One of the last games we checked out at Sony’s Media Day was Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. Running at 1080p at 60fps, the game is absolutely stunning. From the car models to the tracks to the background environments, every aspect of the game looks utterly amazing. The game is set to be released in Spring 2008 on both Blu-Ray disc and as a download from the PlayStation Store. No pricing has been set for North America just yet.

When the game ships, it will include approximately 70 cars and 5 reversible tracks, including Daytona. Like all Gran Turismo games, you’ll have to progress through the races to unlock most of the cars. There won’t be any license tests in Prologue, but will make it into GT5 when the full game is released. There will be more car tuning than what’s found in Gran Turismo HD, but nowhere near the amount you’ll find in the full GT5. There will be no damage modeling in Prologue, as Polyphony Digital didn’t have enough time to dedicate to making it work perfectly.

A new cockpit view has been introduced into Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. The detail you expect in car exteriors has been replicated in the dashboards as well. The gauge cluster is faithfully reproduced in each car as it looks in real life. The coolest part about cockpit view is the rear view mirror and side view mirrors work in real time. You no longer have to switch your view to see who’s coming up behind you.

Online racing will be available in GT5 Prologue with up to 16 cars per race. That’s a huge number of cars on the track at once, and at 1080p and 60fps it really holds up. Along with the online racing, Prologue will feature GT-TV, where users can go watch car tuning programs from the BBC and other niche markets for car enthusiasts. Some of these programs will be free, others will cost a small bit. Everything will be available in both HD and SD feeds.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue looks to build upon GT HD and expand the tracks and cars. It should give gamers a good idea of what to expect and something to hold them over until Gran Turismo 5 is fully released.