Lotus Cars and Sony Entertainment celebrate release of Gran Tourismo 5 Prologue

The eagerly anticipated ‘Gran Turismo 5 Prologue™’ for PlayStation®3 was released by Sony Computer Entertainment UK at a recent launch event in London’s Marble Arch and was supported by Lotus Cars who has two versions of the iconic Elise in the game.

One of the capital’s largest underground car parks was transformed into the GT5 Pit Lane which boasted some of the stars of the game which is heralded as one of the most realistic to date.  Alongside the legendary 1996 Lotus Elise and the now iconic 2004 Elise 111R, other heroes of the game turned out to support the event including Audi R8, Aston Martin DB9, Corvette Z06, Dodge Viper SRT10, Ford GT, TVR Tuscan Speed 6, Ford GT and a Ferrari 599.

Mike Kimberley, Group Lotus CEO remarked, “We are delighted to have supported this event and reinforce our commitment to Sony Entertainment with whom we have a long and valuable relationship.   I’d like to commend the GT5 Prologue team on this outstanding product and thank them for recreating our Lotus Elise with such integrity and accuracy. We worked very closely with the GT5 team to make sure the all the Lotus cars in the game are accurate virtual representations of the real cars and that they perform as closely to the real thing as gameplay allows. ”

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe reinforced this sentiment remarking, "Lotus have always been an integral part of the Gran Turismo experience, and their ongoing support and commitment to excellence translates into the quality of their cars in game".

Lotus is particularly excited about this most recent version of the GT series as it has a distinct British flavour.  For the first time the GT Series includes a London city circuit enabling fans to race around some of the city’s most popular landmarks including Piccadilly Circus, Shaftesbury Avenue, Charing Cross, the National Portrait Gallery and Trafalgar Square. 

Lotus have appeared in 9 of the Bafta award-winning Gran Tourism series and are set to feature in ‘Gran Turismo 5’, the full title, which launches in 2009. 

ENDS
 

Key Features Overview:
· The first ever Gran Turismo title with online racing: drive online against up to 16 other Gran   Turismo aces
· Race a total of 71 stunning, high-performance cars
· Race the Eiger Nordwand,  the Daytona International Speedway, the London City Track , the Fuji Speedway, Suzuka and the High Speed Ring - and then race them in alternative layouts
· All-new physics engine means true next-generation vehicle handling
· All-new and improved AI opponents for a nail-biting race experience
· Access to Gran Turismo TV : a world of great motoring TV programming online
· In-game museum featuring the history and heritage of the top car manufacturers
· My Garage -  a personalised homepage feature with calendar, clock and map & weather of major race circuits worldwide
· Quick Tune facility allows you to adjust power, tyres, suspension and more
· All in stunning High Definition at 1080p 
· Drift Mode – The player’s drifting technique is measured based on drift angles, racing lines, and speeds within evaluation zones located at various turns on the course
· In Depth Car Tuning – Players have the ability to adjust the vehicle’s performance, including power, tyres, suspension and the ability for quick tuning whilst racing
· Two-player Split Screen Racing – Allows players to race head-to-head offline
·  New Race Events – Online racing fans can join in on a new set of scheduled events and time trials