1) Dodge Viper GTS-R 1996
Perhaps the go-to overpowered car in the first instalment of the game, this livery is based loosely on Team Oreca’s #51 competitor for the 1996 Le Mans 24 Hours. With a naturally aspirated V10 sending 690hp to the rear wheels, this remains one of the quickest ways to dispatch a long Sunday Cup grind.
2) Mazda RX-7 A-Spec LM Edition
Those big black eyes and the low-slung body go hand in hand with the massive 541hp sitting beneath the Castrol-themed body. In Gran Turismo 1 (GT1), the only way to acquire this RX-7 is by winning the challenging ‘Anglo-American Sports Car Championship’. Good luck dealing with the adverse effects of rubber banding.
3) Honda NSX-R LM GT2 1995
A GT2 class winner in 1995, the NSX-R had its twin-turbocharged V6 uprated from 384 to 549hp for the game to keep it competitive. Though that was probably pointless since throwing on a stage four turbocharger will give it a million horsepower anyway, such are the, shall we say ‘unique’ tuning metrics of the game.
4) Subaru Impreza Rally Car
It’s also worth sparing a thought for one of the few rally cars in the game. The Impreza felt like a natural inclusion, given GT1’s favoritism for Japanese cars… and the fact it won the World Rally Championship two years before the game’s release. Like the aforementioned NSX-R, it too saw a significant power increase from the real thing to over 400hp, while weighing just 980kg. Proper rowdy, that.
5) Mitsubishi GTO LM
Did you know that the 614hp Mitsubishi GTO LM is one of only three cars in the game to have a seven-speed transmission? That must’ve been one hell of a pickup line back in those days. Anyway, we think it’s one of the more handsome LM cars since the GTO’s taut physique fits the go-faster garnish quite well. Not a bad way to spend half a million credits.
6) Nissan GT-R LM Road Going Version 1995
Let’s take a moment to appreciate the poster car for GT1: Nissan’s R33 GT-R LM. In real life, it still sits proudly as one of the rarest Skylines ever made. In the game, you can only claim it by winning the Special Stage Route 11 endurance race in reverse. Though, completing 30 laps of gorgeous moonlit Japanese streets doesn’t seem like the worst way to spend an evening.
7) Toyota Castrol Supra GT 1996
No, we haven’t forgotten. The Toyota Castrol TOM’s Supra is arguably the series’ most commonly associated car. In this form, the 3.0-liter inline-six produces 686hp and 917Nm of torque, and though its four-second sprint to 100kph makes it somewhat sluggish off the line, a top speed of 360kph is achievable once the turbos begin to spin.
8) Mitsubishi FTO LM Edition
If you hadn’t noticed already, we’re big fans of the original LM cars, and the wide-bodied, super-aggressive FTO is a big contributing factor. Though not an ‘official’ vehicle, Kazunori Yamauchi (the series’ founder) is said to have created this four-wheel drive, race-readied version because he once heard rumors that Mitsubishi did intend on making it. If only…
9) Toyota Chaser LM Edition
It’s slightly disappointing that the Toyota Chaser LM features solely in GT1 since four-door sedans rarely receive this sort of treatment in the latter games. It’s based on a touring car which Toyota developed for competition and is a welcome change from the usual Chaser portfolio, of which 98% are used to create spectacular drift sequences.
10) TVR Cerbera LM Edition
Tipping the scales at just 890kg and channelling 624hp from its naturally aspirated V8, the Cerbera LM is the exotic alternative to the ruthless Japanese contingent. Oh, it also doesn’t Vmax until 377kph, making it almost unbeatable in a straight line… unless the computer rocks up with a kitted-out Mazda Demio. Obviously.
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
