s fastest time behind the 2009 F1 car was 1:30.833.) The car’s been fully detailed in the latest issue of Car magazine, which has naturally leaked its way onto the interwebs, so check out our first look at the cyber-machine in the gallery below.
The last full-fledged GTA was the fourth installment that came out in 2008. It’s been a long time coming, but next year the game’s 
Five years ago, a gent named Art Morrison won the Gran Turismo Award at for his . A come-hither restomod, Morrison had tucked a bucket of modern internals – like his own chassis supporting an aluminum V8 with 538 
We know there are a lot of you out there who are just like us; itching to get your hands on Gran Turismo 5. Checking the Sunday paper this morning, we ran across ads from 
Gran Turismo 5 continues to while 
