Gran Turismo® Awards' 'Best In Show' Winner Joins a Distinguished List of Vehicles Featured in the World's Best-Selling Racing Franchise

LAS VEGAS, Nov. 4, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (SCEA) hosted its eighth annual Gran Turismo® Awards at the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) show last night at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, celebrating automotive design excellence and showcasing the latest franchise offering, Gran Turismo 5™. Each year, the Gran Turismo Awards offer SEMA show exhibitors the opportunity to join the ranks of the famed Gran Turismo® racing franchise – one of the top-selling video game franchises of all time with more than 56 million units shipped worldwide – with a feature spot in a future Gran Turismo title. After reviewing more than 100 entries, the judging panel and Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi himself, crowned Best Hot Rod winner, Mark Stielow for his 1969 Chevy Camaro as the 2010 "Best in Show."

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"For the past eight years, the Gran Turismo Awards has recognized and rewarded automotive enthusiasts who demonstrate passion and enthusiasm for car customization, design and performance," said Kazunori Yamauchi, famed creator of the Gran Turismo franchise and President of Polyphony Digital.  "The Gran Turismo franchise is committed to providing gaming fans and car aficionados with a realistic racing simulator that embodies racing nirvana, so we are always on the hunt for the next hot ride. We continue to be blown away by the quality of the vehicles that are submitted to the Gran Turismo Awards each year and are excited to add the 1969 Chevy Camaro to our list of distinguished winners and to the Gran Turismo franchise."

Additional prizes were awarded to:

• "Best Truck/SUV" – Nick Moncure, 2007 Chevy Colorado
• "Best Domestic Car" – Gary Mulder, 2011 Chevy Camaro SSX Concept and Tommy Z, 2010 Chevy Camaro Super Sport
• "Best Asian Import" – Jamarii Whiteside, 2006 Subaru WRX STI and Stef Papadakis, 1986 Toyota Corolla
• "Best European Import" – Marcel Horn, 2010 HPA Scirocco
• "Best Hot Rod" – Mark Stielow, 1969 Chevy Camaro

The 12-year old Gran Turismo franchise is recognized as the world's best and most authentic driving simulator. Gran Turismo 5, releasing exclusively on the PlayStation®3 (PS3®) system this year and now for the first time in stereoscopic 3-D, offers more than 1,000 licensed cars from the world's top manufacturers and racing organizations such as NASCAR and more than 20 tracks with 70 variations, including famous world circuits, city courses, and other environments. Additionally, players have the ability to custom create their own racing course and participate in a robust online system. Players can race online with up to 16 players through PlayStation®Network and transfer vehicles unlocked in Gran Turismo® for PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) into their garage in Gran Turismo 5. Featuring exciting gameplay to suit newcomers, automotive enthusiasts, and seasoned fans, Gran Turismo 5 truly raises the bar on delivering an ultra-realistic driving experience with unparalleled visuals and lifelike graphics that are difficult to distinguish from a live race. Some new key features include a completely new physics engine improving steering feel and dynamics during turns and drifts, a deep track editor function, vehicle damage, an online mode and more.

About Judging for the Gran Turismo Awards

Prior to SEMA 2010, all exhibitors were invited to enter their vehicles into the Gran Turismo Awards, which honor five different categories comprised of: "Best Domestic Automobile," "Best European Import," "Best Hot Rod," "Best Asian Import," and "Best Truck/SUV."  Judges consisted of various respected automotive journalists representing media outlets such as Super Street Magazine, Import Tuner and eurotuner with judging for each category based on a balance between performance, style, and speed.  Yamauchi then bestows the "Best in Show" award honor to one of these five category winners.  

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About the Gran Turismo® Franchise

With more than 56 million units shipped worldwide, the award-winning Gran Turismo® franchise for PlayStation®, PlayStation®2, PlayStation®3 and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) is regarded as the best and most authentic driving simulator ever created due to its true-to-life graphics, authentic physics technology and design. Since the inception of the Gran Turismo franchise, famed creator Kazunori Yamauchi and Polyphony Digital Inc. in Japan have revolutionized the racing category as we know it today. His offerings provide the most realistic driving simulation in the industry and a unique medium for automotive manufacturers to showcase their products.

The independent Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) has rated all Gran Turismo properties "E" for Everyone.  For more information about the ESRB, please visit www.esrb.org.

About Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC

Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC continues to redefine the entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation® and PS one® game console, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system, the ground-breaking PlayStation®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system and its online and network services PlayStation®Network and PlayStation®Store.

Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC markets the PlayStation family of products and develops, publishes, markets and distributes software for the PS one game console, the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, PlayStation 3 and the PSP system for the North American market. Based in Foster City, Calif., Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC serves as headquarters for all North American operations and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

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Gran Turismo® © 2010 Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.  Manufacturers, cars, names, brands and associated imagery featured in this game in some cases include trademarks and/or copyrighted materials of their respective owners.

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