It's been about a couple of weeks since the Electronic Entertainment Expo shut its doors, and Sony did not disappoint with their showcase. They had plenty of sequels and original games on hand to entertain their throngs of visitors, from the likes of cartoony platformers to truly genuine efforts like Shadow of the Colossus. However, we were disappointed to find that Gran Turismo 4 Mobile was nowhere to be seen, especially after much ballyhooed promise from last year. I asked a representative about it and he wasn't sure what was going on with the game.

However, Gran Turismo's presence was still certainly felt at the event. That's because Sony was gracious enough to give us a taste of the next level of GT goodness both at their pre-E3 press conference and at their theater showcase in their booth. There, gamers could witness the likes of Vision Gran Turismo, the first GT title for the PlayStation 3 and a game that could shape up to be the most outstanding in the series yet.

There was only a brief video shown, along with a video clip of Sony's movie superhero Spider-Man being intertwined with some racing footage almost seamlessly, but the video that was shown was nothing short of fantastic, pouring on the details and promising a racing experience so exquisite, it would make Gran Turismo 4 look like an NES effort. No joke.

We were lucky enough to get a few screenshots of the presentation for you to see here in all their hi-res glory. We'll break each one down and let it know what it means to you, the gamer.

Noticeably absent from most of the GT games are the people who manage to make the car run aside from the driver- the beloved pit crew. Sure, pit stops are included but you never really get to know what's going on with the folks who keep your ride maintained. As you can see here, Vision Gran Turismo has clearly not forgotten the value of this crew, and shows exactly what they'll do at each stop to give you an idea of what's being replaced and what's running fine with each stop. It's not exactly arcade-like, but simulation enthusiasts are bound to be thrilled.

Vision Gran Turismo will also pack some fantastic new courses with depth and beauty as far as the eye can see, and they'll more than likely put Gran Turismo 4 to shame with their level designs. Here, you can expect a grand amount of detail. Notice, for instance, the individual bricks in the buildings, and the glass, and that's not including the detail that will go on the car itself. I'm just talking about the scenery!

This screenshot shows the pit crews in even more detail, with each crew working feverishly on getting the cars up to tune and ready to get back into the race. Notice the detail on the people standing by in the sidelines, getting a taste of racing at its finest and watching everyone go to work. Can you also find the little Polyphony Digital logo? Yes, in all its clarity. That's pretty damn nice.

Many questions have still yet to be answered about Vision Gran Turismo before its debut in 2006 or 2007. Will it have the online play that many gamers clamor for? Will it have some kind of connectivity with the delayed Gran Turismo 4 Mobile for PSP? What kind of goodies can you download from past GT games? Well, for now, these questions will remain unanswered, but, soon enough, as the PlayStation 3 hype builds towards the system's spring 2006 release, we're bound to get some answers, and good answers they will be.

In the meantime, enjoy a look at the screens and the trailer for the game, and get ready for the next generation of Gran Turismo as we know it. Polyphony Digital sure has a vision, all right.