GT7's May Update Adds Volvo, EG Civic, and a Japanese Touring Car Legend

Honestly, I was pretty sure we'd seen the last of Gran Turismo 7's big updates. Nothing since the arrival of Spec II last year has really indicated the game is still growing and, as nice as the addition of the Toyota GT-One was a few months back, three cars on a monthly cadence isn't always much inspiration to return to the game, if there isn't much new to do with them. But Polyphony Digital must've heard naysayers like myself, because just over two years since GT7's launch, we're getting five new cars in the May 2024 patch, including a new brand and a Japanese touring car stalwart many longtime Gran Turismo fans have been anticipating for ages.

May's update 1.48 brings the 2000 Honda NSX GT500—here in its Castrol Mugen guise that won its class that year—as well as the 1987 R31 Nissan Skyline GTS-R and 1993 EG Honda Civic SiR-II. But we've also got a fresh face in the form of Volvo, which hasn't been in a Gran Turismo game since the sixth entry 11 years ago, bringing the V40 T5 R-design from 2013 and the venerable 240 Estate from 1993.

The NSX GT500 completes the triumvirate of the Castrol Tom's Supra and Pennzoil Nissan R34 GT-R in the JGTC's top class, and if you don't like the green-and-red getup, it should only be a matter of time before we see fan-made alternative liveries, from the Mobil 1 to Autobacs and Loctite-sponsored cars. There will also be an Extra Menu to complete if you have all three, that will get you a reward of some type, likely to be a Roulette Ticket for a high-end car, cash, or engine.

Speaking of engines, I'm very curious to see if players will be able to swap something mad under the 240's long hood. The post about the update over at PlayStation Blog doesn't mention what stock motor's inside the particular example in GT7, though we can assume it'll be Volvo's 2.3-liter "Red Block" inline-four as was custom in the late-model 240s, making about 114 horsepower and 136 lb-ft of torque. It's not quite the homologation Turbo Evolution spec that boosted output to about 160 hp, but we'll be able to better that in the tuning shop with little effort. Here's hoping the optional cosmetic parts and widebody respect the 240's touring-car heritage, and enable it to go toe-to-toe with the E30 BMW M3 and Ford Sierra Cosworth already in the game.

And that's really all there is to say about May's GT7 update. You've got to wonder when Polyphony will decide it's time to pack it up and move on from this game—though, with the PS5 Pro on the horizon and all signs pointing to a holiday 2024 release, it's quite possible the studio will keep its foot on the gas with GT7, adding new content, features, and improved graphics and gameplay options to encourage fans to upgrade to Sony's most potent hardware. My fingers are crossed for in-game raytracing, personally.

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