Report: Gran Turismo 6 coming to PS3 this holiday [Update: it's official]

Gran Turismo 6, the latest installment in the racing simulation franchise, will launch this holiday on PlayStation 3, Sony announced at an event today according to a press release received by El33tOnline.

Speaking during an event commemorating the series' 15th anniversary, creator Kazunori Yamauchi called Gran Turismo 6 a "further evolution" of his plans for the franchise, stating it was created with future content in mind.

"It is amazing to think that it is 15 years since we first released Gran Turismo," he said. "Things have changed a lot since then and now Gran Turismo 6 is a further evolution of my dream. We're pleased to deliver Gran Turismo 6 to PlayStation 3 as we have a very loyal community on that platform."

"However, we have refactored the game to make it very flexible and expandable, with a view to making many future developments," he added. "I am very pleased with everything about the new game and the new additions, but the launch will be only the beginning for Gran Turismo 6. The game will continue to develop throughout its life. I already have many ideas for things I want to achieve in the next 15 years of Gran Turismo."

According to iAfrica, the Gran Turismo 6 press release hints at smartphone connectivity, as well as explicitly mentions planned add-on content.

"Gran Turismo 6 for PlayStation 3 will bring new levels of authenticity to ‘the Real Driving Simulator' as well as introduce stunning new tracks and cars and a revised user interface," says the statement. "A new compact game engine will improve operation and increase the flexibility to expand it with downloadable content."

The release states the game will include all cars and tracks featured in Gran Turismo 5. More vehicles have been added for the latest installment, and will reportedly bring the total number of playable cars to 1,200, with more coming as DLC. Seven new tracks have been added, including Silverstone Circuit, where today's event was held.

The sites reported that they were later told that the press release they received was embargoed. El33tOnline has since taken down the details.

The news comes hours after a listing for Gran Turismo 6 popped up on the official Gran Turismo site and then disappeared.

Update: This story has been updated to reflect that a second site has apparently received and posted information from an official press release. Polygon has not received a press release about the game, but we have contacted Sony to seek confirmation of the news.

Update 2: It's official.