Gran Turismo 7 in 2026: The Updates, the World Series and the Road to Real Racing
Four years on, Polyphony's driving game keeps growing. What arrived in 2026, where the World Series stands and how gamers became racers.
MAN TARGET EditorsOctober 25, 2026 4 min read
Gran Turismo 7 arrived on 4 March 2022, and more than four years later Polyphony Digital is still building on it. In 2026 the PlayStation driving game kept its rhythm of free updates, ran a full Gran Turismo World Series season and remained the best-known bridge between a living-room screen and a real racing seat. Here is where it stands on 1 November 2026, checked against official announcements.
The 2026 updates
- Spring and summer: regular free updates kept the garage growing; June's was built around Le Mans Hypercars and August's 1.71 added four more cars.
- Update 1.72 (mid-October): the first part of Spec IV brought six cars, from a Ferrari F355 Berlinetta '94 to the Xiaomi Vision Gran Turismo, plus the SUGO International Racing Course in Japan.
- Also in 1.72: a new opening movie, new Brand Central makers such as Lancia, TVR and Shelby, engine swaps in GT Auto, revised physics defaults for Gr.1 to Gr.4 cars and native support for the Moza R5S Pro wheel.
- Next: a second part is planned for December, with more cars and the new Autumn Ring circuit.
Gran Turismo World Series 2026
The official championship runs in two formats: the Nations Cup for individual drivers and the Manufacturers Cup for brand teams. After online qualifying, the live rounds went to Milan on 23 May, Polyphony's Tokyo studio on 15 August and Singapore on 3 October, the series' first visit to the city. The World Finals are scheduled for Tokyo on 5 and 6 December 2026 and stream on Gran Turismo's official channels.
In Gran Turismo, the line between playing and racing has always been thinner than it looks.
From console to cockpit
The real-world story is the series' signature. GT Academy, created by Nissan and PlayStation in 2008, turned top players into licensed racing drivers. Its best-known graduate, Jann Mardenborough, went on to race at Le Mans, and his path inspired the 2023 Sony Pictures film Gran Turismo. Today the World Series is the main stage, with car brands backing their own teams in the Manufacturers Cup.
How to get into it
- Start in Sport Mode, the ranked online mode, and protect your Sportsmanship Rating: clean racing counts as much as pace.
- A controller is fine for learning; a force-feedback wheel adds precision and makes long sessions more rewarding.
- Watch World Series replays to study racing lines, tyre management and how the best drivers overtake.
- GT7 runs on PS5 and PS4; on PS5 the PS VR2 headset adds a full cockpit view.
Four years in, Gran Turismo 7 feels less like a finished game than a living garage. If you come back to it now, start with the Spec IV cars, book a slot in Sport Mode and keep the December World Finals in your calendar: it is the best showcase of what a home rig and real talent can do.
Key takeaways
- Update 1.72 in mid-October opened Spec IV with six cars and the SUGO circuit.
- A second part is due in December, with more cars and the Autumn Ring circuit.
- The 2026 World Series visited Milan, Tokyo and Singapore; the World Finals are in Tokyo on 5 and 6 December.
- GT Academy proved a gamer could become a professional racer, a story told in the 2023 film Gran Turismo.
FAQ
What is in Gran Turismo 7 update 1.72?
The first part of Spec IV: six new cars, the SUGO International Racing Course, a new opening movie, engine swaps and revised physics defaults for racing cars.
When are the Gran Turismo World Series 2026 World Finals?
On 5 and 6 December 2026 in Tokyo, after live rounds in Milan, Tokyo and Singapore.
Can you become a real racing driver through Gran Turismo?
GT Academy proved it was possible, with Jann Mardenborough racing at Le Mans. Today the World Series is the main path to top-level visibility.
See the Man Target events guide for the races and finals worth watching live.
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