Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Polyphony Digital Inc have announced the imminent arrival of a playable time trial from Gran Turismo 5 for PlayStation 3. On 17 December, a downloadable, one-track level featuring the Nissan 370Z will hit PlayStation Network and it’s the real thing: an against-the-clock trial from one of the most eagerly awaited games ever. This time trial does more than give you early access to Gran Turismo 5. It’s also your entry point for 2010’s GT Academy, the competition that will find Europe’s best virtual drivers and train them to become real-life racing drivers at the UK’s famous Silverstone racetrack.

Last year, PlayStation and Nissan’s GT Academy transformed the life of Spanish student Lucas Ordoñez, who entered the GT Academy and emerged a fully fledged member of the Nissan race team, winning his spurs at the Dubai 24H. This is your chance to follow his steps as a virtual-to-real racecar driver. This is your chance to join him. Download the Gran Turismo 5 time trial on December 17 and try to beat the clock. Your best time will be uploaded to a national leaderboard and you can keep improving it, again and again, until the demo is taken down in late January. When that happens, the 20 fastest drivers will be invited to a national final, where they’ll race head-to-head on Gran Turismo 5 and undergo a series of aptitude tests. From there, the winners will be taken to Silverstone, where they’ll get behind the wheel of a Nissan 370Z for real as part of 2010’s GT Academy.

The first full Gran Turismo title for PS3, Gran Turismo 5 will give you even more of the astounding realism, design and in-car physics that the series has won acclaim for it’s the drive of a lifetime. You’ll get to tackle the world’s most famous racetracks, rendered in High Definition graphics and you’ll get behind the wheels of some of the most legendary cars in motor racing from past to cutting-edge present. The return of a gaming legend is imminent and your first glimpse is arriving in the form of a playable time trial on December 17. Whether you’re after stardom in GT Academy or you just want to be the first onto the Gran Turismo 5 racetrack, this is an experience not to be missed.

More Information at www.gran-turismo.com. Image Courtesy of Polyphony Digital Inc. and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.