The series was conceived in 1992 by Kazunori Yamauchi, then an employee at Sony Computer Entertainment Japan, working within a team initially called Polys Entertainment that grew from five to seventeen people over five years of development. Sony initially rejected the concept of a realistic racing sim but accepted a revised pitch after the team's earlier arcade racing games, Motor Toon Grand Prix and Motor Toon Grand Prix 2, proved commercially successful. Polyphony Digital was formally founded shortly after the first game's release.
The original Gran Turismo launched in Japan in 1997 and in North America and Europe in 1998. It carried a roster of 150 licensed vehicles — larger than any other racing sim at the time — and introduced the series' characteristic structure: players begin with entry-level cars, win prize money, and work progressively toward faster machinery. Driving licence tests embedded in the game taught the principles of real racing. The game sold approximately two million copies in Japan by mid-1998 and became the highest-selling game on the original PlayStation.
Gran Turismo 2, released on PlayStation in 1999–2000, expanded the car roster to 650 and added rally events; its size required two discs. Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec launched on PlayStation 2 in 2001, originally under the working title Gran Turismo 2000, and introduced endurance racing events with mandatory pit stops. Gran Turismo 4 (2004) carried approximately 700 vehicles and added a photography mode, a new hub world, and a B-spec mode where players directed an AI driver. Gran Turismo 4 became the third best-selling game on the PS2.
Gran Turismo 5 (2010) for PlayStation 3 was the first main series entry with online multiplayer, supporting up to 16 players simultaneously. It introduced the GT Academy programme, through which top players could qualify for a real-world driver development programme run with Nissan. Development on PS3 was described by Yamauchi as a "nightmare" and the game was delayed multiple times. Gran Turismo 6 (2013) raised the car count to 1,200 but launched after the PlayStation 4 was already available, limiting its commercial ceiling; it sold roughly half the copies of Gran Turismo 5.
Gran Turismo Sport (2017) on PlayStation 4 was a significant departure: it focused on online competition with FIA certification, removed the traditional single-player career mode, and offered post-release content at no charge. Its changes proved initially controversial among the series' fanbase but it became a prominent esports platform. Gran Turismo 7 (2022), developed for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, restored the career mode. It drew sharp criticism at launch for its microtransaction model and pay-to-play elements, receiving the lowest PlayStation exclusive user score in Metacritic history.
The GT Academy, running from 2008 to 2016, was a driver discovery programme created in partnership between Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Polyphony Digital, and Nissan Europe. Online qualifying rounds within Gran Turismo fed into national finals, with winners attending a Race Camp at Silverstone. Graduates underwent a Nissan-led Driver Development Programme and competed in professional motorsport. Notable GT Academy winners include Lucas Ordóñez, Jordan Tresson, and Jann Mardenborough, all of whom reached professional racing. The programme attracted sufficient talent that four GT Academy drivers were barred from the gentleman driver category of the British GT Championship on merit.
The Gran Turismo World Series, held since 2018 (known as the FIA Certified Gran Turismo Championships until 2021), is a structured global esports competition partnered with manufacturer brands including Alfa Romeo, AMG, Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Ford, and many others. Gran Turismo Sport served as the motorsport event for the 2021 Olympic Virtual Series, and Gran Turismo 7 was used for the inaugural Olympic Esports Week motorsport event in Singapore in June 2023, where France's Kylian Drumont won the final.
The series demonstrated that racing simulations could drive real-world automotive interest. Mitsubishi credited Gran Turismo's popularity as a factor in its decision to bring the Lancer Evolution to the American market. TVR reported a sixfold increase in UK sales after appearing in the first game. Car manufacturers including Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volkswagen, Nissan, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti, and others have collaborated with Polyphony Digital on the Vision Gran Turismo project, designing virtual concept cars specifically for the series. In 2024, Mercedes-AMG formally recognised Gran Turismo 7 as a sim racing platform.
Series partnerships include Brembo, Dunlop Tyres, Mazda, Toyota Gazoo Racing, and Fanatec for the Gran Turismo World Series. The series has also sponsored or supported Super GT, Super Formula, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, and the D1GP drifting championship.
A feature film adaptation of Gran Turismo was released on 25 August 2023, directed by Neill Blomkamp. The film focuses on Jann Mardenborough's journey from GT Academy 2011 graduate to professional racing driver. Archie Madekwe plays Mardenborough, with David Harbour as his driving coach Jack Salter and Orlando Bloom as a motorsport promoter. Filming took place in Hungary from November to December 2022.
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec remains the highest-selling individual title in the series at 15 million copies and was the second-highest selling game on the PlayStation 2. The series has earned seven Guinness World Records including Largest Number of Cars in a Racing Game and Highest Selling PlayStation Game. Its influence on the sim racing genre prompted competitor titles including Forza Motorsport from Turn 10, which became the series' primary rival on Microsoft platforms.