Only 19 of the ‘05 NISMO R34 GT-R Z-tune were produced by Nissan’s performance division. Nineteen. With some mathing, that’s one of Z-tune R34 for every 424,315,789 humans on Earth. If you happen to be one of the ridiculously few, good for you. For the rest of us, we have the free Update 1.61 from the Polyphony team. In addition to being able to drive the grail-status Z-tune the ’22 Honda N-ONE RS and ’22 Nissan Qashqai Tekna 190 2wd e-Power are also available in this free update.
Three new events, a new Lone Pine location added to Scapes, and a ’17 Lexus RC F GT3 with the “ANEST IWATA Racing 2025” livery in the Lexus Showroom are additional content for the month. The Sophy AI racing agent will be available to battle against on the High-Speed Ring circuit.
Update 1.61 for Gran Turismo 7 is available as of today, Wednesday, July 23 at 10:00pm PT / July 24 at 6:00am GMT / 3:00pm JST.
NEW CARS**
’22 Honda N-ONE RS
(Can be purchased from Brand Central / Used Cars)
This “hot” model boasts the first front-wheel drive turbo, 6-speed manual transmission combo is a kei car.
The N-ONE was introduced as a new basic car featuring motifs from the original N360, Honda’s first kei regulation passenger car. The first generation was released in 2012 and found critical and commercial success for its charming looks and driveability.
In 2020, the N-ONE entered its second generation. Though the body frame was overhauled, requests from fans to not change the car’s looks led to the body panels from the first generation model being carried over and reused. Instead, subtle changes were made to the shape of the grille and bumper to tastefully express the evolution of the model.
The second-generation sports model was dubbed the “RS,” standing for “Road Sailing.” While this grade also existed for the first generation, the 2nd gen. model featured the first combination of a front-mounted turbocharged engine with front-wheel drive paired with a 6-speed manual transmission, which made it even more of a joy to drive.
The RS features an exclusive exterior design with black trim parts, but its most interesting feature is probably the 6-speed transmission. Designed for the enthusiast, it uses a close-ratio gear set as in the S660. The 2nd and 3rd gears feature heavy-duty synchros, and the clutch also uses heavy-duty parts.
On the other side of the coin, it also features many assistance functions like any other modern manual car—from the peak torque limiter, which reduces shift shock when suddenly releasing the clutch, to automatic brake hold, which makes things like hill starts much easier.
Thanks to its compact size and light weight at just under 1,000 kg, the driving feel is much more direct than one would expect from a car of this type. Overall, it makes for a very attractive package which brings the joy of sports driving closer to home.
’05 NISMO R34 GT-R Z-tune
(Can be purchased from Brand Central)
The second wave GT-R finishes with the ultimate complete tuned car.
In 2004, Nismo (currently Nissan Motorsports & Customizing) celebrated the 20th anniversary of their founding. To mark the occasion, they decided to create the ultimate road car as a culmination of their 20 years of experience. The result of this passion project was the Nismo R34 GT-R Z-tune.
However, production of the R34 model Skyline GT-R, which formed the base of this project, had already ceased by this time. To get around this, Nismo selected 20 used cars that met a strict set of requirements and dismantled all the bodies so they could be carefully reconstructed by hand.
Naturally, every part that was added was of the highest level, befitting of the “Z” label. At its core sits the RB26DETT Kai-Z2 engine. Starting with the same 2.8L setup as the contemporary GT500 class GT-R race car, every component—from the pistons to the block to the conrods—was selected for strength and reliability. The turbochargers are IHI-made units, which had seen success in the 2004 Nürburgring 24-Hour race. Meanwhile, the exhaust is constructed from titanium, increasing catalyzer performance and exhaust flow rate.
To increase chassis rigidity, extra spot welds were added around areas like the door frame, while areas more prone to distortion from the heat of welding were reinforced with molded CFRP parts. The suspension features specially tuned bolt-on dampers produced by SACHS, a company with a proven track record in GT500. In order to achieve the target of 1.6G braking force on semi-slick tyres, bespoke brake parts were developed in conjunction with Brembo.
The exterior also received a number of refinements focused on weight reduction, cooling, and aerodynamics. In particular, on the front end, the bumper, fenders, and bonnet were all replaced with CFRP parts.
In the end, only 19 cars were produced, including the prototype, but the R34 GT-R Z-tune is almost certainly Nismo’s greatest contribution to the second wave of GT-R models.
’22 Nissan Qashqai Tekna 190 2wd e-Power
(Can be purchased from Brand Central)
Nissan’s Compact SUV Is Even Better with e-Power.
The Qashqai is a compact SUV that occupies the C-segment in Nissan’s lineup. The first model was released in 2006, with a second-generation model introduced in 2013. The model presented here is the third-generation incarnation, which debuted in 2021.
The third-gen Qashqai features a styling overhaul to go along with its new, larger body. The sharp lines of the bold exterior design converge upon Nissan’s emblematic V-Motion grille. The car uses the latest CMF-C/D3 platform, which provides improved ride comfort and handling.
Looking toward the powertrain, along with more traditional gasoline engines, the Qashqai is also available with Nissan’s proprietary e-Power series-hybrid system. This system uses the engine to power a generator, the electricity from which is sent to electric motors that turn the wheels. What’s more, Nissan’s electric-generating engine is the world’s first mass-produceable variable compression ratio engine. Its excellent thermal efficiency also offers great improvements in CO₂ emissions.
‘Tekna’ refers to the model grade. The Tekna offers a wealth of equipment, with larger wheels, ambient lighting, and a head-up display included as standard.
World Circuits (New Events)
The following new events have been added to “World Circuits”:
- Lightweight K-Cup: Nürburgring Nordschleife
- Japanese FF Challenge 450: Alsace – Test Course
- Race of Turbo Sportscars: Fuji International Speedway
Gran Turismo Sophy
The next-generation racing AI agent, ‘Gran Turismo Sophy’ is now available on the following course. Look for the Sophy icon in ‘Quick Race’ and ‘Custom Race’ on each track to test your skills against Sophy.
High Speed Ring
Scapes
“Lone Pine” has been added as a featured Curation in Scapes.
Brand Central: Lexus
Added a new base color “ANEST IWATA Racing 2025” for the ’17 Lexus RC F GT3 on sale in the Lexus Showroom.
*Internet connection and Gran Turismo 7 game required for update.
**Credits (paid or via game progression) required to purchase vehicles.