Gran Turismo 5 Dream Car Garage

Ever wish you could create your own dream car garage?  Most of us do, but very few of us have the money to make it a reality.  Now, there is an alternative that will allow you to buy the cars of your dreams, and drive them on the best tracks in the world, all for around 50 bucks.  It’s called Gran Turismo 5, the Playstation driving simulator that is expected to be released sometime soon.  If you are a car nut, then you know all about Gran Turismo.  It is one of the best driving games out there, and the new version will include more tracks, NASCAR races, 3D video, and a selection of over 1000 of the greatest cars in automotive history.  Here are some of the highlights from the list:

Volga V12 Coupe – I wrote a little about this car in a previous post, and consider it one of the most beautiful cars to come out of the old Soviet Union.  Based on a BMW 850 chassis, and using Volga body parts, this car should be a blast to drive and very powerful.

Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione – This Ferrari based 8-cyliner Italian muscle car should look and sound fantastic, though I have heard it is not that impressive on the track.  But for GT5 players, it will be a great addition to their garage.  Also, look for masterpieces as a 1923 RL Targa Florio, 1954 BAT Coupe Bertone, and a whole slew of Alfas from the 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s.

Auburn – Not only do you get a beautiful boat tail Speedster, but the list also includes two sedans, a cabriolet, two coupes, and a Cord.  I cannot wait to fit dirt tires on a Speedster, and try the Grand Canyon rally.

Bertone Marzal – This is the car that Bertone designed for Lamborghini, complete with full side windows and metallic interior.  Designed by Marcello Gandini and based on a stretched Miura, the car had a V12 Miura engine that was cut in half.  It is a show concept that is best known for opening the 1967 Grand Prix of Monaco, driven by Prince Rainer and Princess Grace of Monaco.  To me, it is one of my favorite Matchbox cars of all time.

Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada – Another car of design perfection.  Bizzarrini was one of the creators of the Iso Rivolta, Iso Grifo, Lamborghini V12 engine, and famously one of the “palace revolutionaries” from the famous Ferrari revolt.  He built this fiberglass bodied, Chevy powered supercar from 1965 to 1968.

Bugatti Type 41 Royale – The mother of all cars, and one of the most expensive in the world.  One copy of this car sold for 20 million dollars.  The new GT5 will also include 20+ more Bugatti models from the 1930’s right up to the Veyron Targa…way cool.

Castagna Imperial Landaulet – This 4WD Rolls Royce Phantom knockoff is designed by the same firm that was the coachbuilder for the Isotta Fraschini.  Sporting a twin turbocharged 800 hp V-8, this Italian car should be quick, and it’s sliding “landaulet” rear roof looks pretty awesome.

De Thomaso Mangusta – One of the most beautiful cars from the 1960’s.  This car, along with sixteen of its siblings will be available in the new GT5.  Stunning to look at, and awesome to drive, this car will be one of my first purchases.  Keep an eye out for the Guara, a car that looks like a squashed Mazda and was supposed to replace the venerable Pantera.

Duesenberg SJ Arlington Torpedo Sedan – The Twenty Grand show car, named after its original price tag.  This magnificent automobile marked the zenith of American automobile manufacturing.  It had a supercharged straight-eight engine, a 0-60 time as fast as a Ferrari 308, and a top speed of 140mph.  There are eight Duesenbergs for you to own, including a very rare SSJ (Supercharged Short wheelbase) driven by Gary Cooper and Clark Gable.  These are definitely “Duesys.”

Facel Vega HK500 – One of the prettiest cars ever made, and one of the best interiors on any car.  Owners included Pablo Picasso, Ringo Starr, and Stirling Moss.  It was also the car that Albert Camus, French philosopher and writer was killed in during an accident.  Classic austere French coachwork and a Chrysler powertrain, this car is a rare and appreciate piece of art.

Factory Five Racing – This company is a neighbor of mine, located in Wareham, MA.  They make kit versions of the Shelby Cobra and amazing GTM Supercar.  These cars are fast, stylish, and offer the performance of the original for a fraction of the cost.

Ferrari – At last!  The Italian marque makes it big in GT5, and it includes models like the Lusso, the 250GT California Spyder, the 365 GT NART Spyder, The Daytona, the Testarossa, the Enzo, the 458 Italia,  and the FXX.  Finally some red headed Italian beauties to play with.

General Motors Futurliner – Why this vehicle is in a racing game is beyond me, but it is pretty to look at.  I seriously doubt anyone will be winning a 24-hour Nurburgring race in this monster, but it should make for some fun times on the Top Gear track.  Designed by Harley Earl, and used for General Motors Parade of Progress, there are only 9 left in the world, and a restored version is worth upwards of 4 million dollars.

Iso Grifo – Along with the Rivolta, these stunningly beautiful Italian cars will be available in GT5.  Designed by Giugiaro of Bertone, with mechanicals by Bizzarrini, this car is powered by a Chevrolet Corvette 427 engine.   Rare and expensive, the Grifo is the ultimate product of a great company also famous for refrigerators and the Isetta bubble car.

Jaguar XJS Coupe – I had to add this, because I own one of these gorgeous cars.  This is one of those cars that has aged like a fine wine.  Not a day goes by where I don’t stop and look at it’s beautiful lines.  Along with the E-type coupe offered in GT4, the new version will include way over 60 other models.  Look for the C-Type LeMans, D-type, XK 120 through 150, Mk II, and all sorts of sedans, coupes and racecars.

Kaiser Darrin Convertible – Another stunning design.  This was penned by Howard “Dutch” Darrin and featured sliding doors that concealed themselves in the front fenders (his design patent), a three-position canvas top with French landau irons, as well as a body “that looked like it wanted to give you a kiss.”  Made of fiberglass at Glaspar, a boat and kit car manufacturer, they weighed only 987 lbs, and later models came with a Cadillac V-8 engine.  Built to compete with the Corvette, it was too little, to late to save Kaiser.

Lamborghini – They heavens have opened and the Gods have shined a light unto Gran Turismo 5, blessing us with 38 different models from the entire range of the Italian tractor maker’s history.  Included will be the Miura, the Jamara, the 350GT, Espada, Countach, Murcielago, and the 4WD LM002.  These cars alone should make the wait a little more bearable.

Lincoln Continental Convertible  – This Elwood Engle design is an automotive masterpiece.  Originally intended to be a new Ford Thunderbird, it was moved to the Lincoln line by Robert McNamara.  The new GT5 includes 36 models from the 1950’s to current day.  For those of you that love Nimitz class luxury sedans, there will be disappointment, as the titanic 1979 Town Car is noticeably absent.

This brings us to the letter M, which means there are a ton of great cars left over for my next post.  With over 1000 cars available, you can create the perfect dream car garage.  I will complete the list in the next post.  For now, take a second to consider the beauty of these vehicles, not as part of a game, but as milestones in the history of the automobile.  For the entire list of Gran Turismo 5 cars, check out this link:  Gran Turismo 5 Car List

Article courtesy of Chris Raymond

Photos courtesy of a Google Images, khusley.com, getsupercars.com, ultimatecarpage.com

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