Hoping to get the competitive spirit going, Sony sent out word that the GT Academy will launch in Europe on June 2, letting gamers across the region dream about racing a real-life race car around a track. The first phase of the competition will run for seven weeks, having players compete to be the fastest around the Eiger Nordwand track in a Nissan Fairlady 350Z.

The second stage will start in July, having the fastest 20 drivers from each country invited to a national final to compete head-to-head in the game. The three fastest drivers will be taken to drive a real-life Nissan GT-R in Silverstone, the home of British motor racing.

The two fastest drivers there will have the chance to enter a four month training program to earn their racing license and take part ina real life race in a fully race prepared Nissan 350Z at the 24 hour endurance event in Dubai in January 2009.

Speaking at Nurburgring 24H race, Kazunori Yamauchi, President of Polyphony Digital producers of Gran Turismo said: “This is a very exciting day for Gran Turismo. The Gran Turismo story started 10 years ago with the ambition to make a racing game that gives players the ultimate driving simulation experience. The GT Academy is the ultimate realisation of this ambition taking the Gran Turismo experience to the next level.”