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GT's producer discusses the next installment of the series in Tokyo
The producer of the Gran Turismo series, Kazunori Yamauchi, has for the first time discussed details of Gran Turismo 4. Yamauchi was appearing at the Tokyo Amlux Auto Salon motor show in Japan, during which he took part in a Q&A session on the GT games.

While he admitted that development was still at a relatively early stage, he confirmed that the current plan is for GT4 to include full network support. This would allow gamers to race head-to-head online, via broadband networks (which are due to launch in Japan and the US later this year, although a UK launch date has yet to be announced).

Other online features will include being able to download new vehicles and a Test Drive mode that will allow gamers to try out a new car online before buying it. The game is scheduled for release in 2003.

Also at the show, Yamauchi applauded Toyota for their support of GT and said, "Toyota was one of only three or four companies which were immediately supportive of the Gran Turismo series."

As a result of the cosy relationship between Yamauchi and the car manufacturer, a new version of Gran Turismo developed exclusively for Toyota was revealed at the show.

Titled Gran Turismo Amlux, the GT spin-off only features Toyota cars and will be playable exclusively at the Amlux dealership in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. No new tracks are available in the game and it's not expected to be made available at retail.

It will be interesting to see how GT4 fares - both commercially and critically - in comparison to Capcom's rival PS2 online racer Auto Modellista. It's becoming clear that the future of racing games will be based as much on trading and other online elements as it ever was on simply tearing round a track as quickly as you can.

But while GT4 will no doubt be one of the most realistic racers ever, Modellista conversely takes racing games back to their arcade-style roots, eschewing realism for funky cel-shaded graphics and over-the-top powerslides.

The online racing battle, pitting realism against arcade fun, is due to kick off over the next few months. The future of console drive-'em-ups is at stake and, whoever comes out on top, one thing's for sure: broadband-based console racers are the way forward.