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As expected, Gran Turismo series producer Kazunori Yamauchi made an appearance at the \'Tokyo Amlux Auto Salon\' last weekend in Japan. At the event, Yamauchi-san unveiled a new version of Gran Turismo developed exclusively for Toyota, answered questions from the assembled crowd, and revealed preliminary details regarding his next project, Gran Turismo 4.
To begin, Yamauchi-san provided some background on his massively popular racing series. Specifically, he applauded Toyota of their continued support. In his own words, he said, \'Toyota was one of only three or four companies which were immediately supportive of the Gran Turismo series.\' As a sign of his gratitude, Yamauchi-san unveiled a special version of Gran Turismo dubbed \'Amlux\' which features all Toyota vehicles and will be on display exclusively at the Amlux dealership in Ikebukuro, Tokyo.
Continuing, Yamauchi-san demonstrated \'Gran Turismo Concept,\' a mini-sequel in the series featuring all concept cars available for the PlayStation 2. As he raced around the Route 246 course, Yamauchi-san explained the delicate nature of vehicle modeling and attention to detail in designing the backgrounds. More intriguing however, he went on to talk about the next chapter in the series, Gran Turismo 4. Specifically, Yamauchi-san said development was still relatively early. Nevertheless, he reaffirmed plans to include full network support. Scheduled for release in 2003, the game will allow players to download new vehicles and race against human opponents online. Moreover, he expressed interest in building a \'test drive\' mode that will allow players to experience a new vehicle online before buying it.