I have been a long term race fanatic. I started out with the PC and MotorCity Online. That game was Online only and was released by EA games October of 2001. I then got hooked on Need for Speed : Underground and then Underground 2. Since then, I moved to the Xbox, then the Xbox360. Now my sights are set on the PS3 and with it will be GT5 Prologue ( also, I will be getting Dirt )

So I've been racing quite awhile since the beginning and am on my 5th race wheel. My games of choice is still Need for Speed : Underground 2, an orginal Xbox title ( which I play to this day ), Test Drive Unlimited, Burnout : Revenge, Full Auto, MotoGP '06 and my current addiction Forza2 MotorSport for the Xbox360.

Racing fans are counting the days till GT 5 Prolouge will be released. ( I, myself, included ) The upcoming driving simulator will feature six tracks from around the world and more than sixty vehicles from manufacturers such as Ferrari, Nissan and Aston Martin. While GT5 Prologue will host a number of additional features, such as a new Drift Mode, head to head races and a Gran Turismo TV channel focused around racing programming, it was seen as a sneak peek of what gamers would expect from the full release of Gran Turismo 5. It now appears that racing enthusiasts will have much longer to wait. ( In fact, Gran Turismo 5 won't be coming for at least one year )

Gran Turismo. It's a big deal. You may be part of the vocal minority who disagree, and you're entitled to do so, but the numbers don't lie. We're talking more than 47 million units sold over the past decade. We're talking about a series that has moved PlayStation consoles off shelves like no other. We're talking about games that have directly influenced many a car customer's purchasing decisions across the globe. The original Gran Turismo, still the best-reviewed racing game since 1995, was the bestselling game for the PlayStation, bar none. GT2 was third. The only titles that outsold GT3 on PS2 were Rockstar's all-conquering GTA games, with GT4 close behind. Now GT5 Prolouge is just around the corner and it's destined to become the biggest seller out of all the GT franchise.

GT5 Prologue ships with a fraction over 70 cars, six tracks ( plus some alternate variations ) and a good variation of modes. The single-player experience is by far the most robust part of the package, where the usual GT career progression is condensed down into 30 events over three classes ( plus a further 10 upon completion ). As in the past, you'll be rewarded for your performance with cash, and you'll be required to use it to fill your personal garage full of suitable rides. The events are generally races, although they're broken up by the occasional time trial ( with a full field of AI opponents in a wide range of vehicles doing the same thing ) and overtaking challenges ( where you'll be required to move from last to first in the space of one lap ). The time trials will no longer be solo exercises and will be quite tough. You can, of course, utilize faster cars than your own to draft behind down straights ( should they present themselves at the precise time ) but you'll also find passing slower traffic can hamper your efforts. Still, it's a satisfying challenge. There are also one-make manufacturer races to be found at most of the dealers, as well as a standalone arcade mode which includes the drift trials introduced in GTHD.

The rides themselves, naturally, are the stars and the Australian release of GT5 Prologue is buoyed by around 30 addition vehicles not seen in the Japanese release. The range is quite vast although, to be expected, it lacks the breadth of full titles like Forza2 Motorsports at this point. Fans of this genre of racing ought to be stoked. Expect to see quite a few Ferraris for the first time in the series. The 599 from GTHD is joined by the F430, the F40, the '76 512BB and even Formula One champion Kimi Räikkönen's official Ferrari F2007. There's plenty of other automotive goodness to be had and most tastes are catered for. Euro thoroughbreds like the Aston Martin DB9, Audi R8 and Jaguar XK Coupe line up against contemporary US exotic cars like the Dodge Viper SRT10 and the '07 Ford Mustang. Rice rockets like the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, Subaru Impreza WRX STI and the all conquering brand-new Nissan GT-R take on hot hatches like the Renault Clio, '05 Volkswagen Golf V GTI and the Ford Focus ST.

There's a noticeable lack of much classic US muscle to speak of, save for the 1960 Art Morrison-tuned Corvette. Some of the 60s/70s hulks that were well represented in GT4 would have added a little more spice to the otherwise varied roster. It's also a fraction disappointing a little thunder from down under didn't make the cut for this GT5 entrée either. Local fans will no doubt recall GT4 was bolstered by some homegrown muscle from Holden and Ford Australia and, particularly with Codemasters giving Aussie V8s the flick for Race Driver: GRID, it would've been nice to have been assured they'll make a reappearance in GT5.

Criticism aside though, the cars look absolutely remarkable. The average car in Gran Turismo contained around 4,000 polygons. The figure for GT5 Prologue apparently exceeds 200,000 – and, in some cases, there are over twice as many cars on track as in the past. I always felt a little lonely on track in past GT games ( six cars doesn't really cut it ). Forza2 Motorsports eight vehicles was a bit scarace too, but GT5 Prologue can accommodate double that ( although not on all tracks ). All at a silky smooth 60 frames per second and a blisteringly sharp 1080p, mind you. The amount of detail in the cars themselves is mind-boggling, and the attention to detail unparalleled. Activate the all-new cabin view and you'll be treated to a meticulously modelled and eerily authentic recreation of your favorite car's interior ( from the additional gauges mounted on the dash down to the orange and graphite Reccaro seats ). The exhaust note is spot on too, the distinctive rumble of the Volvo-sourced five-pot under the hood turns into a spirited growl as you push it through the rev range ( that reminds me.... turn off the music ). Listen closely and you can hear the subtle whine of the turbo winding up, and back off the throttle and the hearty roar pops into a subdued hum as you downshift.

Unfortunately, but not entirely unexpectedly, real-time damage is not featured and the cars remain as invulnerable as ever. As a result, shunting opponents to supplement your braking is still a tactic the unscrupulous can employ ( although there are penalties to prevent this as you reach the business end of the game ). This is one of the two areas where the almighty GT has been left wanting by the likes of Forza2 Motorsports  ( the other is visual customization ). The trade off, of course, is visuals that completely bury Turn 10's admirable effort, and magnificent interiors that car afficondos will go positively nuts for.

The tracks themselves don't disappoint either. Daytona is surprisingly cool when the exceedingly narrow and twisted infield segment is added to the more familiar oval, and London is a triumph. It's not only incredibly fun ( and hard to master ) but it looks unreal. You'll probably be going too fast to appreciate how each building is lovingly pieced together, although you'll be hard pressed not to gawk at the fantastic lighting effects as you whip through the shadows cast by trackside architecture and the sunlight piercing the gaps quickly slides across the dash. GTHD's Eiger Nordwand gets another run, as does the High Speed Ring. Real-world circuits Fuji and Suzuka round out the six.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, really, is the biggest demo you'll ever play. I for one, will diffinitely have this in my race collection and am sure to have many hours of ripping up the road mayhem!