Toyota GT86 adds real-life fun to the launch of Gran Turismo® 6
- Two Toyota GT86 provide guests at the Ascari Race Resort with real-life driving fun during the launch of Gran Turismo® 6
- Prototype CAN-Gateway ECU unit allows vehicle data to be stored and redeployed via the Play Station Console.
- Exciting Toyota sports concept to feature in Vision Gran Turismo®
Malaga, Spain — Toyota participated in the international launch of the Gran Turismo® 6 driving simulator for the Sony PlayStation® 3 console. The event was held on December 2nd and 3rd at the Ascari Race Resort close to the town of Ronda (Malaga, Spain).
Toyota Spain provided two units of the Toyota GT86 for track-drives, allowing guests to experience real-life hot laps on the Ascari circuit.
Furthermore, the GT86s were equipped with prototype versions of the CAN-Gateway ECU, in development from Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) and Denso Corporation (DENSO). This device collects and stores real-time vehicle data such as GPS position, speed, actuation of the accelerator and brake pedal, steering angle, selected gear and others. It can help software developers to create driving simulators and games, without the need to access and interpret the complicated vehicle CAN-protocol. The CAN-Gateway ECU will be commercialized on the Japanese market in the Spring of 2014.
Further development is underway to enable vehicle data from drivers on major circuits to be recorded onto USB flash drives for input into the racing game Gran Turismo® 6. This data can then be used to review driving scenarios and compare them side-by-side with gaming data. Guests at the Gran Turismo® launch could already test this functionality.
The event also marked the announcement of the Vision Gran Turismo® project, under which various manufacturers have committed to develop vehicle concepts that GT6 owners will be able to put through their paces on their game console. Toyota revealed a sketch of the sports car that it is preparing for Vision Gran Turismo®.