Today, it’s no surprise to see real racecar drivers jump into the simulation rig, and for sim drivers to hop into real cars. But there was a time when the two worlds felt more distant, and the Nissan GT Academy had a big role in changing that perception.
Now, the story of one of the program’s most notable drivers is being told in the film “Gran Turismo,” and Nissan has released a video explaining what its part in the creation of the academy was like.
“Honestly, a lot of people thought we were crazy,” said Gareth Evans, marketing communications manager for Nissan Motorsports. “Taking gamers from the virtual world, putting them in a real life racing car, they didn’t think it was possible.”
The idea for the program was conceived by Darren Cox (a loose approximation of whom is being played by Orlando Bloom in “Gran Turismo“), who was a former Nissan Europe executive. In 2006, he saw how much pace the game’s players had in real life at a small event that challenged gamers to drive in the game and on a real track to compete for a Nissan 350Z.
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Just two years later, the idea for the GT Academy became a reality, and Spain’s Lucas Ordóñez became the first driver to make the transition from Gran Turismo to become a Nissan works driver. According to Evans, he was supposed to be the only winner.
“It was actually only meant to be a one-year program, but it was so successful and groundbreaking, that it actually ran from 2008 to 2016,” said Evans. “The gamers that got through to the race camp finals had a week long intensive course [with] fitness tests, media tests, and real world racing cars with all kinds of other crazy challenges.”
Over the course of its history, the GT Academy expanded to have competitions around the world. By the time the program ended in 2016, a total of 22 gamers made the leap from the sim rig to the racecar, earning trophies for Nissan across the globe.
“The GT Academy was completely unique, and it is a part of Nissan’s heritage we are so proud of,” said Takao Katagiri, Nissan Motorsports CEO. “We dared to do something different, and to find a different way to discover the talent.”
To see the dramatized version of 2011 GT Academy winner Jann Mardenborough’s journey through the program, you can watch “Gran Turismo,” which premieres August 8, 2023.