[HTML1]

Just a few hours remain before the newest installment in the Gran Turismo racing family hits the shelves and fans of the franchise are likely collectively shaking their heads over the wildly expensive microtransactions controversy. After a conversion breakdown of Polyphony Digital's Gran Turismo 6's in-game credits to real-world dollars was revealed earlier today, the $196 price tag on the Jaguar XJ13 stole just about all the game's pre-launch limelight.

Although the debate over the ridiculously priced vehicle unlock shortcut rages on, it's important to remember that gamers are going to have their hands on an incredibly polished racing game in a few hours. The Gran Turismo 6 cinematic opening credits showcase some of the incredible art work that went into crafting the in-game fleet of vehicles.

The trailer goes in a different direction from the most recent Gran Turismo installment's opening cinematic, which focused on the warehouse work involved in manufacturing the super cars. This time around, the opening scales things down and examines the evolution of design, starting from the drawing board and the sculpturing phase. The highlight on the team involved in bringing the high-powered cars to life on the PS3 in the most realistic fashion possible is a nice nod to the work that the artists were able to accomplish.

For gamers out there that are less interested in the behind-the-scenes artsy stuff, feel free to jump ahead to the two and a half minute mark and get straight to the high-speed action. The montage of cars curving around the tracks highlights the vehicles in motion and gives players a sneak peek at what the new maps have to offer. We even get a chance to see what kind of moves the moon rover is going to bring to the table.

In other Gran Turismo 6 news, Polyphony Digital president Kazunori Yamauchi also revealed the Red Bull rides that will eventually make an appearance in the game.

The Red Bull X2014 Fan car, the Red Bull X2014 Standard car, and the Red Bull X2014 Junior car were all confirmed earlier this week. The Polyphony president did not reveal exactly when or how users will be able to get in the driver's seats of these rides.

Yamauchi did however announce that a free update slated to arrive shortly after the release of GT6 will give all users access to the yet-to-be-launched BMW M4 Coupé. That means GT6 players will be sitting behind the digital wheel before the car hits real-world BMW showrooms. Pretty rad, right?

Are you excited for some high-speed racing or has the microtransaction debacle soured the GT6 launch for you? Let us know in the comments.

___

Grand Turismo 6 releases December 6, 2014 for the PS3.

Follow Denny on Twitter @The_DFC.

Source: PlayStation Blog