Get an early look at Gran Turismo 7 for PS5

Gran Turismo 7 hits PlayStation 4 and PS5 consoles this March. We got an early look at the latest generation of Sony's premier driving simulator.

Returning after an absence that goes back to Gran Turismo 4 is the World Map menu. This bird's-eye view of the GT World presents the game's various activities and modes as buildings.

You'll shop for cars newer than 2001 in the Brand Central hub.

In addition to over 400 cars, Brand Central also includes a museum mode that explores the history of the over 50 featured global brands.

The Cafe is a new in-game hub that serves, along with the GT Cup racing series, as the backbone of GT7's single player campaign.

More than 30 Menu Missions will guide players as they explore various corners of car culture and automotive design.

A Menu Mission may consist of, say, collecting three specific compact cars and will explore the historical context of those cars with audio interviews with real vehicle designers.

Gran Turismo's car washes and oil changes return, complete with cute little animations.

Thousands of visual customizations are available to choose from, including wide body kits, aerodynamics, wheels, roll cages and more.

GT7 features an overhauled physics and aerodynamics engine for more accurate racing simulation.

Two video modes are available on PS5. Frame Rate mode aims for high frames per second. Ray Tracing mode enables gorgeous ray-traced graphics for vehicle replays and static models.

Tuning has been overhauled as well, with a more accurate, simulation-based Performance Points calculation based on the fine-tuned settings of each vehicle component.

For example, adjusting the suspension dampers, tire pressure or wheel camber can increase a car's PP or, if done improperly, decrease it.

There are over 60 performance parts available per vehicle.

Gran Turismo's driver training and GT License events are back, which I absolutely love.

The goal of these events is to improve the driver, not the car.

License events will teach and challenge players to hone their braking, steering and acceleration.

GT7 also features many unique racing events outside of the core GT Cup circuit races. 

There are drag racing challenges, drift trials and custom events.

Music Rally is a new mode that brings some of the over 300 songs featured in GT7 to the fore.

In this mode, the driving pace is dictated by the beat of the music, not outright speed.

As a fan of in-game photo modes, I'm most stoked about the Scapes hub.

In Scapes, vehicles can be posed in 2,500 locations around the world for highly detailed, ray-traced photos. Shots can also be snapped during post-race replays.

In addition to new cars, GT7 also features a Used Car Dealer hub, where cars older than 2001 can be purchased. 

Like IRL, the selection and prices of these used cars will be updated and adjusted daily.  

More than 34 locations will be included with GT7 at launch, including both real-world tracks and a selection of fantasy circuits from previous Gran Turismo titles.

Including alternate track layouts and reverse circuits, players can expect around 97 unique courses at launch, with more tracks (and cars) being added via online updates in the future.

Gran Turismo 7 crosses the finish line on March 4, arriving on PS4 and PS5 consoles. Check out our preview of Gran Turismo 7 for more details.