First Drive of Seventh Generation Corvette Prototype

LONDON, December 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Camouflaged 2014 Corvette offered as free download in Gran Turismo®5

When fans fire up their PlayStation®3 (PS3™) systems today they'll have a chance to become part of Corvette history. Chevrolet and Sony Computer Entertainment America, LLC (SCEA) are giving gamers a first-of-its-kind driving experience by offering a camouflaged Corvette C7 Test Prototype as a vehicle download in the critically acclaimed PS3™ racing game Gran Turismo®5.

Chevrolet and Polyphony Digital Inc., the developers of the award-winning Gran Turismo® franchise, collaborated to provide an authentic driving experience in a seventh generation Corvette prototype currently available to only a handful of people in the world.

During the creation of the virtual Corvette prototype, careful attention was paid to the tiniest details from the creases and wrinkles in the soft camouflage used to disguise the new design to specific driving characteristics that are currently being tuned and refined ahead of the vehicle's official debut in January.

"Until now, only the most skilled drivers on the Corvette team have been authorized to push the test prototypes to the limits on some of the most challenging track surfaces in the world," said Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet Global Marketing. "Through this unique collaboration with Gran Turismo, Chevrolet is able, for the first time, to give performance car enthusiasts access to such an exclusive driving experience."

All six previous generations of the Corvette have been available to players of the Gran Turismo series since the game's inception and the Chevrolet nameplate remains one of the most popular vehicles to race. The camouflaged Corvette C7 Test Prototype is immediately available for download through the PlayStation® Store from your PlayStation®3 at no additional cost and can be driven on some of the world's renowned race tracks, including Daytona International Speedway and the infamous Nurburgring - one of the track surfaces used in testing to evaluate the new Corvette's driving dynamics.

"Gran Turismo has had many firsts and we're excited to partner with Chevrolet for yet another - bringing the first-ever Chevrolet prototype vehicle into a racing game," said Kazunori Yamauchi, President of Polyphony Digital Inc. "As car enthusiasts, we're thrilled to give fans this extraordinary level of access to the seventh generation Corvette that otherwise would not be possible."

The Gran Turismo series has sold more than 67 million games since its inception and remains the highest-selling PlayStation-exclusive franchise of all time.

Chevrolet will introduce the 2014 Corvette on Sunday, Jan. 13, 2013. For more information and video content, please visit http://www.one13thirteen.com. Enthusiasts can join the conversation about the next-generation Corvette and keep track of new announcements on Facebook (facebook.com/corvette) and Twitter @Chevrolet(#Corvette). Fans that follow the #one13thirteen hashtag on Twitter can look forward to exclusive updates.

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. The European Chevrolet line-up includes the Spark city car, the small Aveo sedan and hatchback, the compact Cruze sedan andhatchback, the Orlandofamily van, the Captiva SUV, the legendary Camaro and Corvettesports cars  and the extended-range Volt electric car. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at http://www.chevrolet.co.uk/  .

About the Gran Turismo® Franchise

With more than 67 million units shipped worldwide, the award-winning Gran Turismo® franchise for the PlayStation®, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PlayStation®3 and now PSP®(PlayStation®Portable) is regarded as the best and most authentic driving simulator ever created due to its true-to-life graphics, authentic physics technology and design. Since the inception of the Gran Turismo franchise, famed creator Kazunori Yamauchi and Polyphony Digital Inc. in Japan have revolutionized the racing category as we know it today. His offerings provide the most realistic driving simulation in the industry and a unique medium for automotive manufacturers to showcase their products.

About Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC

Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC continues to redefine the entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation® and PS one® systems, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system, the ground-breaking PlayStation®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system and its online and network services the PlayStation®Network and PlayStation®Store. Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC markets the PlayStation family of products and develops, publishes, markets and distributes software for the PS one, PlayStation 2, PSP, PSPgo, PS Vita and PS3 systems for the North American market. Based in Foster City, Calif., Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC serves as headquarters for all North American operations.

Contacts:
Afaf Farah
Chevrolet Communications
Phone: +1-313-667-4599
Mobile: +1-313-670-5679
afaf.farah@gm.com