Prototype Corvette available on GT5

Be a pre-production test driver from your lounge!

Ever fancied driving a pre-production prototype, months before any buyers or hacks get their hands on a road-going car? Providing you have access to a PS3, that dream can become a (virtual) reality.

Disguised 'Vette is faithfully rendered

Chevrolet and Sony are offering gamers the chance to drive a disguised Corvette C7 prototype as part of a downloadable add-on for Gran Turismo 5. The finished car is not expected until January's Detroit Motor Show, hence it remains under wraps for the game.

But Polyphony, the creators of the Gran Turismo franchise, have been given unprecedented access to the C7 mules. This means the cars have been subjected to Polyphony's fastidious attention to detail, so expect a typically precise recreation of the driving experience. Even the disguise itself has been faithfully rendered to include every crease and fold.

Teaser vid shows off multi-function dash...

Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi is reportedly "thrilled" at the opportunity "to give fans this extraordinary level of access to the seventh generation Corvette that otherwise would not be possible".

So what to expect of a virtual pre-production prototype? We know that the Corvette C7 will be powered by Chevrolet's lighter, more efficient small-block 6.2 V8 for a start. With around 450hp and 450lb ft, a 0-60mph time of under four seconds is claimed. Top speed? No figures as yet, so the Mulsanne straight surely beckons...

...and aluminium suspension parts

What's more, Chevrolet has just released a new teaser video which gives a little more insight into the new model. There isn't much to go on, admittedly, but it has at least revealed that the new car will get an all-digital dash that'll be configurable to bring up any number of car data functions. There's also a glimpse of some aluminium suspension components, which bodes well for the new car's handling abilities

Elsewhere, we can probably expect the C7-generation Corvette to retain the lightweight construction of its forebears. Expect a more drastic departure for the styling however; the C5 and C6 were aesthetically quite similar, but this Corvette could take cues from the 2009 Stingray concept to create a more dramatic look.