Four Sony Playstation gamers will become real racers after beating more than 90,000 rivals.
The Nissan 370Z Image: Nissan UK |
The four Gran Tourismo® 5 racing game players beat off tough opposition from around the world to win a seat in a real Nissan 370Z and compete in the 2012 Dubai 24 Hour race.
The quartet all qualified for places on the Nissan GT Academy after winning their heats on the computer-based racing game.
The Nissan 370Z is one of the cars portrayed in the highly realistic racing simulation game, but driving the real thing is a very different experience.
Spain's Lucas Ordoñez won the competition back in 2008 to join the Nissan GT Academy and has already made a name for himself at the Le Mans 24 Hour race in 2011. His team-mates for the 2012 Dubai race wil be Jordan Tresson from France, Jann Mardenborough from Wales in the UK and Californian Bryan Heitkotter - the oldest of the team at 30.
Although gaining the experience of a lifetime, the drivers have not simply swapped games consoles for a steering wheel in a top class race. They have undergone significant training and analysis under the watchful eyes of the Nissan GT Academy experts, with two of they drivers even competing in the New York Marathon as part of their training.
The competition is also supported by Sony and both the car and console manufacturers are expecting their team to more than just play the game - they are looking for nothing less than a class win in the 410-horsepower car.