Race a 562bhp Super Silhouette Skyline in Gran Turismo 7 NOW

Japan’s fearsome ‘Super Silhouette’ class that reigned between 1979 and 1983 clothed Formula prototypes inside comedically enlarged humdrum saloon cars.

It burned bright, and short, but you can relive some of the action via the latest free update from Gran Turismo 7 which adds the wild prototype Skyline into the mix.

Nissan itself notes how a gentleman named Masahiro Hasemi used this actual machine in the ’82 and ’83 seasons of the Super Silhouette series, saying that while it vaguely resembles a production car on the outside, it’s “the equivalent of a Formula racing car on the inside”.

Run to Group 5 regulations, the SuperSkyline featured a four-cylinder turbocharged ‘LZ20B’ engine kicking out 562bhp and nearly 400lb ft of torque, powering a car that weighed just 1,005kg. Insert your own ‘eat a light breakfast!’ gags here. Did OK, too – Hasemi chalked up a couple of wins in 1982 and five in 1983.

Elsewhere in the update, you’ll get to drive a pair of Spyders: one’s the Porsche 918 which surely needs little introduction, while the second is Maserati’s A6GCS/53.

That latter car surely qualifies as one of the prettiest race cars ever built; a far cry from the boxy brilliance of the Skyline…