Could Gran Turismo Sport Include Circuito do Estoril and the Ligier JS P3?
October 28th, 2016 by Brendan Rorrison
The twisty Estoril could be coming to your PS4. Source:
Motorespt
With many details still being kept in the dark regarding Gran Turismo Sport, the full car and track roster expected in-game remains a mystery. Since the original info blowout at the Copper Box event in May, there have been occasional car reveals (
Hyundai Genesis Gr. 3,
Kazunori’s own BMW M6 GT3) and a single new track shown off (
Fishermans Ranch). In terms of official announcements, Polyphony has remained silent on that front since the
game’s delay to sometime in 2017.
However, a recent
Instagram post and
interview by Portuguese racing driver and 2013 GT Academy winner Miguel Faisca could hint at some of the new content we may be privy to in the coming months. The interview in question recaps Miguel’s recent race at the Estoril circuit during the European Le Mans racing series.
Aside from talking about his 6th place finish at the event, Faisca’s (translated) comments about preparation are the big takeaway: “Gran Turismo Sport is fantastic for the accuracy of the details of the cars and the tracks where we can compete, coupled with graphical improvements, they get closer and closer to reality.”
Curiously, the Circuito do Estoril has not appeared in previous games. At least, not officially:
our community did build a pretty good replica in GT6. The Ligier JS P3 Faisca pilots in LMP3 has similarly never featured in the franchise. Miguel’s specific car also races in a PlayStation and Gran Turismo livery.
On it’s own, this wouldn’t mean too much. We’ve seen countless race cars plastered in GT logos that have never appeared in the series. But taking this in combination with Miguel’s comments about GT Sport car accuracy, it certainly seems like it could be more than a simple general statement. The Ligier also uses a Nissan-developed, 420BHP V8, so there’s definitely a basis for the speculation given Nissan’s close ties with Polyphony and Gran Turismo.
With Gran Turismo Sport’s extended focus on Motorsport, Estoril and the LMP3 Ligier would definitely be unique additions inspired by a member of the GT Academy alumni. With the continued public showing of
Brands Hatch and the
Nordschleife, it can’t be long until we see what other real world tracks will host racing in GT Sport. Here’s hoping that the ex-Formula 1 circuit and LMP3 machine find a home in the latest Gran Turismo title.