Log onto gtacademy.eu to start your journey in the ultimate driving competition courtesy of PlayStation, Nissan and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue™ The ultimate competitive driving test is now live  with the  pan-European competition GT   Academy   activated   this   week   in   PLAYSTATION®3   title   Gran   Turismo   5 Prologue™.

The competition will see entrants compete for a place in a real-life racing academy  at  the  UK’s  Silverstone  track.  Created  by  PlayStation  and  Nissan,  GT Academy is designed to unite the worlds of virtual and real-life racing and make the dreams of aspiring race drivers a reality. The competition is open to residents of the UK & Ireland, France, Italy, Germany & Austria, Spain, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. 

To enter, PS3 owners must register their PLAYSTATION®Network sign-in ID on gtacademy.eu.  The  next  time  they  play  Gran  Turismo  5  Prologue  online  on PSN, they will be able to race in the GT Academy Time Trial where they will compete to be the fastest around the Eiger Nordwand track in a Nissan Fairlady Z Version S '07.  Players  can  continue  trying  to  improve  their  fastest  time  until  the  competition closes on July 18, 2008. Following  the  close  of this  phase  of the  competition,  the fastest  20  drivers  in each country will be invited to a national final to compete head-to-head on Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. 

The  fastest  three  drivers  from  each  national  final  will  then  travel  to Silverstone,  the  home  of  British  motor  racing,  to  take  part  in  the  GT  Academy  -  a real-life  driving competition  on the  Silverstone track  itself.  Competitors will  not  only have  to  prove  their  driving  skills  in  a  real-life  Nissan  GT-R  but  will  also  have  their mental and physical skills assessed in a series of tests.

The two fastest drivers from Silverstone then have the chance to enter a four-month training programme to earn their  racing  licenses  and  take  part  in  a  real  life  race,  driving  a  fully  race-prepared Nissan 350Z at the 24 Hour endurance event in Dubai in January 2009. Speaking  at  the  Nurburgring  24H  race,  Kazunori  Yamauchi,  Head  of  Polyphony Digital  producers  of  Gran  Turismo  said:    “This  is  a  very  exciting  day  for  Gran Turismo.

 The Gran Turismo story started 10 years ago with the ambition to make a racing  game  that  gives  players  the  ultimate  driving  simulation  experience.  The  GT Academy  is  the  ultimate  realisation  of  this  ambition,  taking  the  Gran  Turismo experience to the next level. For   full   terms   and   conditions   and   more   information   about   GT   Academy   visit gtacademy.eu.