Thirteen years is a long time to wait. Autumn Ring — the fictional circuit first introduced in the original Gran Turismo — has been absent from the series since Gran Turismo 6, released back in 2013. Polyphony Digital has now confirmed it is returning in the studio’s biggest free update for Gran Turismo 7, alongside a real-world track making its Gran Turismo debut, 12 new cars, and a handful of genuinely useful new features.
The update is called Spec IV and, given the size of what’s coming, it will be delivered in two separate chunks — one in October and one in December.
What the Spec IV Update Actually Includes
Polyphony Digital has framed Spec IV as a warm-up to Gran Turismo’s 30th anniversary, which falls in 2027. The studio isn’t waiting until then to start celebrating.
The October update arrives first and brings Sportsland SUGO, a 2.3-mile Japanese circuit that hosts Super GT and Super Formula rounds in the real world but has somehow never appeared in a Gran Turismo game before now. It comes with six new cars, new brand-specific driving challenges, an expanded Car Viewer, and a Vintage section for discontinued vehicles. Polyphony is also raising the Collector Level cap.
December’s update is the one longtime fans have been waiting for. As well as six more cars and new online modes, it includes Autumn Ring — plus a second, greatly expanded version of the layout that opens the circuit up for higher-speed racing.
Autumn Ring Returns — With a New Expanded Layout
For those who never played the earlier entries in the series, Autumn Ring is a fictional circuit that has no real-world equivalent. It debuted in the original Gran Turismo in 1997 and stayed in every mainline instalment through Gran Turismo 6, then disappeared when GT Sport shifted the series toward real circuits and manufacturer-backed championships.
Its absence in Gran Turismo 7 has been one of the most consistent complaints from the community. Polyphony has confirmed the December version will include both the original layout — familiar to anyone who grew up with the series — and an expanded configuration that substantially lengthens the track.
That dual-layout approach is a smart move. The original Autumn Ring suits lighter, low-powered cars and rewards precision. A longer version that pushes higher speeds turns it into something viable for GT7’s modern high-performance machinery. One circuit, two very different experiences.
The Cars, New Modes, and One Actually Useful Feature
Twelve cars arrive across the two updates, split evenly. Polyphony hasn’t published the full list yet, but several are already visible in the announcement material: the E60 BMW M5, a Honda Mugen Motul Civic race car, the Citroën 2CV Charleston, the Honda Stepwagon Spada, the Mazda RX-Vision GT3 Evo, and the Xiaomi Vision Gran Turismo.
The new modes include Online Drift Trials, which bring competitive online drifting to GT7 for the first time, and Shuffle Racing — a concept that last appeared in Gran Turismo 5, where the game assigns random cars to all drivers and forces everyone to adapt on the fly. It’s a format that rewards skill over garage size, and one many players have been asking to see return.
Car Concierge: One of Spec IV’s less-flashy additions could be its most practical. Polyphony is introducing a Concierge feature that lets players order Used and Legend cars directly, instead of waiting for the game’s rotation to surface the vehicle they want. GT7’s rotating stock has frustrated collectors for years — this appears to address it directly.
December also brings Family Mode, designed to make Gran Turismo 7 more approachable for players who aren’t already deep into motorsport simulation. Gran Turismo Sophy, the AI driving system, will receive further updates in the same release.
When Will We Know More?
Polyphony is holding back specifics on the full car list and many of the mode details. The studio has confirmed that more information will be revealed at Gran Turismo World Series Round 3 in Singapore on 3 October — just under a month away.
Both updates are free, which continues a pattern Polyphony has maintained throughout Gran Turismo 7’s post-launch life. The game launched in 2022 and has received regular free content drops since. Spec IV is framed as the biggest of those — and with two new circuits, a dozen cars, and multiple new modes, it’s hard to argue with that description.
