Not since the days of Need for Speed Heat—where the Polestar 1 was even the cover car—had we seen a Swedish brand model in a video game. The Polestar 5, marking the brand’s return to a true sports car—albeit in GT form—changes that, making its debut in Gran Turismo 7. A more fitting title would be hard to find.
The car was unveiled to fans during the GT World Series event in Los Angeles and will officially debut in the game in December 2025.
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From Sweden to the simulator
To ensure realism, Polestar and Polyphony Digital worked closely with professional racing driver and Gran Turismo sim-racer Igor Fraga. Fraga had exclusive access to Polestar 5 prototypes and the brand’s development experts in Sweden. The final tuning session took place at the iconic Brands Hatch circuit in the UK, where data and driver feedback were used to fine-tune the digital model.
Polyphony Digital then integrated these real-world insights into their industry-leading physics and simulation systems, resulting in a virtual Polestar 5 that mirrors its real-life behavior. According to the developers, lap times in the game and on track are now directly comparable when driven by the right hands.
The Gran Turismo franchise, known for its visual fidelity and dynamic realism, recently surpassed 100 million copies sold worldwide. The partnership between Polestar and Polyphony Digital is set to continue over the coming years, starting with the Polestar 5’s arrival in Gran Turismo 7 via a software update in December, both for Play Station 4 and 5.
To celebrate, a special Polestar Time Trial event will launch in the game, with the winner receiving an exclusive trip to Fukuoka, Japan, to attend the 2025 GT World Series finals.
