One of the best things about the Gran Turismo series is its inclusion of cars that aren’t necessarily the most powerful exotics. Its embrace of obscure classics, everyday cars, and vehicles that have no business being on a race track are what endeared us to the series. Anyone remember slinging a Honda Element around the ‘Ring in GT4? For its September 2025 update, Gran Turismo 7 is adding some truly unexpected machinery.
The FJ40 Land Cruiser isn’t your typical circuit weapon. In 1974, the year GT has chosen , it made 125 horsepower and 209 lb-ft of torque. Its top speed was only about 80 mph, and at that speed its straight six really feels like it’s going to explode at any minute. Nevertheless, it’s an absolute icon so we’re very happy to see it included, especially with a detailed interior with folded up jump seats.
Perhaps even more bizarre an inclusion is another Toyota SUV, the 2020 Toyota RAV4 Adventure. Yes, crossovers are antithetical to everything Gran Turismo stands for, but it’s the best-selling passenger car in the US, sporty enough (for an SUV), and most importantly, a car that the average kid can identify with. Like it or not, this is now the default family hauler, and there is something cool about being able to play the car that mom and dad have in the driveway. If it helps get a kid interested in the game before broadening their horizons with GT-Rs and Supras, that’s great.
The car we suspect most JNC readers will be interested in is the 2025 Mazda Roadster “Spirit Racing” 12R. Introduced at the 2025 Tokyo Auto Salon, it’s a limited edition road version of the Spirit Racing Roadsters that Mazda campaigns in Japan’s Super Taikyu endurance series. It boasts 16 more horsepower from its 2.0-liter engine, and comes with track-tuned Brembos, Bilstiens, and lightweight Rays wheels. Only 200 were built, and were offered by lottery to buyers in Japan.
Two additional cars, a Hyundai Elantra N and the Opel Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo, are included in the update as well. Time to fire up the PS5.
