GT7 Update Finally Puts to Rest a Tire Mystery That’s Haunted Me for Years

As a result of Gran Turismo 7‘s recent partnership with tiremaker Michelin, most of the game’s cars will visibly feature Michelin tires when Update 1.49 releases on Thursday.

“Michelin designs will be featured on tires sold at the Tuning Shop as well as on standard tires fitted to each car (excluding certain vehicles)” reads a changelog. Not only does this make Gran Turismo‘s vehicles that much more realistic-looking—one of the easiest tells you’re looking at a GT screenshot instead of a real-life image is conspicuously unbranded tires—but it also reveals specifically what model of tires the game is simulating with its range of Comfort, Sports, and Racing rubber, putting to rest a mystery that’s been plaguing me for literal years. Because in classically GT form, specific tire models can be seen on the digital sidewalls. Check out this screenshot from the game’s Tuning Shop:

Look closely at the screenshot above (it’s more clearly visible in the update’s 4K trailer) and you’ll see that the game’s “Sports” tires are represented to be Michelin’s Pilot Sport Cup 2 Rs, an ultra-high performance tire typically offered as an optional track tire on upper echelon production cars like the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, as seen above. CSI-enhancing into the “Comfort” tire, then, reveals these to be the Pilot Sport 4S (note the little checkered flag on that model’s sidewall after the model name), a common street-oriented standard tire for those same vehicles. The game’s “Racing” tires, meanwhile, are shown to be Pilot Sport slicks with a colored sidewall.

Of course, this is the selection for high-end Porsches like the GT3 RS and 918 Spyder, and I’m very curious to see if they are different for other cars in the game. I can’t imagine the Toyota Prius comes stock with a “Comfort Hard” PS4S, for example. The game also features Dirt and Snow tires, and it’ll be interesting to see exactly which Michelins it chooses to showcase there, if any. A rally car with extra-thick sidewalls briefly appears in the footage, and it seems to show the same generic Gran Turismo brand as before.

Look, I’ll be the first to admit that this is deep, deep racing game nerdery but I heard we’re doing more of that around these parts, and also coolness is merely a social construct. Eagle-eyed sim racers will notice that the accuracy stops at the tires’ markings, however, as multiple cars sport the same 123/45ZR67 placeholder “measurements.” Like this Taycan Turbo S, for example:

In any case, not only will GT7‘s tires look different, but they’ll feel different too. Update 1.49 is promising a “significant” physics upgrade. “This update introduces new suspension physics and refined tire calculation, resulting in more natural weight shifting during cornering,” writes Polyphony. “Also, tire response will be enhanced, offering more realistic heating and wear. Anticipate more dynamic car movements and a refined driving experience.”

The free update also throws in the old Eiger Nordwand track, as well as a few new cars including the E36 M3, Ferrari 430 Scuderia, Lamborghini Gallardo, and some Subaru rally car Adam says was weirdly missing from the series for quite a long time.

Got a tip or question for the author about deeply nerdy racing game details? You can reach him here: chris.tsui@thedrive.com