The Drive of Your Life. This is the catch phrase that Gran Turismo 4 boasts openly, and anything less would simply be unfitting. In its most recent iteration, Gran Turismo takes the genre a step closer to real life racing, both visually and in terms of gameplay. With a brand new physics engine, over 700 cars, and the ability to tune each vehicle into a supercar, GT4 takes the genre to new heights on the PlayStation 2.

With the racing scene making a comeback in recent years, Gran Turismo 4: The Real Driving Simulator is an ode to racing fans, new and old alike. The focus of Gran Turismo isn't your standard dime a dozen arcade racer where speed is the main dish. Instead, GT4 centers more around balance and driving skill, rather than who has the fastest car. With the Japanese Import, it is quite safe to say GT4 delivers all of the goods you would expect from a premier racing title.

The first thing you will notice that has changed in this game is the layout. There are no more separate menus once you begin GT Mode, rather one large menu, titled GT World. Everything is accessible from GT World, and it makes getting around just a little faster. The only real complaint about GT World is that at times it can seem a bit unorganized. However, with a little experience you will soon learn to navigate quickly, and this issue is soon left behind.

When you begin a race, you will almost instantly notice the difference in car control. With a new physics engine, GT4 is another step closer to reality, which is always welcome in a simulator. Cars now react to nearly everything going on in the race. If you draft off of another car for too long, you may find yourself, as well as your opponent, in a spin out frenzy from too much air turbulence. In other cases you will find yourself flying at high speeds down a back straight, and one touch to the grass can send you into a world of turmoil. Even with all of the new additions, GT4 still features many assists to make the game accessible to fans of all sorts, and is not entirely impossible to grasp.

Just like any GT title, one of the main aspects of the game is tuning your car. With tons of tuning options, you can turn your car into a well balanced race car, or an overpowered dragster. GT4 also features parts from real world tuners, rather than no name upgrades. For instance, if you drive a Honda, you can chose from Mugen, Blitz, Spoon, and HKS. Each different manufacturer has different tuner companies from which they can purchase upgrades, just as you would see in the real world. Another new addition to the tuning aspect of GT4 is Nitrous Oxide Systems (NOS). While it is only particularly useful in Drag races, it's still a blast to see and use in any of the many race modes.

Other new additions include the likes of Photo Mode and B-Spec. In Photo Mode, you are able to take one of the 700+ cars, and place them in any of the 15+ locations, or 52 race courses, and snap lovely photos of your highly tuned automobile. With loads of options, you can make some really interesting shots, some of which are very difficult to distinguish between reality and in-game visuals. B-Spec is an entirely new concept for the Gran Turismo series. It places you in the pit and gives you total control over a driver, telling him how aggressive to drive, when to pass, and when to pit in. At first glance, it seems to be very simple, but in longer races, you need much more strategy and you actually have to think and predict what your opponents will do. While not the most immersive part of GT4, it's still a welcome addition, and offers good variety.

Also new to the series are many additions to races and race types. In previous installments, Gran Turismo had only seen races in their normal fashion, 6 cars start, 6 cars finish, with a set number of laps. In GT4, they introduce two new modes, Special Condition, and Mission Hall. In Special Condition, you will find yourself racing certain types of cars on terrain that is anything but normal (dirt, snow, and wet tracks). You may find yourself in a 4WD car racing against a car with more power than you have on a wet race course, or in a rally race, again being the underdog. In Mission Hall, you are given different scenarios in which you will begin the race. Some will be as simple as taking the lead within the last half of a lap, others as complex as winning a race with a severe power handicap from 6th place. These races are often quite challenging, and offer their rewards, as this is how new courses are unlocked in the Arcade Mode. Also new to the series is the addition of Drag Racing. While very basic, it is still extremely enjoyable to fans of Drag racing.

Visually, GT4 is a step above its older brothers, in many ways. The first thing you will notice is that the tracks are exceptionally photo-realisitc, given the hardware they are on. Often times, at first glance, some may mistake parts of GT4 to be a real broadcast. Another amazing feature in the visuals department is the addition of a Pit Crew. Prior to GT4, a pit stop meant 20 seconds floating in the air and viola, new tires. Now when you pit, a full pit crew will come out, change your tires, and re-fuel your car (yes fuel, another welcome addition). This is especially pleasing, as it adds to the ever growing sense of realism that the GT series carries.

So far it is safe to say that GT4 is everything any race fan could hope for. While it doesn't offer some of the more popular features, such as custom body kits and flashy paint jobs, it definitely stands alone in terms of quality and replay value. We will keep you posted in the future with any updates on the US release of GT4, as well as a full review of the import, in-depth features on new modes, and a plethora of gameplay tips.