Attendees to last month’s Downshift Session 2008 were treated to a spectacular sight: Gran Turismo 5 Prologue running at 3840 x 2160 pixels (that’s 4 times normal HD resolution) via a Sony SRX-110 projector fed by 4 separate PlayStation 3 consoles!

Polyphony Digital and Sony also showed off a copy of GT5 Prologue running at 240 FPS (Frames Per Second) on a television powered by new FED (Field Emissions Display) display technology.  Considering that high-end video games (like GT5 Prologue) run at no more than 60 FPS, it is difficult to imagine what 240 frames per second actually looks like, but it must be pretty impressive:

The frame rate of a single PS3 is 60fps, or 1/60 of a second, but by having four PS3’s draw an image four times within this 1/60 of a second, a frame rate of 1/240 of a second is made possible.

You can see the shocking difference of this high frame rate Gran Turismo immediately when you see the screen. It is as though you are following a real world event happening right in front of your face with your own eyes. Any and all flickering in the movement of the vehicle, in the smoke from the tires, etc. are completely gone, and you are almost tricked into believing you are watching something in real life. The guests at the event were baffled by the quality of the image, and stared in amazement at the screen.

It would be interesting to learn more about the software modifications that allowed the PS3 systems to communicate and synchronize with each other, but this is the extent of the technical detail provided by Polyphony Digital.  Regardless, the event was a great success, with plenty of artists, musicians, and celebrities in attendance (the Gran Turismo Edition Lotus Exige that we saw a few weeks back was also there!).  Read all the details at Polyphony’s website, or check out more photos from the event below.

Jeff Staple recently spent some time at Polyphony Digital, and snapped some interesting shots of things going on around the company’s headquarters.  The images give us a peak at the new Mercedes-Benz C63 in development, virtually confirming it for the next game.  We’ve also got our first look at Gran Turismo 5’s Tsukuba circuit through the windshield of the new BMW Z4 M Coupe, a wireframe model of the Nissan 370Z’s guage cluster, a Maserati Spyder undergoing sound testing, and two other currently unknown vehicles.  Less revealing images documented the hard-working and seemingly cluttered atmosphere of the offices, providing an intimate look at what it’s like to work on the GT series.  Join the discussion in our forums, and stop by Jeff’s blog to see all of the pictures!

GTPlanet member Ahmed Al Azmi’s interview with Kazunori Yamauchi has really been making the international press rounds.  Just yesterday, Ahmed was cited in the latest episode of Inside Sim Racing, where they discussed his experience and the important bits of information that were gleamed from his time at Polyphony Digital.  ISR broadcasts weekly shows dealing with the sim racing world, although they typically focus on the PC market.  Regardless, thanks for the shout out, guys, and keep up the good work!  If you want to see more, check out their website at InsideSimRacing.tv.

We’ve finally got some official photos from the 2008 Gran Turismo Awards held at SEMA last week.  Apparently, the JR Rocha’s winning G37 was painted black since he posted pictures of the vehicle on his blog.  We also have the winners from the other categories - all of which were in the running to be included in the next game.  Here’s how the awards break down:

• Best Japanese Import and “Best in Show” - JR Rocha’s 2008 G37
• Best Truck/SUV - John Wargo’s 1938 Chevy Pickup
• Best European Import - Robert Gal’s Volkswagen Concept Car
• Best Domestic - James Shipka’s 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Rally Sport (”Big Red”)
• Best Hot Rod - Jason Lavigne’s Factory Five Racing 1933 Hot Rod

After seeing some of the other entrants, there are sure to be some comments on Yamauchi’s final choice.  What do you think?

Each year at the SEMA Auto Show in Las Vegas, Sony and Polyphony Digital hold the Gran Turismo Awards to recognize the event’s best cars and exhibitors.  The awards include several categories, from “Best Domestic”, “Best European Import”, “Best Hot Rod”, to “Best Truck/SUV”.  The most coveted award, however, is “Best in Show”, handed out by GT series creator Kazunori Yamauchi himself.  The winning vehicle is digitized by Polyphony’s team and immortalized forever in the next version of the game.  This competition has proven very popular with both exhibitors and gamers alike, having provided us with some of the series’ more interesting cars.

This year’s “Best in Show” goes to a modified 2008 Infiniti G37 Coupe owned by JR Rocha.  With a custom widebody kit, twin turbos, and a seemingly endless array of modifications, it definitely makes a statement.  Sony has not yet released any official images, but GTPlanet managed to find JR’s blog and a video interview with him talking about the vehicle.  Congratulations, JR, and if you’re reading, be sure to stop by our forums and say hello!

See JR’s photos of his car, or check out the video after the jump.

Finally, we get to see what happens when a real player of the Gran Turismo series sits down with its creator, Kazunori Yamauchi.  As winner of the GT5 Prologue Middle East Challenge, Ahmed Al Azmi was invited to Polyphony Digital’s studios in Japan to check out where the game is made.  He also got one-on-one time with Yamauchi, and asked him real questions that your average gaming journalist wouldn’t even understand.  Of course, he doesn’t drop any bombshells, but it’s still a fascinating and revealing discussion.  Read Ahmed’s full interview for all the pictures and impressions.  We’ve gathered some of the most important facts and other tidbits below:

• The Nürburgring Nordschleife will NOT be made available until the full release of Gran Turismo 5.
• Kazunori laughed at the notion of a 2010 release date for Gran Turismo 5, and said it will be released sooner than expected.
• Polyphony Digital does use online forums and reviews (like GTPlanet) to gather player feedback and impressions of the games.
• Private online races are coming, but it may not be until the full game is released.
• Yamauchi confirmed the existence of the “rubber band effect”, and elaborated a bit on its implementation.  For example, this performance boost consists of a slight increase in power and grip and is applied when the driver is more than 2 seconds behind the race leader.  As you might expect, he cited more competitive online races as justification for the “feature”, which can and is turned off in some events.
• While discussing the rubber band effect, Yamauchi mentioned that it will obviously not be enabled for online races which feature qualifying laps, nearly confirming this feature sometime in the future.
• Porsche (that’s right… Porsche) have stated that they do not have a problem with their cars being damaged in the game.  Ferrari, however, are being more stubborn and could be a source of delay in damage implementation.  Of course, that isn’t consistent with Forza or Ferrari Challenge, which has shown damage on the Italian cars for some time now.

After the “interview”, Ahmed was given the chance to drive both the Nürburgring and Circuit de la Sarthe with updated physics and high-definition graphics in a development version of the game.  As if that wasn’t enough, Yamauchi presented Ahmed with a signed, unreleased ceramic white PlayStation 3 and PSP.  Once again, see Ahmed’s forum post for all the details and impressions from his incredible trip.

Ever wonder what happens to the cars that appear in Gran Turismo livery at those posh launch parties?  Here’s one of them: a 2008 Lotus Exige S has remained untouched since Sony’s marketing department had their hands on it.  Apparently, it’s been serving in Manhattan Motorcars‘ “demonstration fleet”, making a bright statement in their showroom alongside a collection of 5 Rolls-Royce Phantoms.  Now, it can be part of your demonstration fleet for $59,900 via eBay Motors.  Described as the only “Gran Turismo 5 Edition” Exige S in existence, it includes special graphics work by Staple Design, metallic paint, Track and Touring packages, and 4,280 miles on the odometer.  However, the auction ends October 31, 2008, so you’d better hurry if you want to pick this up.

If the Lotus is a bit out of your price range, don’t fret - act fast and you can still pick up this Gran Turismo sticker set for about $5.

Ask anyone who has played Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, and they will tell you what it needs the most: private online races.  We can’t implement that feature in the game, but as the largest GT site, we can help facilitate online meetings between dedicated, serious, and highly competitive players.  So, today we are officially launching our very own Live Racing Chat to make it easier than ever to meet and compete with your friends.

The live chat is easy to use, and can be broken down by users into different rooms for specialized events, or exchange private messages like any IM service.  Since we first began beta testing a few weeks ago, it has been very well received, already playing host to many heated competitions.  It’s easy to use and is open to all GTPlanet members at no cost.  Just sign in or create an account, head to our Gran Turismo 5 Prologue forum, and click on LIVE Online Racing Chat.

GTPlanet member Ahmed Al Azmi got a lot of attention when he won the GT5 Prologue Middle East Challenge and brought home the “ultimate racing cockpit“.  That was just the first part of his prize, though - earlier this month, he was flown to Japan for a trip to the Tokyo Game Show and a chance to take a new Nissan GT-R around Nissan’s Oppama test track.

“The anticipation was unbearable but I can tell you it was absolutely worth it” commented Ahmad. “This really was a dream come true for me and I want to thank both Nissan Middle East and PlayStation for making it happen. While I’m used to the virtual performance of the car, driving the real Nissan GT-R was something else. It’s hard to put into words what 480bhp, two turbos and AWD feels like…..except to say Wow!”

You can read the full story about Ahmed’s adventures right here.  Congratulations again!