The Ultra Cheaty Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak Is Returning to Gran Turismo
Back in the day, it was basically the only way to obtain other cars.
A new update is coming to "Gran Turismo 7" sometime this week and coming with it is the return of what may just be the franchise's most iconic machine: the Suzuki Escudo Pikes Peak.
Sure, casual players may pick one of the many, many Nissan Skyline GT-Rs or Mazda Miatas or even the Castrol Tom's Supra as the most quintessential "Gran Turismo" car but the real enterprising players who played these games back in the day will likely point to the Pikes Peak Escudo. First appearing in 1999's "Gran Turismo 2" with a twin-turbo V6, it was a 1,000-horsepower hillclimb rally car made for Japanese racing driver Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima to, as its name suggests, conquer Pikes Peak. In-game, however, it was basically a cheat code on wheels, able to easily beat everything on anything with ease.
According to the Gran Turismo Wiki, it hit 60 mph in two seconds flat and had a top speed of 255 mph.
The car returned with a notably less capable V8 in the next four main "GT" games as well as the PSP version—it was merely a standard-grade car in "GT5" and "GT6" with PS2-level graphics and a blank interior—but skipped "GT Sport" entirely. Its 4K PS5-grade return in "GT7" then will be the first time players see this car rendered in any proper, modern fidelity.
"GT" creator Kazunori Yamauchi tweeted a teaser Sunday for three new cars that will be coming to the game. According to the ardent "Gran Turismo" fans over at GTPlanet, the car on top is the Escudo while the car at the bottom left is apparently another Suzuki. Specifically, a Gr.3 racing version of the Suzuki Vision Gran Turismo introduced in "GT7's" previous update, a Hayabusa-powered, modern interpretation of the company's Cappuccino Kei car. Yes, that is as awesome as it sounds.
The third and remaining car, however, remains a bit of a mystery although it appears to be some sort of classic American hot rod. In any case, we won't have to wait very long to find out what it is since the game update is scheduled for this week.
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