Gran Turismo 5 - a virtual racing game with quite the following. How do you take it to the next level? Turn it into a reality show, of course, with real people and live action (and plenty of risk)! And with that success, head into season 2, and this time raise the stakes even higher.
One Driver. One Chance. One Victory. Nissan, Sony, and Polyphony Digital have joined forces in the new season of Nissan GT Academy. It airs on Thursday nights on SPIKE TV, or it can be viewed on the Nissan YouTube channel the following Monday.
The show pits 16 contestants against each other in a competition to test their real-life racing skills. And this clearly isn't like playing Gran Turismo 5 on the Playstation 3 in your living room. Not unlike other reality shows like 'The Voice' and 'Dancing with the Stars,' Nissan GT Academy showcases professional drivers, Danny Sullivan, Maryeve Dufault and Boris Said to critique the competitors' performances along the way.
And the winner is?
On the December 6th episode, the winner will be determined. And the prize? Nissan will turn them into a professional race car drive - he or she will earn an international competition license, and then actually compete in a real race.
"GT Academy is a program that we are really pleased to be a part of," explains Jon Brancheau, VP Marketing, Nissan North America. "It reinforces our values of excitement, innovation and performance above all else, while giving 16 people the opportunity to fulfill their dreams - and for one of them to potentially change their lives for good."1
While the souped up versions of the 370Z and GT-R that are raced by contestants are not exactly what you find on the showroom floor, Jim Johnson Nissan is excited to show you the variety of its new Nissan models. You'll need to be careful on your test drive, as the streets of Bowling Green aren't like Gran Turismo 5 or the tracks on GT Academy!
Source: 1http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/31/nissan-and-playstation-preview-second-season-of-gt-academy/