After 26 years, modders give PS1 racing game classic Gran Turismo 2 the overhaul it deserves, replacing all the race cars with minivans and used car dealerships

If you have ever pondered how one of the top racing titles ever created would appear solely with minivans and whatever dreadful compact vehicle your grandmother used to operate, you’re fortunate, as Gran Turismo 2: Beige Edition is forthcoming. This modification removes all the race vehicles from the original PS1 classic and substitutes them with exceedingly ordinary options.

A preview trailer for Gran Turismo 2: Beige Edition was released last month, and the developers clearly understand what they are doing. The clip replicates the introduction of Gran Turismo for PSP, featuring a long buildup under an electronic music score. It culminates at a mid-video beat drop that showcases a Ferrari racing down the avenue – but in this version, the Ferrari is substituted with what seems to be a red Lancia Lybra leisurely cruising down the street.

More recently, the mod developers have unveiled an 11-minute clip detailing 120 of the 500 total vehicles that will be included, and there’s an astonishing charm in witnessing all these exceedingly standard cars meticulously depicted with the best graphics the PS1 can provide. The video description emphasizes a focus on “the unremarkable cars of the world,” and for the more ordinary sports cars present in the original – such as the Mustang GT – the developers have even opted to replace them with basic road versions.

Here’s what the creators are presently devising:

• More than 330 all-new vehicles for over 50 manufacturers!
• More than 150 variations and models for existing core game vehicles!
• Entirely reimagined career mode!
• Revamped menus, resources, and additional features!
• Universal Pre-Owned Car Dealerships!
• Fresh in-race music!
• and More!

There’s no announcement yet regarding the release date for the Beige Edition mod, but until it becomes available, you can be assured I’m on the lookout for every new trailer highlighting these dreadful, magnificent cars.

There‘s still plenty of excitement in the finest PS1 games.

Dustin Bailey became a part of the GamesRadar team as a Staff Writer in May 2022, and is currently positioned in Missouri. He has been engaging with games (with occasional forays into the realms of anime and professional wrestling) since 2015, initially as a freelancer, then serving as a news writer at PCGamesN for nearly five years. His passion for gaming was ignited somewhere between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Knights of the Old Republic, and nowadays, you can typically find him dividing his entertainment hours between retro gaming, the latest major action-adventure title, or a long stint in American Truck Simulator.