1960 Corvette Wins Gran Turismo Awards’ “Best In Show”
Car owners from around the globe competed to have their auto featured in an upcoming version of popular racing game Gran Turismo at Sony's 4th annual aptly named Grand Turismo Awards. The contest was held as part of the SEMA conference in Las Vegas. In case you are woefully uninformed, SEMA stands for Specialty Equipment Market Association which, if you ask me, is a terribly boring name for what is supposed to be the world's largest auto show.
Craig Morrison and his 1960 Chevrolet Corvette beat out winners in five other categories for the coveted "Best In Show " award and his car's place in gaming history. Past winners have included an HPA Volkswagen R32, a 1962 Buick Special and a 2004 Honda S2000. Which GT game and platform the 'Vette will show up on was mysteriously absent from the press release which stated that Sony was looking to "find the hottest car for its next Gran Turismo(TM) property on a PlayStation(R) platform." The next GT game is set to be released on the PS3, but knowing the notorious tardiness of these titles, we may not see the winning car until the PS5 or later.
Next year I'll be sure to enter my first car: a rusty old pumpkin orange '76 VW Camper Van with pop-up top that rarely starts and falls apart if you look at it wrong. Think I'll win?!
Make the jump for the full press release.
1960 Chevrolet Corvette Wins 'Best in Show' at Fourth Annual Gran Turismo(TM)
Awards, Securing Opportunity for Car to be Featured in World Renowned Gaming
Franchise on a PlayStation(R) Platform
Hosted by PlayStation(R), Awards Ceremony Honors Automotive Excellence Among
SEMA Show Exhibitors
LAS VEGAS, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to find the hottest car for
its next Gran Turismo(TM) property on a PlayStation(R) platform, Sony Computer
Entertainment America Inc. held its fourth annual Gran Turismo Awards at the
SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) show in Las Vegas. Hundreds of
entries from the world's largest auto show entered the competition in one of
five categories, the winners of which were in the running for the top honor.
In the end, the 2006 Gran Turismo "Best in Show" title was bestowed upon on
Craig Morrison and his 1960 Chevrolet Corvette.
Morrison's Corvette will now be immortalized in the most realistic racing
simulation game for all fans of the best-selling franchise to enjoy. Gamers
can race award winners from 2003 and 2004 in Gran Turismo(TM) 4 which has sold
more than 7.6 million units to date worldwide exclusively on the
PlayStation(R) 2 computer entertainment system. Last Year's winning Honda
S2000 will be making its first appearance in the Gran Turismo franchise on a
PlayStation platform soon.
"The Gran Turismo Awards has established itself as a perfect forum to
honor those automobile enthusiasts that share a passion for video games," said
Kazunori Yamauchi, famed creator of Gran Turismo franchise and President of
Polyphony Digital Inc. "There is a strong parallel between the automotive and
gaming industries, and we're excited to have an opportunity to celebrate that
through the SEMA show."
About the Judging for the Gran Turismo Awards
Prior to the SEMA show, all exhibitors were invited to enter their car
into the Gran Turismo Awards. The Gran Turismo Awards honor five different
categories, including "Best Domestic," "Best European," "Best Hot Rod," "Best
Japanese," and "Best Truck/SUV." From this group, one is saluted with the
coveted "Best in Show" award.
Judges consisted of various respected journalists and personalities in the
automotive industry. Judging for each category is based on the judge's choice
for a car with well-balanced performance, style and speed. The "Best in Show"
award is selected by the famed creator of the Gran Turismo franchise
-- Kazunori Yamauchi.
About the Gran Turismo Award Winners
Held November 1, inside the Hard Rock Hotel at Las Vegas hot spot, The
Joint, award winners and VIPs of the automotive industry held witness to the
fourth annual Gran Turismo Awards ceremony. In addition to the ceremony, party
guests were treated to live performances by iconic rock band Foreigner and
Pharrell Williams' DJ, Jus Ske. Guests were also granted the exclusive and
enviable opportunity to test their driving skills on GT HD for the
PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(TM)) computer entertainment system, three weeks before
the highly anticipated console goes on sale in the US.
In addition to his "Best in Show" trophy and "Best Hot Rod" award, winner
Craig Morrison will set a new standard for visibility among auto enthusiasts
as his vehicle will be drivable in a future Gran Turismo property. Other 2006
winners include:
"Best European Import" -- Don Nicholson, for his 2008 Volvo C30.
"Best Domestic Automobile" -- Tajai Das for his 2006 Pontiac Solstice.
"Best Hot Rod" -- Craig Morrison for his 1960 Chevrolet Corvette.
"Best Japanese Automobile" -- Leigh Guarnieri for his 2007 Honda Fit.
"Best Truck / SUV" -- Daryl Klassen & Mike DeFord for their 2006 Hummer
H3.
2005 Best in Show winner Stephen Papadakis and his 2004 Honda S2000 are
getting ready for their video game debut. Past winners include Marcel Horn
(2004) and his one-of-kind HPA Volkswagen R32 and Ted and Sue Richardson of
Oregon (2003) with their 1962 Buick Special. Both cars from 2003 and 2004 can
be seen in Gran Turismo 4 for PlayStation 2.
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