Polestar is bringing its new flagship performance GT to the virtual world, with the Polestar 5 set to arrive in Gran Turismo 7 through a free December update on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Fans got an early look during the Gran Turismo World Series event in Los Angeles, where the Swedish brand confirmed the in-game launch window and teased a deeper, longer partnership with Polyphony Digital.

The collaboration goes beyond a simple 3D model drop-in. Polestar and Polyphony traded access to development teams and facilities to dial in the car’s digital behavior. That means suspension tuning, power delivery, weight transfer, and even the way the car settles over crests were informed by real engineering data rather than guesswork. It is exactly the kind of attention to detail Gran Turismo diehards expect.

A familiar name helped bridge the gap between the physical and virtual worlds. Pro racing driver and renowned sim ace Igor Fraga worked closely with both teams, putting prototype Polestar 5s through their paces, sharing feedback, and validating the results on track. Final sign-off happened at Brands Hatch, a circuit that is as honest as it gets when you want to check balance, braking, and traction without hiding flaws.

Polestar’s dynamics lead Joakim Rydholm has been vocal about making sure the digital car feels like the real car from behind the wheel. For players, that level of fidelity matters. When you jump into the Polestar 5 in GT7, the expectation is that your inputs produce the same character you would feel in an actual test drive. With Gran Turismo’s physics engine and the back-and-forth between the brand and developer, that promise is easier to trust.

This update will also kick off a special time trial built around the Polestar 5. The top performer earns an exclusive trip to Fukuoka, Japan to attend the 2025 GT World Series World Finals. To complement the event, Polestar is rolling out a short documentary on its YouTube channel that follows the journey of translating the car from road to screen. It is a smart one-two for both communities, letting fans experience the car first in the game and then learn how the sausage gets made.

It is worth remembering that Gran Turismo has always mixed the aspirational with the everyday. While the series celebrates exotics and race cars, it has historically welcomed regular production machines too. Players have grown up driving hot hatches, economy sedans, and family wagons right alongside halo cars, which is part of what makes GT7 such a powerful platform for a modern EV like the Polestar 5. Plenty of people will meet this car for the first time on a controller, not in a showroom, and that kind of exposure tends to move the needle.

Zooming out, this is a savvy brand play. Gran Turismo recently crossed a major sales milestone and remains one of the most influential driving sims for car culture at large. Putting a fresh, clean-sheet electric GT in front of that audience fits Polestar’s identity and helps demystify high performance EVs for millions of players who will immediately push it to its limits on familiar circuits.

Look for the Polestar 5 to hit your GT7 garage in December. Set a reminder for the time trial if you want a shot at the World Finals trip, and keep an eye out for the behind-the-scenes film when the event begins. If Polestar and Polyphony keep this partnership rolling, this could be the start of some very fun content for sim racers and EV fans alike.