Sony Computer Entertainment has announced Gran Turismo 6, the latest version of PlayStation's best-selling franchise, will be released in the holiday season, 2013. The news was revealed today by Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi at an event held to celebrate 15 years of the top-selling series.



"GT6 for PlayStation 3 will bring new levels of authenticity to 'the Real Driving Simulator' as well as introducing stunning new tracks and cars and a revised user interface," a press statement read.



"A new compact game engine will improve operation and increase the flexibility to expand it with downloadable content."



The game is also set for connectivity with devices such as smartphones and tablets for social and community functions.



All of the cars and tracks from Gran Turismo 5 will be retained in GT6. But notable additions to the line-up of historic cars, road cars and the latest race cars, brings the total car list to 1200 at launch, with new cars set to be continually added online.



Several thousand aerodynamic parts and custom wheels will be available for almost all cars, and players can personalise their own custom cars in-game as well.



The UK's Silverstone Circuit will be one of seven new locations in Gran Turismo 6, taking the total to 33, with 71 different layouts available, 19 of them being new.



New tracks are also set to be made available online, while the course maker has also seen improvements.



The press statement confirmed that the GT Academy series, which sees Nissan and Sony team up to find real racing drivers, will be returning.



Other notable partnerships in the development of GT6 have been with tyre manufacturer Yokohama Rubber and suspension company KW Automotive.



"It is amazing to think that it is 15 years since we first released Gran Turismo," explained Kazunori Yamauchi, during the announcement at Silverstone Circuit.



"Things have changed a lot since then and now Gran Turismo 6 is a further evolution of my dream. We're pleased to deliver GT6 to PlayStation 3 as we have a very loyal community on that platform.