Gran Turismo 7 Finally Adds a Renault Twingo in New Update

It’s update time again for Gran Turismo 7, a game that, over four years on from its launch, is still receiving regular injections of fresh content. Today, update 1.69 is rolling out to players around the world, and while it’s a relatively minor one with no new circuits to speak of, there’s the usual addition of three new cars, one of which really feels like it should have been added to the series years ago given its longstanding affinity for quirky underdog cars. Join us for a quick roundup of the three new models arriving in GT7.

1993 Renault Twingo

FINALLY. The original Renault Twingo arrived back in 1993, four years before the first Gran Turismo title. Given that GT games have always liked to include offbeat small cars, and especially given that the Twingo was a cult hit in Gran Turismo’s home nation of Japan, it feels borderline absurd that it’s taken nearly 29 years for it to appear in the series.

That finally changes today, with the original bug-eyed Twingo – recently reborn as an electric car – being virtually recreated in the glorious high-definition detail that such a legend deserves. The version included gets a 1.2-litre engine making a heady 54bhp, although it lands with an in-game engine swap ready and waiting – Honda’s revvy 2.4-litre K24A. Shockingly enough, it’s the cheapest car in the update, landing in the game’s Used Car Dealership at a bargain 14,000 credits. So, while the Twingo’s planned Nürburgring 24-hour entry might be on hold for now, at least you can recreate it virtually.

1993 Porsche 911 Turbo S Leichtbau (964)

Remember when the EA exclusivity deal meant the only taste of Porsche-adjacent cars we could get in Gran Turismo was via Ruf models? Those days are long gone, with plenty of Stuttgart machinery in GT7 already. Update 1.69 adds another, and it’s a rather special one.

The second 964-generation 911 in the game following the Carrera RS, the 964 Turbo S Leichtbau is one of the rarest production 911s of all. Based on the standard 3.3-litre 911 Turbo of the era, it received bigger injectors and reprofiled cams to take power to a punchy 375bhp, all still sent through the rear wheels. ‘Leichtbau’, meanwhile, is German for ‘light build’, and that was certainly apt, as various weight reduction measures saw this rare model ditch around 180kg over a standard Turbo.

With just 80 built, the 964 Leichtbau is now one of the most coveted 911s among collectors, and that’s unfortunately reflected in its in-game price: available from the limited-time Legends Dealership, it’s the most expensive car in the update at a painful 1.2 million credits.

2024 Yangwang U9

The final car in the update is one we’ve been expecting, because the inclusion of the Yangwang U9, the record-breaking Chinese electric hypercar, was first confirmed last October. There is a bit of a surprise, though, because it was the 2,959bhp Xtreme version – the one that hit 308mph to become the unofficial fastest production car in the world – that was announced back then, while the car that arrives in-game today is the standard version, with ‘only’ 1,286bhp from its four electric motors. Pathetic.

We jest, of course – this is likely to still be a hugely quick car in-game, especially for its relatively attainable 350,000 credit asking price. Since it’s a new car, it’ll always be available in Brand Central too. It represents the second Chinese car to appear in the Gran Turismo series, following the arrival of the equally rapid Xiaomi SU7 Ultra earlier this year. No word on whether the U9’s party trick ability to bunny hop on the spot has been recreated in game.

What else is new?

As mentioned, no new tracks arrive in GT7 as part of update 1.69, but there is a smattering of fresh content elsewhere. There’s the expected three new World Circuits events – one tailored towards each of the three new cars – new Scapes photo locations, and a new Extra Menu Book, this one themed around classic muscle cars.

Elsewhere, new rewards are available for completing races in the Power Pack DLC, and there’s a fresh addition to the game’s Circuit Experiences, designed to guide players through various circuits. This one’s a doozy: it sees you tackle the Nürburgring’s ‘Endurance II’ layout, an unexpected recent addition that sees the fearsome circuit’s endurance layout – combining the Nordschleife and shortened GP circuit – the wrong way. Have fun with that one.