Gran Turismo 2 may be nearing its 26th birthday, but only in the last several years have fans blown the door wide open with modding support. These days, clever modders can not only swap in new cars but also create new race events and completely reorchestrate the experience of one of the greatest racing games ever made. On one hand, that’s not exactly necessary, but on the other, when it leads to fantastic ideas like “GT2: Beige Edition,” well, you’ve got to see the bit through.
Beige Edition is a mod currently in development with no set release date. A trailer released by the small team behind it claims “over 330 brand new cars for over 50 manufacturers” as well as “150 trim and model edits” to cars already in the game normally, since GT2 certainly has a lot of malaise-inducing metal to begin with. It also promises a revamped career, redesigned menus, new features like a universal used-car dealer (GT2 hails from that era of early Gran Turismo games where UCDs were per-automaker and only for Japanese brands), and even a new in-race soundtrack.
I do not doubt that the folks behind the mod are talented; that said, plenty of mods start development without ever being finished so, you know—here’s hoping this gets over the line one day. Instead of any promise of release, I’m sharing this both because it’s a hilarious concept and also because the announcement trailer is expertly crafted, referencing a piece of media that longtime Gran Tuismo fans are sure to remember. You can watch it below:
Do the song and those cuts ring any bells? No? Now watch this trailer:
That’s the intro film for Gran Turismo on the PSP, and while the Beige Edition rendition isn’t shot-for-shot, it’s very faithful and comedically so. The headlight close-up normally reserved for a Nissan GT-R, for example, is instead lavished on a Chrysler PT Cruiser. And instead of seeing a Mercedes SLR McLaren leading a procession of thoroughly mundane cars that includes a Pontiac-freaking-Montana, a Vauxhall Cavalier has instead been entrusted with the honor.
It’s just really entertaining. In fact, you could almost argue that some cars, like the Mk IV Toyota Supra and “New Edge” Ford Mustang, are a little too hot-blooded for this roster. Plymouth Voyagers and Buick Roadmasters are more like it—which, conveniently, Beige Edition looks to include. Supposing this thing is eventually released in some fashion, at some level of completion, I’ll be excited to take a look. I mean, how many racing games can you say include a Kia Pride in them?
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Backed by a decade of covering cars and consumer tech, Adam Ismail is a Senior Editor at The Drive, focused on curating and producing the site’s slate of daily stories.
