Polyphony Digital has announced Spec IV, a free major update for Gran Turismo 7 that is large enough that it will be split across two releases — one in October and one in December 2026.
The timing is deliberate. 2027 marks 30 years since the original Gran Turismo, and Spec IV is being positioned as the opening act for that anniversary. Across both parts we are getting two new circuits, 12 new cars, two new online modes, a new Family mode, and a set of changes to how cars are bought, viewed, and collected.
This follows Spec II in November 2023 and Spec III last December, so the pattern of milestone updates continues. It has also been signposted for a while — an invitation-only PlayStation survey mentioned a "Spec 4" update back in April, with a second survey in July asking players what they wanted from future updates. Here is everything confirmed so far.
What Arrives in October
Sportsland SUGO circuit
• Six new cars
• A new Spec IV opening cinematic
• Vintage — a section for cars no longer available to buy new
• Car Concierge — a service for ordering Used and Legend cars
• Experience — brand-specific driving challenges
• Car Viewer — a way to look over the cars in your garage
• An increased Collector Level cap
What Arrives in December
• Autumn Ring circuit
• Six more new cars
• Family — a new mode aimed at players of all ages
• Shuffle Race — a luck-based race with randomly selected cars
• Online Drift Trial — competitive drifting against players worldwide
• The next evolution of Gran Turismo Sophy
• A new Power Pack difficulty level for advanced players
Sportsland SUGO
The October circuit is Sportsland SUGO in Japan, and this is the first time it has appeared in a Gran Turismo title. For a series that has covered Japanese circuits fairly thoroughly, that is a notable gap to finally close.
SUGO is a regular fixture on the domestic Japanese calendar, hosting Super GT, Super Formula and Super Taikyu rounds. The lap is short at roughly 3.7 km, but it packs in serious elevation change, a fast run through the back section, and a tight uphill final complex feeding onto the pit straight. The Dunlop bridge is the landmark most people will recognise immediately.
From a racing point of view, this is the interesting one. Short lap, big elevation, and a layout where mistakes cost you properly — that usually makes for good daily race material.
Autumn Ring
The December circuit is Autumn Ring, and for longtime players this is the emotional one. It was in the original 1997 Gran Turismo and stayed in the series through GT6, and it has sat near the top of most "bring this back" wishlists ever since.
Two things worth knowing. The original layout is being recreated faithfully, scenery included. But Polyphony is also adding a new, significantly expanded configuration — so this is not purely a nostalgia drop, there is genuinely new track to learn.
Worth noting that it had already leaked, sort of. The LEGO PlayStation set that surfaced a day before the announcement contains a small Gran Turismo diorama that, looked at closely, is Autumn Ring Mini — autumn foliage and rumble strips included.
The New Cars
Twelve cars across both updates. Six have been revealed so far, presumably the October batch:
• BMW M5 (E60) — the 2004–2010 M5, the only one to run a V10. The 5.0-litre S85 made 500hp and borrowed its layout from BMW's Formula 1 programme of the era. Last seen in GT6.
• Honda Mugen Motul Civic — the Group A Japanese Touring Car racer, also last in the series in GT6.
• Citroën 2CV Charleston — the two-tone special edition of France's most famous economy car.
• Honda Stepwagon Spada — a minivan. Polyphony has never been shy about everyday Japanese cars.
• Mazda RX-Vision GT3 Evo — revealed by Mazda last month, an updated take on the RX-Vision GT3 Concept from GT Sport.
• Xiaomi Vision Gran Turismo — the Chinese tech company's VGT entry, first shown in February, finally arriving in game.
Classic Gran Turismo spread, in other words. A V10 super saloon, a Group A touring car, a 2CV, a minivan, a GT3 car and a VGT. The remaining six will be revealed later.
Shuffle Racing Is Back
For a lot of people this will be the headline.
Shuffle Racing was a lobby mode in Gran Turismo 5 where you did not pick your own car. Everyone was handed a machine of broadly similar performance at random, which flattened the playing field and forced drivers to adapt on the spot. It was chaotic and it was a cult favourite.
It vanished after GT5, and players have been asking for it back more or less continuously for 13 years. The July survey may well have had something to do with this.
Exactly how it will work in GT7 is not clear yet — whether it follows the GT5 formula precisely, or where it sits within the online structure. What we know is that the cars will be randomised. It arrives in December.
Online Drift Trial
For a lot of people this will be the headline.
Shuffle Racing was a lobby mode in Gran Turismo 5 where you did not pick your own car. Everyone was handed a machine of broadly similar performance at random, which flattened the playing field and forced drivers to adapt on the spot. It was chaotic and it was a cult favourite.
It vanished after GT5, and players have been asking for it back more or less continuously for 13 years. The July survey may well have had something to do with this.
Exactly how it will work in GT7 is not clear yet — whether it follows the GT5 formula precisely, or where it sits within the online structure. What we know is that the cars will be randomised. It arrives in December.
Family Mode
Family Mode lands in December and is pitched as a more accessible way to play GT7 with family and friends — a starting point for players with very different levels of driving experience, while still offering something for people who already play a lot.
The framing here is interesting. GT7's onboarding since launch has been the Café and its Menu Books, which works fine for a solo player but is not great when you want to hand a controller to a relative who has never played. A dedicated mode for exactly that situation has been missing for a while.
Vintage, Car Concierge, and the Collection Changes
Several October features are aimed at how you buy and browse cars:
• Vintage — a dedicated section for cars no longer purchasable new
• Car Concierge — a service for ordering Used and Legend cars
• Experience — brand-specific driving challenges
• Car Viewer — a proper way to look over what is in your garage
• Collector Level cap increase
The Concierge one is the practical change. Right now the Used Car and Legend dealers rotate their stock, which means waiting for a specific car to come around. A concierge service implies you will be able to request what you actually want instead. If you have been chasing one particular car for months, that matters.
Sophy and Power Pack
Two more things confirmed for December: the next evolution of Gran Turismo Sophy, and a new Power Pack difficulty level aimed at advanced players. No detail on either yet, but Sophy continuing to develop is worth watching — it has been the most genuinely interesting AI project in racing games.
Release Timing
Part one arrives in October. Part two in December. The next round of information comes at Gran Turismo World Series Round 3 in Singapore on October 3, where Polyphony has said it will go into more detail on the cars, circuits, modes and features in both parts.
What are you most looking forward to — SUGO, Autumn Ring, or Shuffle Racing? Let us know.
Gran Turismo 7 Spec IV: Two New Circuits, 12 Cars, and the Return of Shuffle Racing
Articles